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Question for Rick 4003 owners

Bass'd on a true story

Bass'd on a true story

Jun 28, 2015
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#1
I just purchased a new Rickenbacker 4003. I've been thinking about getting one for about 3 months now and finally pulled the trigger on Monday. I got it finally on the 3rd, and I've been playing it since. Here are some questions that have come up (I used the search feature and google extensively before deciding to make a thread).

1. Overall, the neck seems decent, but it's awkwardly deep (fingerboard to the back) around the first fret. Is that normal for a Ric? I thought it might be due to how big the headstock is. Maybe it needs extra support?

2. So the neck pickup is directly over a harmonic node. This is probably partly what lends to its great sound, however it also caused a weird problem. If I only have the neck pickup on, thr 5th fret harmonic is completely inaudible.

3. Relating to question 2... How exactly do the two pickups blend? They seem to have a very unusual relationship with each other. Let's say that I have both pickups at 12 o'clock. When that's the case, the 5th fret harmonic is very audible. However, when I strike the 5th fret harmonic and then slow dial up the neck pickup's volume, there's a point close to maximum volume where the harmonic suddenly vanishes.

Does turning the volume high enough on one pickup tell the bass to solo it? Isn't that what the pickup switch is for? I've never encountered a bass with this unique issue.
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So all of that being said, the bass generally sounds beautiful and if it wasn't for the above issues, I'd be making a post raving about how happy I am.

Thanks for reading!
 
#2
Bass'd on a true story said:
I just purchased a new Rickenbacker 4003. I've been thinking about getting one for about 3 months now and finally pulled the trigger on Monday. I got it finally on the 3rd, and I've been playing it since. Here are some questions that have come up (I used the search feature and google extensively before deciding to make a thread).

1. Overall, the neck seems decent, but it's awkwardly deep (fingerboard to the back) around the first fret. Is that normal for a Ric? I thought it might be due to how big the headstock is. Maybe it needs extra support?

2. So the neck pickup is directly over a harmonic node. This is probably partly what lends to its great sound, however it also caused a weird problem. If I only have the neck pickup on, thr 5th fret harmonic is completely inaudible.

3. Relating to question 2... How exactly do the two pickups blend? They seem to have a very unusual relationship with each other. Let's say that I have both pickups at 12 o'clock. When that's the case, the 5th fret harmonic is very audible. However, when I strike the 5th fret harmonic and then slow dial up the neck pickup's volume, there's a point close to maximum volume where the harmonic suddenly vanishes.

Does turning the volume high enough on one pickup tell the bass to solo it? Isn't that what the pickup switch is for? I've never encountered a bass with this unique issue.
-------------------
So all of that being said, the bass generally sounds beautiful and if it wasn't for the above issues, I'd be making a post raving about how happy I am.

Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...

#1 - Rickenbacker necks do not taper as much as Fender necks. So the will be wider at the nut and narrower at the body. And some Rics are deeper front to back than others. This seems to keep varying even though they are made by cnc machines.

#2 - The neck and bridge pickups are both under harmonics, this does cause some phase cancelation, but it also gives the Ric a distinctive tone. I find that if I turn all 4 knobs to 10 and then roll off the neck volume to 8 or 9 that hits a sweet spot. You can try the opposite with the neck pickup at 10 the the bridge at 8 or 9. Also adjust the tone controls to your taste. With 2 tone controls you have many options.

#3 - There is some phase cancelation that goes with the pickup locations, The vintage circuit can eliminate some of this and asymetrical volume settings can also eliminate this as well.
 
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#3
I think Ric necks are all too thin, but that's a Cro Magnon problem. As far as knob twiddling, I have found that rolling off all knobs a bit helps the sound that comes out. The tone knobs need to be rolled off even if you want the volume controls cranked up. It sounds best if both pickups are on and at some volume, but as has been mentioned, the sound is better if the pickup volumes are different. Rics are just a little weird, that's all.
 
#4
Current Ric necks are pretty thick, largely due to the 3/8" thick fingerboard, and minimum neck thickness required for double trussrods. I think it's about like a P-Bass width at the first fret, but doesn't flare much heading towards the bridge. Some of the old 4001 basses had really thin necks, but they tended to break (when dropped, I witnessed this once) right at the base of the headstock, under the big truss rod adjustment cavity. There is no volute or scarf joint on Ric necks, so I think they need the extra chunkiness to get it all rigid enough. The 4003 necks are all pretty much identical now due to CNC manufacturing, but they have varied hugely over the years, depending on the current fashion, month of manufacture, Whim of the Gods, etc.

The pole pieces in each pup are adjustable, and Ric doesn't seem to make any attempt to balance them before shipping, so a lot of people end up adjusting them to suit their playing style and string guage. I have read that the pole pieces are "frozen" on some pups, so go easy adjusting them. Not sure why that is, unless maybe they are using threadlock on them in the factory. Pup positions are very close to theoretical 24th and 36th fret locations, don't know how much difference that really makes except on open strings. Like all basses (except graphite neck Steinbergers, in my experience), Rics have deadspots unique to each instrument. Sometimes these can be "tuned" out with neck adjustments. Good luck with it, lovely instruments despite the anachronistic quirks.
 
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#5
I find the phase cancellation is almost always a factor in almost all 2 pickup basses - both pickups on full is always slightly less volume than if one or the other is backed off just a bit - those are the "sweet spots" I usually use - and can be more effective as a tone control than the tone knobs.
 
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#6
Thanks so much for your answers everyone. Gilmourisgod brought up two more things i want to ask now.

Gilmourisgod said:
Current Ric necks are pretty thick, largely due to the 3/8" thick fingerboard, and minimum neck thickness required for double trussrods. I think it's about like a P-Bass width at the first fret, but doesn't flare much heading towards the bridge. Some of the old 4001 basses had really thin necks, but they tended to break (when dropped, I witnessed this once) right at the base of the headstock, under the big truss rod adjustment cavity. There is no volute or scarf joint on Ric necks, so I think they need the extra chunkiness to get it all rigid enough. The 4003 necks are all pretty much identical now due to CNC manufacturing, but they have varied hugely over the years, depending on the current fashion, month of manufacture, Whim of the Gods, etc.

The pole pieces in each pup are adjustable, and Ric doesn't seem to make any attempt to balance them before shipping, so a lot of people end up adjusting them to suit their playing style and string guage. I have read that the pole pieces are "frozen" on some pups, so go easy adjusting them. Not sure why that is, unless maybe they are using threadlock on them in the factory. Pup positions are very close to theoretical 24th and 36th fret locations, don't know how much difference that really makes except on open strings. Like all basses (except graphite neck Steinbergers, in my experience), Rics have deadspots unique to each instrument. Sometimes these can be "tuned" out with neck adjustments. Good luck with it, lovely instruments despite the anachronistic quirks.
Click to expand...

When you say adjust the pole pieces, do you mean their height? Is there more to it than that? I've never done that sort of thing, but i could certainly give it a shot.

Other question. The neck is mostly great, but it is it normal that it's deepest behind the first fret? Like the second and third frets seem fine, but it seems comparatively deeper than I would expect. Would a picture help? I still have an opportunity to exchange it, so I'm trying to investigate and make sure that it's not the runt of a batch.

I'm extremely picky about necks, and have previously only played on a Fender Jazz Deluxe, but the Rick has the tone I want. If it's just a matter of me sucking it up and getting used to it, I'll live, but if there are plenty of other 4003s that have slightly slimmer necks, I'll probably exchange it.
 
#7
Ric necks have no volute, but they do sort of "swell" in the transition from neck to headstock behind the first fret. As far as I know, this is the standard neck profile on all current manufacture Ric basses, but I could be wrong about that. The new 4003s has a "vintage" body style with no binding and more body relief, but I don't think the neck is any thinner. It's a crapshoot with older basses, some thinner, some thicker, more variation than most mass produced basses. If you can't live with the neck as is, this may not be the bass for you. If you love the classic Ric sound, id say suck it up and get used to the neck. There really isn't anything else out there with that unique sound, except maybe a Peavey T-40 or G&L L2000 as an approximation.

The pickups can be raised or lowered to get a general height adjustment using the big screws either side of the bridge pup, and the small screws in the pickguard either side of neck pup. The pole pieces have Allen key heads to adjust individual distance to strings. Start by adjusting pickup height to get even output from both pups, you may not ever need to mess with the pole pieces.
 
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#8
Bass'd on a true story said:
If it's just a matter of me sucking it up and getting used to it, I'll live, but if there are plenty of other 4003s that have slightly slimmer necks, I'll probably exchange it.
Click to expand...

If you want a thinner neck, you should look into a 4001. I tried owning a 4003, and I just couldn't handle the neck at all, I had to return it. The 4001 I bought was totally different - very slim neck, very different feel. 4001 > 4003, IMO.
 
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#10
The 4003 I got last year has a similar thick neck and it took some getting used to, but it doesn't really bother me now. The neck on my '87 was far thinner front-to-back, and more comfortable. Haven't had any problems with harmonics or other cancellation issues, but the tips provided by the others should help out at least a little bit.
 
#11
My 79' 4001 had the thinnest Ric neck I've ever seen, which I like with relatively small hands. For me it's not the depth front to back, it's the width across the face I notice. The nearly consistent width up the neck makes Rics easy to play right up to the neck heel.
 
#13
I worked out almost everything and I'm now down to my last setup concern.

All the volume and tone knows are the same except one. For some reason the bass volume knob rotates quite a bit further than the others. For example, if all the other knobs go to 12 o'clock, the bass volume goes to 3 o'clock. The other weird thing about this is that once it goes past that position, it's as if it's ever so gently rubbing against something underneath.

When I solo the neck pickup and turn it, it doesn't feel like much is happening here. However, when I have both pickups on and I turn the bass volume past that threshhold, I experience a small dip in output. This is making me very uncomfortable.
 
#16
CGremlin said:
The 4003 I got last year has a similar thick neck and it took some getting used to, but it doesn't really bother me now. The neck on my '87 was far thinner front-to-back, and more comfortable. Haven't had any problems with harmonics or other cancellation issues, but the tips provided by the others should help out at least a little bit.
Click to expand...
You have to have 'harmonics issues', it's based on the location of the neck pickup- it is part of the design. If you SOLO the neck pick up and play harmonics on the 5th or 7th fret (I forget which, not near my bass) you will not hear the harmonic amplified at all, because the pickup is directly over the node- it senses no movement of the string, and makes no noise! Now, whether its a problem or not is another issue.
 
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#19
I love my Rick, but there was a lot of little issues I had to deal with. I personally like the stout neck, love the tone. I don't care so much for the bridge system, and PIA intonation procedure but now accept it peacefully. Dialing in the pickups is part of the game. Nothing seems easy to do on a Rick, but a good one is a great bass to have. I hope you find peace with it. You might want to be sure that your set screws are screwed in tight on the knobs, it might be that?
 

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