Rickenbacker 4003 input jack problem

[Jeff Scott]

Yes I agree, but no other bass I've purchased brand new in this price range ( and a whole lot cheaper) has required me to open it up to fix an assembly fault. It's just shoddy final inspection.

My take on the "issue" stems from the thin-ness of the body so the hole(s) for the jack(s) is/are just big enough to allow it/them to pass through the body.

 

[Sparky Mark]

My take on the "issue" stems from the thin-ness of the body so the hole(s) for the jack(s) is/are just big enough to allow it/them to pass through the body.

In that case if this is an issue that can arise by virtue of its design Rickenbacker should check for it on every bass at final inspection. Okay so somebody went for coffee and this slipped through, stuff happens. But out of three 4003 I've tested in the last two weeks, one had this problem. The finish on all was beautiful which I consider the hard part, simple assembly done correctly should be a given. I will buy one sooner rather than later but there are a few more things to look out for on these than I would've expected.

 

[Searay]

If the output jack has been out of the Bass, it can be difficult to get it back in right. The assembly is a tight fit and appears to be designed to fit a certain way. If someone put it in wrong, the wires could potentially get in the way of the cable.

 

[trothwell]

Remove the jack plate and carefully push the contacts back in. It'll take a little wiggling to get the jack plate off.

It used to happen to me a lot with my 4003 until I read more about the lack of standard dimensioning on what you would think would be "standard" guitar cables. I use a single cable brand now for all of my basses and the loose jack issue has stopped happening on my Rick. Stick with cable brands that use US-made (Switchcraft) or EU-made (Neutrik) jacks, and you should be OK. Stay away from the cheap stuff.

Here in 2026, I had the same issue. I did the first step, with the jack plate, and it helped somewhat.

I then ordered a Mogami cable, which is one example I found that supposedly uses Switchcraft connectors, and ta-daa! The loose connection problem is gone.