New Rickenbacker 4003S/5 review

[torinodeathride]

I've had this bass for about 10 months. I decided to wait to do a review so I could really set it up and play it for a while (including live, which has been scattered with Covid). This bass is great with some caveats and things some will love (and other might not love). The pros first:

• Excellent build and quality:
  • Mapleglo finish is beautiful (wife said, it's like a work of art). I'd get Mapleglo or walnut to appreciate the beauty here.
    
  • Neck feels and plays wonderful (kind of Gibson-like maybe close to really nice SG style bass). Not sure if you'd get this with painted finish (black, etc.).
    
  • Fret board is best I've seen, they really put nice wood there.
    
  • Schaller hardware is great match: solid bridge that intonates well and matches my fav Badass bridges on my p basses. String spacing is okay too, talking about bridge pieces that move here. Stays in tune well too.
  • All maple body and neck sound and resonate incredibly. This is just a bit heavy, not too much. The higher frets and strings sound great, better than any Fender bass I've played. This is a Rick strength I believe all Ricks have.
• String spacing great for 4 string player switching to 5 string and for chords:
  • String spacing is closer than p bass as reference point, but it's great for chords and fast runs. I definitely notice the slightly shorter 33 1/3 scale length too, which makes some chords and fast scales a bit easier to play. String spacing makes it play more like a big Gibson SG (weird comparison I know) than a 5 string p bass for comparison. Not to say it plays like a baritone, it plays like a bass for sure. Some people might think that tighter string spacing is a negative, that's why I'm adding this detail.
• Neck/bass pickup sounds great!
  • Wow does the neck pickup really have punch, grit, and wonderful (usable) low end! Rickenbacker scored a hat trick with this pickup. I can tell they made this pickup to handle the B string, and it does really well. It sounds great for all the strings too. Very well balanced and natural. This makes this bass with the excellent playability and build quality. The neck pickup like all Ricks adds nice clarity and crisp highs. Both pickups blend well too as with most Ricks. These pickups are louder, thicker, and fuller than my p basses for comparison. I love p basses btw!
• Vintage pull switch is good for versatility and traditional 4001 sound
  • I think these pickups are a bit more aggressive and fuller than regular 4003 pickups. This really a rock sound and they sound great with a cranked tube amp. I prefer the normal non-vintage pickup sound since I play aggressive/heavy music. I think this the vintage pickup switch does well making the pickups less aggressive and full, really showing off crisp mids and highs (the Rick sound for some people). I don't think Rick purists will like these pickups as much as someone who isn't beholden to the traditional Rick sound. They sound like a 4003/4001 for sure though, don't get me wrong.

Now the cons:

• Ships with really light gauge strings that kind of suck
  • the B string is .115 on this set. .115 will never have enough tension on this bass or any other 5 string I assume. This weird choice by Rickenbacker might make some people who play this bass at a shop think it sucks. Don't let this fool you, just use a .125 set, the sweet spot for this bass. A .125 B string sounds great on this bass. It'll do .130 too. More later.
• Pickups are very hot and needed to be lowered quite a bit
  • Pickups are hot even lowered too. This is great once you dial it in and these pickups push the hell of my Verellen Meatsmoke which is great! This isn't a totally bad thing or con either. I'm not sure how this sounds on solid state. But know that these pickups are hot and that might not suit your style or sound.
• B string doesn't have enough tension below .125 gauge
  • This is fine for me, since I like a .125 and even .130 B string. But for lighter gauges on B string this is probably not your bass. I think this is because of the 33 1/3 scale length. No I am claiming expertise here. Please correct me if needed! Like I said above the .125 is best for this bass, it's a sweet spot with tension and playability. .130 on the B string is okay too. Schaller support told me .135 is max their bridge can do btw. I don't think the Schaller bridge will intonate anything bigger than a .130 B string. Rest assured that the rest of the strings sound great and intonate well.

I hope this helps! I'll add pictures soon.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I've had this bass for about 10 months. I decided to wait to do a review so I could really set it up and play it for a while (including live, which has been scattered with Covid). This bass is great with some caveats and things some will love (and other might not love). The pros first:

• Excellent build and quality:
  • Mapleglo finish is beautiful (wife said, it's like a work of art). I'd get Mapleglo or walnut to appreciate the beauty here.
    
  • Neck feels and plays wonderful (kind of Gibson-like maybe close to really nice SG style bass). Not sure if you'd get this with painted finish (black, etc.).
    
  • Fret board is best I've seen, they really put nice wood there.
    
  • Schaller hardware is great match: solid bridge that intonates well and matches my fav Badass bridges on my p basses. String spacing is okay too, talking about bridge pieces that move here. Stays in tune well too.
  • All maple body and neck sound and resonate incredibly. This is just a bit heavy, not too much. The higher frets and strings sound great, better than any Fender bass I've played. This is a Rick strength I believe all Ricks have.
• String spacing great for 4 string player switching to 5 string and for chords:
  • String spacing is closer than p bass as reference point, but it's great for chords and fast runs. I definitely notice the slightly shorter 33 1/3 scale length too, which makes some chords and fast scales a bit easier to play. String spacing makes it play more like a big Gibson SG (weird comparison I know) than a 5 string p bass for comparison. Not to say it plays like a baritone, it plays like a bass for sure. Some people might think that tighter string spacing is a negative, that's why I'm adding this detail.
• Neck/bass pickup sounds great!
  • Wow does the neck pickup really have punch, grit, and wonderful (usable) low end! Rickenbacker scored a hat trick with this pickup. I can tell they made this pickup to handle the B string, and it does really well. It sounds great for all the strings too. Very well balanced and natural. This makes this bass with the excellent playability and build quality. The neck pickup like all Ricks adds nice clarity and crisp highs. Both pickups blend well too as with most Ricks. These pickups are louder, thicker, and fuller than my p basses for comparison. I love p basses btw!
• Vintage pull switch is good for versatility and traditional 4001 sound
  • I think these pickups are a bit more aggressive and fuller than regular 4003 pickups. This really a rock sound and they sound great with a cranked tube amp. I prefer the normal non-vintage pickup sound since I play aggressive/heavy music. I think this the vintage pickup switch does well making the pickups less aggressive and full, really showing off crisp mids and highs (the Rick sound for some people). I don't think Rick purists will like these pickups as much as someone who isn't beholden to the traditional Rick sound. They sound like a 4003/4001 for sure though, don't get me wrong.

Now the cons:

• Ships with really light gauge strings that kind of suck
  • the B string is .115 on this set. .115 will never have enough tension on this bass or any other 5 string I assume. This weird choice by Rickenbacker might make some people who play this bass at a shop think it sucks. Don't let this fool you, just use a .125 set, the sweet spot for this bass. A .125 B string sounds great on this bass. It'll do .130 too. More later.
• Pickups are very hot and needed to be lowered quite a bit
  • Pickups are hot even lowered too. This is great once you dial it in and these pickups push the hell of my Verellen Meatsmoke which is great! This isn't a totally bad thing or con either. I'm not sure how this sounds on solid state. But know that these pickups are hot and that might not suit your style or sound.
• B string doesn't have enough tension below .125 gauge
  • This is fine for me, since I like a .125 and even .130 B string. But for lighter gauges on B string this is probably not your bass. I think this is because of the 33 1/3 scale length. No I am claiming expertise here. Please correct me if needed! Like I said above the .125 is best for this bass, it's a sweet spot with tension and playability. .130 on the B string is okay too. Schaller support told me .135 is max their bridge can do btw. I don't think the Schaller bridge will intonate anything bigger than a .130 B string. Rest assured that the rest of the strings sound great and intonate well.

I hope this helps! I'll add pictures soon.

Thanks for a detailed and thoughtful review.

 

[bobyoung53]

I've had this bass for about 10 months. I decided to wait to do a review so I could really set it up and play it for a while (including live, which has been scattered with Covid). This bass is great with some caveats and things some will love (and other might not love). The pros first:

• Excellent build and quality:
  • Mapleglo finish is beautiful (wife said, it's like a work of art). I'd get Mapleglo or walnut to appreciate the beauty here.
    
  • Neck feels and plays wonderful (kind of Gibson-like maybe close to really nice SG style bass). Not sure if you'd get this with painted finish (black, etc.).
    
  • Fret board is best I've seen, they really put nice wood there.
    
  • Schaller hardware is great match: solid bridge that intonates well and matches my fav Badass bridges on my p basses. String spacing is okay too, talking about bridge pieces that move here. Stays in tune well too.
  • All maple body and neck sound and resonate incredibly. This is just a bit heavy, not too much. The higher frets and strings sound great, better than any Fender bass I've played. This is a Rick strength I believe all Ricks have.
• String spacing great for 4 string player switching to 5 string and for chords:
  • String spacing is closer than p bass as reference point, but it's great for chords and fast runs. I definitely notice the slightly shorter 33 1/3 scale length too, which makes some chords and fast scales a bit easier to play. String spacing makes it play more like a big Gibson SG (weird comparison I know) than a 5 string p bass for comparison. Not to say it plays like a baritone, it plays like a bass for sure. Some people might think that tighter string spacing is a negative, that's why I'm adding this detail.
• Neck/bass pickup sounds great!
  • Wow does the neck pickup really have punch, grit, and wonderful (usable) low end! Rickenbacker scored a hat trick with this pickup. I can tell they made this pickup to handle the B string, and it does really well. It sounds great for all the strings too. Very well balanced and natural. This makes this bass with the excellent playability and build quality. The neck pickup like all Ricks adds nice clarity and crisp highs. Both pickups blend well too as with most Ricks. These pickups are louder, thicker, and fuller than my p basses for comparison. I love p basses btw!
• Vintage pull switch is good for versatility and traditional 4001 sound
  • I think these pickups are a bit more aggressive and fuller than regular 4003 pickups. This really a rock sound and they sound great with a cranked tube amp. I prefer the normal non-vintage pickup sound since I play aggressive/heavy music. I think this the vintage pickup switch does well making the pickups less aggressive and full, really showing off crisp mids and highs (the Rick sound for some people). I don't think Rick purists will like these pickups as much as someone who isn't beholden to the traditional Rick sound. They sound like a 4003/4001 for sure though, don't get me wrong.

Now the cons:

• Ships with really light gauge strings that kind of suck
  • the B string is .115 on this set. .115 will never have enough tension on this bass or any other 5 string I assume. This weird choice by Rickenbacker might make some people who play this bass at a shop think it sucks. Don't let this fool you, just use a .125 set, the sweet spot for this bass. A .125 B string sounds great on this bass. It'll do .130 too. More later.
• Pickups are very hot and needed to be lowered quite a bit
  • Pickups are hot even lowered too. This is great once you dial it in and these pickups push the hell of my Verellen Meatsmoke which is great! This isn't a totally bad thing or con either. I'm not sure how this sounds on solid state. But know that these pickups are hot and that might not suit your style or sound.
• B string doesn't have enough tension below .125 gauge
  • This is fine for me, since I like a .125 and even .130 B string. But for lighter gauges on B string this is probably not your bass. I think this is because of the 33 1/3 scale length. No I am claiming expertise here. Please correct me if needed! Like I said above the .125 is best for this bass, it's a sweet spot with tension and playability. .130 on the B string is okay too. Schaller support told me .135 is max their bridge can do btw. I don't think the Schaller bridge will intonate anything bigger than a .130 B string. Rest assured that the rest of the strings sound great and intonate well.

I hope this helps! I'll add pictures soon.

I don't know about anyone else but I almost always change the strings on a new bass and set it up the way I like anyways. 4003's even ship with weird strings, the A and the D are light. A friend of mine had never owned a Ric but had always wanted one who was a Rush fan bought one and returned it almost immediately saying that "it didn't sound like a Ric". I think he was looking for the 4001 sound. That being said if I wanted a 5 string I'd probably grab a P bass but one of these second. I grew up playing P basses and like the closer spacing on Rics and Gibsons than Fenders but it doesn't take me long to adjust when I play one.
Oh yes, great review, thanks.

 

[torinodeathride]

Thanks for a detailed and thoughtful review.

I am glad you found it helpful! I play two p basses too for more context: those are in different tunings. I play this Rick about 40% of the time.

 

[torinodeathride]

I don't know about anyone else but I almost always change the strings on a new bass and set it up the way I like anyways. 4003's even ship with weird strings, the A and the D are light. A friend of mine had never owned a Ric but had always wanted one who was a Rush fan bought one and returned it almost immediately saying that "it didn't sound like a Ric". I think he was looking for the 4001 sound. That being said if I wanted a 5 string I'd probably grab a P bass but one of these second. I grew up playing P basses and like the closer spacing on Rics and Gibsons than Fenders but it doesn't take me long to adjust when I play one.
Oh yes, great review, thanks.

Agree with you! This isn't a traditional or go-to 5 string bass. That's definitely a big takeaway. I think slap, funk, and maybe jazz players might not like this bass. The closer string spacing is great for a pick and some finger style playing though. I have a p bass tuned B E A D with a B string (no G string of course), and the B string does sound a bit better on the p bass to be honest. This bass is pretty polarizing I think. You'll be "wow, this is amazing" or "this doesn't do it for me" I think. Rock and heavy music players will probably love it (like me). Distortion and overdrive sound punishing and thick with this bass too, and the bridge pickup adds great high end and woolly (Marshall-like) sounds. Again, I am playing a Verellen Meatsmoke which is kind of Marshall-like anyway. Getting back to string spacing, I can play all the same parts just as easily on this bass compared to a p bass. I don't want to overstate this or make this over-dramatic. Like I said before, chords are a dream on this bass, and if you play lots of them I'd say try this bass out for sure.

 

[bobyoung53]

Agree with you! This isn't a traditional or go-to 5 string bass. That's definitely a big takeaway. I think slap, funk, and maybe jazz players might not like this bass. The closer string spacing is great for a pick and some finger style playing though. I have a p bass tuned B E A D with a B string (no G string of course), and the B string does sound a bit better on the p bass to be honest. This bass is pretty polarizing I think. You'll be "wow, this is amazing" or "this doesn't do it for me" I think. Rock and heavy music players will probably love it (like me). Distortion and overdrive sound punishing and thick with this bass too, and the bridge pickup adds great high end and woolly (Marshall-like) sounds. Again, I am playing a Verellen Meatsmoke which is kind of Marshall-like anyway. Getting back to string spacing, I can play all the same parts just as easily on this bass compared to a p bass. I don't want to overstate this or make this over-dramatic. Like I said before, chords are a dream on this bass, and if you play lots of them I'd say try this bass out for sure.

I was out of the country when my buddy got his, I really wanted to try one. I felt kind of bad for him though because he really wanted a Ric and i used to bring my 4001 to his jam once in a while which he liked. I was pretty surprised he was so adamant about it not sounding like a Rickenbacker. I did try one of the first Ric 5 string basses though and that spacing was too close for me. I could hardly fit my fingers between the strings and my hands aren't that big.

 

[nartsak]

I've had this bass for about 10 months. I decided to wait to do a review so I could really set it up and play it for a while (including live, which has been scattered with Covid). This bass is great with some caveats and things some will love (and other might not love). The pros first:

• Excellent build and quality:
  • Mapleglo finish is beautiful (wife said, it's like a work of art). I'd get Mapleglo or walnut to appreciate the beauty here.
    
  • Neck feels and plays wonderful (kind of Gibson-like maybe close to really nice SG style bass). Not sure if you'd get this with painted finish (black, etc.).
    
  • Fret board is best I've seen, they really put nice wood there.
    
  • Schaller hardware is great match: solid bridge that intonates well and matches my fav Badass bridges on my p basses. String spacing is okay too, talking about bridge pieces that move here. Stays in tune well too.
  • All maple body and neck sound and resonate incredibly. This is just a bit heavy, not too much. The higher frets and strings sound great, better than any Fender bass I've played. This is a Rick strength I believe all Ricks have.
• String spacing great for 4 string player switching to 5 string and for chords:
  • String spacing is closer than p bass as reference point, but it's great for chords and fast runs. I definitely notice the slightly shorter 33 1/3 scale length too, which makes some chords and fast scales a bit easier to play. String spacing makes it play more like a big Gibson SG (weird comparison I know) than a 5 string p bass for comparison. Not to say it plays like a baritone, it plays like a bass for sure. Some people might think that tighter string spacing is a negative, that's why I'm adding this detail.
• Neck/bass pickup sounds great!
  • Wow does the neck pickup really have punch, grit, and wonderful (usable) low end! Rickenbacker scored a hat trick with this pickup. I can tell they made this pickup to handle the B string, and it does really well. It sounds great for all the strings too. Very well balanced and natural. This makes this bass with the excellent playability and build quality. The neck pickup like all Ricks adds nice clarity and crisp highs. Both pickups blend well too as with most Ricks. These pickups are louder, thicker, and fuller than my p basses for comparison. I love p basses btw!
• Vintage pull switch is good for versatility and traditional 4001 sound
  • I think these pickups are a bit more aggressive and fuller than regular 4003 pickups. This really a rock sound and they sound great with a cranked tube amp. I prefer the normal non-vintage pickup sound since I play aggressive/heavy music. I think this the vintage pickup switch does well making the pickups less aggressive and full, really showing off crisp mids and highs (the Rick sound for some people). I don't think Rick purists will like these pickups as much as someone who isn't beholden to the traditional Rick sound. They sound like a 4003/4001 for sure though, don't get me wrong.

Now the cons:

• Ships with really light gauge strings that kind of suck
  • the B string is .115 on this set. .115 will never have enough tension on this bass or any other 5 string I assume. This weird choice by Rickenbacker might make some people who play this bass at a shop think it sucks. Don't let this fool you, just use a .125 set, the sweet spot for this bass. A .125 B string sounds great on this bass. It'll do .130 too. More later.
• Pickups are very hot and needed to be lowered quite a bit
  • Pickups are hot even lowered too. This is great once you dial it in and these pickups push the hell of my Verellen Meatsmoke which is great! This isn't a totally bad thing or con either. I'm not sure how this sounds on solid state. But know that these pickups are hot and that might not suit your style or sound.
• B string doesn't have enough tension below .125 gauge
  • This is fine for me, since I like a .125 and even .130 B string. But for lighter gauges on B string this is probably not your bass. I think this is because of the 33 1/3 scale length. No I am claiming expertise here. Please correct me if needed! Like I said above the .125 is best for this bass, it's a sweet spot with tension and playability. .130 on the B string is okay too. Schaller support told me .135 is max their bridge can do btw. I don't think the Schaller bridge will intonate anything bigger than a .130 B string. Rest assured that the rest of the strings sound great and intonate well.

I hope this helps! I'll add pictures soon.

That was a great review! I just got my 4003S/5W 5-string 4 weeks ago and found everyones comments quite helpful or comforting. I love the bass, but hate the strings. So then, aside from upsizing to a .125 B string, what sets/manufacturers are recommended?

 

[Jeff Scott]

Now the cons:

• Ships with really light gauge strings that kind of suck
  • the B string is .115 on this set. .115 will never have enough tension on this bass or any other 5 string I assume.

Regarding the B string gauge, I used to use a .110 on one of the ZONs I owned years ago and it sounded great. Yes, the ZON was 34" scale length vs. the 33.25" scale length of the Rick, but I think things probably balance out with respect to gauge/scale length between the two instruments. And no, wood vs. CF necks do not enter into this equation.

I have played only one of the new Rick 5 strings basses a couple years ago, and found all the strings sounded and felt like I would expect. Of course, we all have our own preferences in those areas; they happened to fit mine.