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You asked on a public forum, over and over and over and over again, so I most certainly can respond. If you don't want responses you don't agree with, PM someone who will tell you what you want. You seem to know the answer. You want a bass that looks like a Rick and sounds like a Rick, but you don't want to pay good money to buy a Rick. So, why not just get a clone and drop a Rick PU in it? And be done with it! Why such a ridiculous amount of agonizing over a simple thing? That's all. Oh, and "I'm sorry" is not a question.
I have several Ric Clones that I had made from a guitar builder overseas. All I really wanted was the body to be made correctly and I would add the pickups, electronics, etc when I got it. I was extremely happy with the build and the sound I get from these is very close to the real deal, if not spot on. Each bass including mods I made were @ $550.00 each. Three piece neck through the body, One is Maple Neck/Maple Body, Swamp Ash Neck/Swamp Ash Body, Mahogany Neck/Mahogany Body. These only have one truss Rod and the fingerboard is rosewood not Bubinga/Caribbean Rosewood as on American made Rics
There are several Japanese companies that have made Rick clones -good ones - in the past; until RIC made them quit. As is their right, under current laws - regardless of how you or I feel about it. There are several threads about them here. Search "Rickenfaker", "Chickenbacker" (the Chinese ones), or "Fakenbacker". I own this '06 Carvin LB-20 that another lefty had made, because that year Rick stopped making leftys - and made noises like they'd never make them again. It's a neck-thru, 3-ply maple neck/body, with maple body wings; just like a Rick. The humbucker pickups can both be coil-tapped to give 2 single coils; just like a Rick. I've A/B'ed it against my '01 4003, using identical strings. Without the Rick's capacitor in the treble pickup circuit, you'd be hard pressed to hear the difference - with your eyes closed. You could build one of them yourself, I suppose; but it would cost you more than a new 4003 would...
Who said you have to? You can buy one from Sweetwater, or Pick of the Ricks right now, today. The local Sam Ash had 5 4003's on the wall last week. Including a killer Azureglo one that I would own right now - if it was a lefty. And, if you want a lefty Rick? Yes, you will have to wait - but not for 2 years. I could actually get a new lefty Azureglo 4003 today, in fact - if I wanted to pay some eBay Pirate's $1100 over list asking price for a lefty.... just find a nice clean used 4003 on Reverb.com or eBay, and have done with it...
