Rickenbacker 4003 Copy

[Eilif]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that if you can get the Ali-backer setup well and wired like a ric with actual ric pickups, you'll likely be 90 percent of the way to ric tone. It might not play quite like a ric and the quality won't be there, but if you just like the style and want to play around, that's certainly the way to go.

Just be aware that there is a not-insiginficant chance that you could get a terrible guitar in the mail.

 

[bobdabilder]

Have you played a ric? You may like it and you may not. If you are not comparing the real thing to your new purchase, you may not know the difference.

 

[zubrycky]

How about this, OP?

https://harleybenton.com/product/rb-414bk/

 

[Engle]

I have a 70s MIJ Ric copy and it’s pretty close to the real thing. Same basic construction, scale length, pickup positions, pickups, bridge, neck through with a Bubinga fingerboard.
The big difference IMO: the pieces of maple it is built from are not grade “A”.
These are cosmetic issues (and don’t bother me), but something to be aware of if you’re looking at old MIJ instruments.

 

[GodsLove66]

SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!! Or see if you can get one on Reverb and get it Financed through Affirm! Affirm has been a GODSEND for me! Much of what I've gotten recently was financed through Affirm. You pay slightly more in the end due to interest rates, BUT the payments make it FAR easier and manageable to start to own this stuff.

 

[jeff7bass]

Counterfeit Merchandise is a Federal Offense (sevenslegal.com)

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

So you have no problem with purchasing a counterfeit bass. What if it was a counterfeit amp like Mesa and GK? Yeah I'm one of those guys....

I have no problem with people making not-quite faithful representations of things that are priced out of reach, no. You have a problem with Greco, Fernandes etc?

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

How about the Jackson concert series X bass. It looks as close as they could legally get to a real Rickenbacker and it’s probably a pretty good bass.

It's not *quite* there at all, though. It's very different.

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

A Chinese fake is nothing like a real Ric. It could come with issues like the tail lifting from the body, paint bubbling up around the bridge, poor binding work, badly cut nuts, and misaligned pickups, and dealing with customer service will be a nightmare.

Yes, that's a popular consensus and something that is weighing in, for sure.

 

[jeff7bass]

I have no problem with people making not-quite faithful representations of things that are priced out of reach, no. You have a problem with Greco, Fernandes etc?

The video GilmourIsGod posted is a counterfeit RIC. Had the real nameplate with Made In USA on it. That's what I have a problem with.

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

The video GilmourIsGod posted is a counterfeit RIC. Had the real nameplate with Made In USA on it. That's what I have a problem with.

See. I didn't know that. I thought you were merely picking on copies. That's BAD. I take what I said back.

 

[beaglesandbass]

Hey folks,

I've been thinking about buying a 4003 Chinese copy from Aliexpress, I know the quality on these things can vary drastically but I was thinking of just stripping all the hardware and electronics for genuine rick parts. It would be a little bit of a project but all in all, it would be cheaper than an actual rick. If anyone has done this before or has any suggestions I'm all ears.

Buying a Geo Metro and then putting in the engine of the Maserati does not give you anywhere close to a Maserati.

 

[Honkey tonk]

See. I didn't know that. I thought you were merely picking on copies. That's BAD. I take what I said back.

Sometimes You see them for sale at LOW prices and people think they are getting a deal on the real deal.
And then they post here asking if the poopie is real

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

You see them for sale at LOW prices and people think they are getting a deal on the real deal.
And then they post here asking if the poopie is real

Ugh. Yeah. I won't tolerate shadiness. Yet, a cheeky albeit affordable copy has my thumbs up, generally.

 

[jeff7bass]

See. I didn't know that. I thought you were merely picking on copies. That's BAD. I take what I said back.

I don't hate copies but they get away with things there that companies here cannot. If Schecter made one of these RIC copies, they would get sued. Here you have to create your own style cues to avoid it.

 

[MJ5150]

We had to close this thread for a bit due to some bickering.
Please remember to show your fellow bass players and members here respect.
Perhaps this topic is difficult for you to discuss while keeping your emotions in check? I get it, we all have certain things that are challenging for us.
If so, please move on to another thread.
Thank you.

-Mike

 

[elgranluis]

A Chinese fake is nothing like a real Ric. It could come with issues like the tail lifting from the body, paint bubbling up around the bridge, poor binding work, badly cut nuts, and misaligned pickups, and dealing with customer service will be a nightmare.

this is true for real rics. Actually all of those are common complaints.

 

[elgranluis]

Hey folks,

I've been thinking about buying a 4003 Chinese copy from Aliexpress, I know the quality on these things can vary drastically but I was thinking of just stripping all the hardware and electronics for genuine rick parts. It would be a little bit of a project but all in all, it would be cheaper than an actual rick. If anyone has done this before or has any suggestions I'm all ears.

I’d probably buy Grover\gotho/schaller tuners (not ric branded), then some aftermarket pickups (ditch the oems)

Also, if you can find a neck through , the n I’d buy that. If you can only find set-neck basses , then I’d probably just buy a kit and put it together.

 

[smurfco]

this is true for real rics. Actually all of those are common complaints.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Its weird how Ric C!one discussions almost always devolve into some kind of acrimony and get shut down. What is it about Rics? There was a recent thread about Greco basses wherein much "praise" of blatant IP thievery produced no censor reaction from the moderators, or any serious arguments between posters. Something about Rics seems to generate equal parts Tribal brand loyalty or loathing that I just dont see applied to.other brands. Personally, i really dont care how other people spend their money, and the High Horse attitude towards IP theft (of which Rickenbacker Inc.is also demonstrably guilty) strikes me as hypocritical. They are very nice, somewhat overpriced, anachronistic basses with a unique look and tone, not some sacred fetish object, though you wouldnt know it by the way some people carry on. The consensus should be pretty clear to the OP here, as it has been on a hundred other Ric Clone threads: with rare exceptions, the counterfeit Rics arent that great unless all you care about is the overall look of a Ric. Meh. Build your own and improve the handful of bad design features inherent to the brand, or save your pennies and get the real deal, warts and all.