I concur that a new or very recent used model is the way to go. Ikebe has a few 4003s models at a discount at the moment.
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Rickenbacker 4003 year suggestion
- Thread starter BigAb
- Start date
The S isn’t better, sonically it’s identical to the 4003. It simply does not have ric-o-sound output and does not have binding on it. So it is a bit cheaper. Not quite as stunning visually perhaps (a matter of opinion) but a bit easier on the wallet
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That white plastic around the body, and up the sides of the neck, is actually binding
S Models are the ones without binding
I've love my 4001. I've had 51 years now. But, I had the sense to replace the stupid bridge in '75, so if you go with an older one budget for a better bridge and make sure the truss rods still work as intended.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I have one branded El Degas. The neck is a baseball bat and there are a few other minor detail differences that let you know it's not a Ric. Other than that, it sounds and acts like a well behaved Ric. I have had a couple Rics and like the El Degas better.In Japan, I'd be hunting for a late 70s/early 80s Ibanez or Greco Fakenbacker. One of the the good ones with through neck.
I'tll be cheaper, rarer, and more interesting. Depending where you are, there are (or at least used to be) some great chuko placs in Ochanomizu in Tokyo, there was a good one in Kyoto, and another in Osaka.
Bruce Foxton's was an Ibanez
I'll be the outlier and suggest a 2012 or later 4004 (Cii or L).
I'd second that suggestion if the 4004 were more available. They're hard to find and have been discontinued since the late 2010s.
As far as 4001/3 choice, I’d probably go for a new one, for most of the reasons already noted here, and the S model.
Binding looks nice, but having flat edges on the front of the body is a no go. I prefer necks unbound too.
Finally, I’d recommend the walnut version, which has an oil finish that feels super smooth, and has the added bonus
of usually being about a pound lighter than the maple ones.
According to what I see on Wildwood and Sweetwater, maple 4003 weights are now close to 10 pounds.
All of these factors may not affect you, just my preferences, having played various Rick basses over the years.
Now that that’s out of the way,
, look for a used 4004. 
Binding looks nice, but having flat edges on the front of the body is a no go. I prefer necks unbound too.
Finally, I’d recommend the walnut version, which has an oil finish that feels super smooth, and has the added bonus
of usually being about a pound lighter than the maple ones.
According to what I see on Wildwood and Sweetwater, maple 4003 weights are now close to 10 pounds.
All of these factors may not affect you, just my preferences, having played various Rick basses over the years.
Now that that’s out of the way,
, look for a used 4004. 
Especially a used fretless 4004!!! I suspect that in the entire world the number of fretless 4004’s is smaller than the number of toes and fingers on a typical bass playerAs far as 4001/3 choice, I’d probably go for a new one, for most of the reasons already noted here, and the S model.
Binding looks nice, but having flat edges on the front of the body is a no go. I prefer necks unbound too.
Finally, I’d recommend the walnut version, which has an oil finish that feels super smooth, and has the added bonus
of usually being about a pound lighter than the maple ones.
According to what I see on Wildwood and Sweetwater, maple 4003 weights are now close to 10 pounds.
All of these factors may not affect you, just my preferences, having played various Rick basses over the years.
Now that that’s out of the way,
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I have a 2015 4003S. I may sell it. Why did the necks get so big that year?
I don't know but it was a major disappointment to me. I bought it online so I could not try it before I bought it. I also contacted 3 different luthiers about having the neck re-shaped and none would take it on for one reason or another.
I couldn't find any tickets for the sumo matches unfortunately.I will definitely post some pictures.
I still have to defend the older bridges. I have swapped strings so many times I can't even count with quick painless intonation adjustments.
My last string install was Dogal JH-172 Flats. Light gauge and super flexible. They required the most adjustment I've ever needed on a Rick. I had to flip around the E string saddle which took about 30 seconds. Sure they are more work but it's not done often enough to even bother me. Obviously it really gets to a lot of people.
My last string install was Dogal JH-172 Flats. Light gauge and super flexible. They required the most adjustment I've ever needed on a Rick. I had to flip around the E string saddle which took about 30 seconds. Sure they are more work but it's not done often enough to even bother me. Obviously it really gets to a lot of people.
Well...
Everything you listed is a 4003, so... a 4001 is off the table. Besides, 4001's have... baggage... that only diehard Rickista's are willing to deal with. Best to look, but don't buy... Next:
Is the new bridge "better'' than the old one? Prevailing opinion seems to say "Yes, it is", but... since my 2 Rick basses are a '73 4001 and an '01 COY 4003? I have no experience with them. In general, though? If you like - or need - to change strings a lot? From what I've read and heard, you'll like the new bridge better. The old ones are kind of a pain; but, once set? They tend to stay that way. And, since they were designed when Ricks wore flats - and mine still do? I don't have to mess with them, so... kind of a moot point, AFIC...
What else? Not sure when RIC switched, but the '96 may or may not have a capacitor in the treble circuit. My '01 didn't have one; Rick owners spent decades removing them , so RIC finally deleted them. But, of course, as soon as the capacitor was removed? People started kvetching about it. That 2009 might have the push/pull treble tone switch that cuts a cap in/out of the treble circuit; the 2015 one almost certainly does - and so will all the new ones. I put it in both my Ricks; it's... useful.
What should you check for, on a used Rick? Pretty much the same stuff you'd check on any used bass. Specifically? Make sure you can get a truss rod nut on both the nuts (they've only had a single, double acting truss rod for a few years). That can be a real pain... Make sure the "Rick-O-Sound" jack works. They tend not to, if they've never been used. Even if you don't plan on using it? The bass works... better... if that thing works. I hardly ever use mine, but I "test" it once or twice a year, anyhow... Look for finish cracking around the tailpiece - especially if it's a Jetglo (black) model. RIC's had trouble with that finish. Doesn't hurt anything, but it's... unsightly and annoying. And, finally: tail lift. The older Rick's are, the more likely they are to have some. Both of mine have just enough to force a credit card under the back of the tailpiece. They had it when I bought them; in all the years I've owned them, It's never gotten worse. Personally? My theory is that it's caused by a combination of high tension strings - and loose screws. There are screws in the tailpiece that you can't see. unless you take the bridge out; on both of mine? Those screws were very loose when I bought them. Which would let the tailpiece tilt up at the back, and...?
Other than that? If you can play those Ricks? Well... Rick basses - and guitars - get a lot of hand finishing, and no two Rick necks are quite the same. Even in runs of thick or thin necks, there's very noticeable differences. You really need to play several, to find the one that makes your fretting hand happy. I got lucky with mine; maybe you will, too...
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AFAIK, RIC never produced one……
Besides mine, I knew of one other 4004 that was mega modded from 4 to 5 string, fretted to fretless, and had a 4002 style pickup and pickguard done. I think it wound up in Italy…..
I believe there was a time when they upgraded the old bridge into a more sturdy version. Not the newest roller bridge, but should still be better than the earliest bridge.
In 2006 or so, they introduced the vintage push-pull switch so that it can emulate the 4001 tone. Mine is from 2008, and I almost always use it in the "vintage" position for a Chris Squire tone.
In 2020, they received a complete overhaul after John Hall had quit. New dual-action truss-rod, new ultra-sturdy roller bridge. There was a year or two with an unfinished fretboard, but I think they've gone back to a finished one now. If I were to start again, I'd definitely buy the newest version.
In 2006 or so, they introduced the vintage push-pull switch so that it can emulate the 4001 tone. Mine is from 2008, and I almost always use it in the "vintage" position for a Chris Squire tone.
In 2020, they received a complete overhaul after John Hall had quit. New dual-action truss-rod, new ultra-sturdy roller bridge. There was a year or two with an unfinished fretboard, but I think they've gone back to a finished one now. If I were to start again, I'd definitely buy the newest version.
Moderator please delete if it's inappropriate, but for a lack of a better comparison, John Hall was the Kim Jong-Il of a guitar company. End of rant.
