Played a rick for the first time today

[Jeff Scott]

...back then the Ric's were damn heavy, and were unbalanced, head stock heavy, are they still like that ????

My experience with them is quite different than yours.

Edit: spelling

 

[bobyoung53]

Yep, I remember when they were $425.

I bought one new in 77 for about 479.00 or somewhere around there. During the early 90's stores were giving them away, 400-500.00 was the norm for a used one.

 

[ajkula66]

During the early 90's stores were giving them away, 400-500.00 was the norm for a used one.

Late 80s/early 90s were the times when many of today's "desirable" and/or "vintage" instruments were as desirable as The Black Plague itself. I got a '77 JetGlo (near mint) and a full Orange stack for a rather lousy '78 Jazz with Di Marzios...

 

[fttfbass]

And are they ever not over a thousand bucks. Id love to get obe

Currently, their is a jetglo 4003 on Philly Craigslist for $900 obo. It appears to be in good shape, judging by the photos. I have no affiliation to the seller.

Nevermind. The seller has since bumped his price up to $1100.

 

[rockinbilly]

I've owned a lot of Rics as old as 1972, both 4001's and 4003's and never had one that was unbalanced, my 79 4001 weighs a fair amount though but it sounds great and it's not too too heavy, I only notice it when I first pick it up, I bypassed the cap in that one, just soldered a little wire around the cap.

Maybe it was just the way I held it, I was young and dumb then wore it pretty low. Now my bass is pretty much in the same position whether sitting or standing !!!!
Bypassing the bass cut cap gave me a new possibility for range of tone ! And I do wish now I still had it !

 

[bobyoung53]

Maybe it was just the way I held it, I was young and dumb then wore it pretty low. Now my bass is pretty much in the same position whether sitting or standing !!!!
Bypassing the bass cut cap gave me a new possibility for range of tone ! And I do wish now I still had it !

I bought one new in 1977 and also couldn't get the sound out of it I wanted and sold it a few years later, it was a revelation to me the first time I tried the cap bypass, so all that time I just needed to do that? Then I started thinking "What was in Rickenbacker's mind to do such a stupid thing?"
Then I started reading and found that they thought the bass would be too bassy without the cap. When JH took over in 84 that was one of the first things he did I'm pretty sure.