Ordered a Rickenbacker 4003 yesterday, any advice?

[drlndrve]

give it time, then give it a little more time. At worst, it makes a good TB avatar...

 

[Wilmingtonian]

Warranty card submission is not required for warranty protection (whatever that might actually entail). It's the law, despite what the card might say. Retain proof of purchase, tho.

 

[forrestlaw]

I checked the serial number and it said it was produced in March of this year. It’s brand new, so I’m guessing it will have the revised bridge.

It should. My 2019 has the new bridge.

Congrats!

And just when DID the new bridge show up in 4003's?

Sometime in 2019 would be my guess. The shop I bought mine in January from had three in stock (2 new bridge and 1 old bridge) and I believe they were all 2019 models.

 

[Ric5]

I found a deal I couldn’t say no to and bought my first Rick. Always loved how they played when I was trying them out in shops but after looking on the Internet I’ve found that a lot of people really dislike them.

So, do any Rickenbacker owners have any advice on why they like or dislike their products, and what I might be able to do to make it perfect?

- get the 4003sw
- take off the pickup cover
- consider the hipshot bridge
- turn all knobs to 10 then roll off the neck volume to 8

 

[Manticore]

Don't ask for opinions; yours is the only one that matters. Some of the stuff, like complaints about the binding hurting your arm, is just plain goofy; really, if it hurts, change position or reconsider mashing your arm against the body!

You'll figure out on your own if you like it along with how and why you like it or don't. They're a tad different, so you might need some time to explore the possibilities; they're far more versatile than most will admit. More than anything else? Enjoy the journey wherever it may lead you!

 

[electracoyote]

Find Ric enthusiasts on YouTube who have found ways to love their Rics and get the most out of them. Watch the set up videos by Ric-experienced techs. There are a few little tips and tricks you'll want to at least be aware of. Don't take your Ric to a tech who is not familiar with them. For some players the ergonomics are a little weird at first; take your time, hunker down, and acclimate. It's time well spent. Don't expect to sound like Geddy or Squire right away; those guys have serious technique and unique signal chains working in their favor. But study what they did with their Rics and someday maybe you'll want to try some of the same things with yours. I can't work with the neck PU cover; it's eventually going to be in the way as I play pick, fingerstyle, and slap, so I take them off. Players who use less variation in their technique can sometimes get away with leaving the PU cover on. Don't be distracted by Ric bashers here or elsewhere; all basses have quirks, but if a Ric doesn't work for them, some people feel they have to pour it on thick and insult your intelligence in the process. Some even go to the ridiculous extreme of expressing personal animus for the CEO. Ric hate is a special and strange kind of hate.

 

[Dreig]

Typical Rickenbacker complainer: Ooh what a pretty bass, ooh it sounds great too, I think I'll get one, OK got it! 5 minutes later: This thing doesn't play like my Fender, it's a piece of crap! I'm selling it and I'm going to bash these things in every Rickenbacker thread I see for the rest of my life!!

Wait what

I am a Fender Precision bass guy through and through, but when I tried a Rick once, it was amazing! I loved the way it played! And I would never expect it to feel the same as my Fender, hell I would actually be mad if it did! Because if I buy a different bass than a Fender, I want it to be as unFender-like as possible, in order to bring me some variety if you can catch my drift.

And I really hope that I will own a 4k3 Rick one day. But the chance that I will ever have 2 and a half thousand Euros together is rather low...

 

[trickyric]

That was my experiance too. I bought one and really tried to like it... just couldn't get comfortable with it... I hope he is happy, they are beautiful instruments.

Ordered a Rickenbacker 4003 yesterday, any advice?

• Call your credit card company and report your card as stolen.
• Reevaluate your decision-making process
• Attend an AA meeting and admit you have a problem
• Ask any loved ones to hold on to any firearms you own for the next couple of weeks...

/smartass
I've never wanted to like an instrument more than a 4000-series Rick. I sincerely hope you enjoy yours

 

[smo]

..... but after looking on the Internet I’ve found that a lot of people really dislike them.

Some people dislike chocolate and beer too.

 

[rockinrayduke]

Some people dislike chocolate and beer too.

Not me!

 

[Gyver]

I love mine. The two changes I would recommend are:

and

 

[corndog]

Don’t let your opinion be colored by what anybody else says. They are more idiosyncratic than some basses, but it either works for you or it doesn’t. You are probably better off not hearing the gripes or accolades, a minor “issue” you never noticed is irrelevant if you dont read how you are “supposed” to think about it.

This right here. I thought long and hard before I bought mine, having owned all major Fender product and 3 Stingrays, it was a leap. I have sold off everything except the Ric. It is very different from my previous basses, and took some time to get used to it, but I am glad I put in the time.

We can find fault in anything, and people tend to be more aggressive with their criticism of Rics, and thats ok, I normally don't trust opinions of random internet people anyway. My band loves when I plug it in, it makes me want to play more, and is a beautiful looking bass, the binding doesn't bother me at all (I play acoustic guitar too), and plays incredibly well. Its not perfect by any means, but it ticks the most boxes for me. Give it time and understand its not a Precision or Jazz, so don't expect it to feel, play and sound like one. They are their own creatures. Enjoy your new bass.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

I've had my 4003 for about 30 years. For about 25 of those years, I failed to bond with it, and went back and forth in my mind about selling it. Mine's a relatively rare color, and so I've always been inclined to hold on to it, despite not playing it. Anyway, about 5 years ago I finally found out that you can remove that bridge pickup cover (thanks TB!) and once I did: instant bonding. My Ric is now my go-to for aggressive rock tones, and you know what? It will do a lot more than that too.

 

[Scarysharkface]

I found a deal I couldn’t say no to and bought my first Rick. Always loved how they played when I was trying them out in shops but after looking on the Internet I’ve found that a lot of people really dislike them.

So, do any Rickenbacker owners have any advice on why they like or dislike their products, and what I might be able to do to make it perfect?

They get gritty when you play them hard. Sometimes that's perfect, but for some music it's something to work around. They are a unique and wonderful beast, imho.

John

 

[Koshchei]

I found a deal I couldn’t say no to and bought my first Rick. Always loved how they played when I was trying them out in shops but after looking on the Internet I’ve found that a lot of people really dislike them.

So, do any Rickenbacker owners have any advice on why they like or dislike their products, and what I might be able to do to make it perfect?

Rickenbackers provoke a wide range of feelings in people. They're entirely different from Fenders (think parallel evolution), and quite quirky (i.e. don't think of the neck pickup as a pickup; it's actually bridge pickup seasoning), which is what people tend to love or hate about them. That out of the way, they sound incredible, they look amazing, and play like a thoroughly modern bass. Also, the amount of human labour that goes into their production makes each one totally unique. This is extremely evident if you find another and get a few moments to compare minor aesthetic details like the chamfering and filleting. It's rare to find an heirloom at the price they sell for.

That out of the way, they can definitely be considered "some assembly required" to get them where they need to be, though the new bridge isn't the abortion that the old one was:

1) Take off the pickup cover;
2) Straighten the pickup;
3) Shield the pickup and control cavities with conductive copper foil;
4) Get a Tubeampology treble bezel cover.

Once you've taken care of these to-do's, you'll have an extremely versatile bass that can hang with anything either live or in studio.

 

[Hounddog409]

My personal advice - get something to wrap your right forarm with while you play, since the edge of the body might start to hurt your arm after you play the thing for 8 hours straight because it's so awesome!

Or maybe dont rest your forearm on the bass?????

Not sure why folks do this. Seems like bad technique to me.

 

[citizenchris099]

New Rics have One truss rod?? What?

 

[Hounddog409]

Rickenbackers provoke a wide range of feelings in people. They're entirely different from Fenders (think parallel evolution), and quite quirky (i.e. don't think of the neck pickup as a pickup; it's actually bridge pickup seasoning), which is what people tend to love or hate about them. That out of the way, they sound incredible, they look amazing, and play like a thoroughly modern bass. Also, the amount of human labour that goes into their production makes each one totally unique. This is extremely evident if you find another and get a few moments to compare minor aesthetic details like the chamfering and filleting. It's rare to find an heirloom at the price they sell for.

That out of the way, they can definitely be considered "some assembly required" to get them where they need to be, though the new bridge isn't the abortion that the old one was:

1) Take off the pickup cover;
2) Straighten the pickup;
3) Shield the pickup and control cavities with conductive copper foil;
4) Get a Tubeampology treble bezel cover.

Once you've taken care of these to-do's, you'll have an extremely versatile bass that can hang with anything either live or in studio.

To-dos????? Lol.

 

[Koshchei]

To-dos????? Lol.

The shielding in particular. A stock Rick is basically an antenna, and a dimmer, wonky ballast, and/or substandard wiring can really ruin your day.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

Tubeampology treble bezel cover

Tubeampology, yes.
(But my experience with Ric Boutique was shockingly negative and I hope to avoid them forever.)