Rickenbacker Snakebite

[Skybone]

I agree. I can't believe it's just a piece of cheap plastic. I mean, how much more could a piece of steel or aluminum cost?

Indeed, to say I was disappointed when I discovered the cover was plastic on my old 4003 would be an understatement, it gives the impression of cheap'n'nasty rather than classy. Though saying that, I only discovered that it was plastic when I took it off, so no big deal really.

The pickup bezel and/or aero mod rest are your best options IMO.

Aero mod? Try a Zero Mod, it won't melt.

 

[Jeff Scott]

*Got this tip from Carol Kaye if that means anything to you . . .

Um, we've all read that, too, if that means anything to you......................

Carol had to use the nail polish because the screws on her Fender would never stay in place.

 

[Kevorargh]

What's the point of a Ric without a cover? It may be plastic chrome, but it's still chrome and looks cool. I;ve never had a problem with mine.

 

[arbitrary]

I took all that junk off mine, filed the screws down and threw a black plastic plate over the excess bridge pickups space. Everything is flush now and awesome.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Yeah, you don't need to buy it from PotR, LOL
That finish is called Jetglo.

because someone at RIC thought it would be a cool name for black

Some folks refer to the inlays as Shark's Fin as well, but they're actually triangles.

Here is shark fin inlays:

They are 'shark teeth' inlays. The TRC is the 'shark fin'.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

What's the point of a Ric without a cover? It may be plastic chrome, but it's still chrome and looks cool. I;ve never had a problem with mine.

Some folks prefer to play right over the pickup pole pieces, sort of a Ric 'sweet spot' as Paul mentioned. YMMV

 

[Skybone]

What's the point of a Ric without a cover? It may be plastic chrome, but it's still chrome and looks cool. I;ve never had a problem with mine.

Yup, a number of people like to play down by the bridge / over the bridge pickup, and the cover "gets in the way". If someone moves their hand position around a lot while playing for different sounds/feel/whatever, then again, it just gets in the way.

At the moment, I'm in a "leave it on" kind of mood. Another time may be a "take it off" kind of mood.

How many people leave the bridge & pickup covers on their J basses or Telecaster guitars?

 

[Paul Boyer]

OMG! After owning more than 20 Rick basses at times over 42 years, I just now discovered that the damn things are just made outa WOOD! And not even solid wood! There's at least six pieces of wood that are just glued together! What flimsy crap is this? And that pickguard is just PLASTIC! And so is that cheap truss-rod cover! And the metal parts aren't even made out of silver - they're just chrome-plated zinc or steel!!! And there's hardly any sound that comes out of them; you have to connect all that spaghetti wire stuff to an amplifier to hear anything at all!!!! Man! I feel so . . . so . . . violated!

 

[Skybone]

Cheapskates, you could write a book on their corner cutting...

 

[bararan]

Yeah, you don't need to buy it from PotR, LOL
That finish is called Jetglo.

because someone at RIC thought it would be a cool name for black

Some folks refer to the inlays as Shark's Fin as well, but they're actually triangles.

...and now, thanks to the title of this thread, they have a name for the pickup fitting as well. Jetglo finish, shark tooth inlays and snakebite pickup fittings.

 

[jamro217]

$36. seems a bit steep for this part. Why not make your own? A little wood, some black paint and a Dremel. Voila! And enough cash left over to buy lunch.

 

[jamro217]

I agree. I can't believe it's just a piece of cheap plastic. I mean, how much more could a piece of steel or aluminum cost?

Considering how most players ditch the covers from the outset, you'd think RIC would offer them as an option. That's probably why they're cheap plastic, because an expensive part (that's going to end up in the trash) only raises the price for all potential customers.

 

[hubberjub]

$36. seems a bit steep for this part. Why not make your own? A little wood, some black paint and a Dremel. Voila! And enough cash left over to buy lunch.

I'm about as handy as a foot. I made an offer on an EBay sale and got it for $30. I got one that has a built in thumb rest, too. Maybe a bit steep, but you pay for convenience.

 

[ptensioned]

OMG! After owning more than 20 Rick basses at times over 42 years, I just now discovered that the damn things are just made outa WOOD! etc. etc.

While I get your point, I think the analogy is closer to a plywood bodied guitar or the old MIM Fenders that are poplar with a veneer covering the glue joints. Doesn't really change the functionality, but it's still disappointing to discover that all is not as it appears. It's clearly meant to look like metal but isn't, while the wood, pickguard, etc are all 'undisguised'.

Either way, tempest in a teapot. If that's the worst thing a new 4003 owner discovers, then boo frickin' hoo. Some like it, some don't. Horses for courses, eye of the beholder, differences make the world go round, blah blah blah. No need to mobilize the RDF. As disappointed as I was in the cover, I was 100x more surprised and impressed by the flexibility of tones available. Expected a snarl machine, and while it could do that, it could also do so much more.

PS - Really enjoyed your book. I was actually looking at my copy on Monday, as we're rearranging and the bass books are being relocated. Couldn't resist pulling it out of the stack, at least until the wife barked at me for getting distracted...

 

[ptensioned]

$36. seems a bit steep for this part. Why not make your own? A little wood, some black paint and a Dremel. Voila! And enough cash left over to buy lunch.

The one I had was actually a really nicely made piece of kit. It fit beautifully and was made from a sort of rubberized plastic that felt great under the thumb. It's also more complicated than it looks, as it needs to fit under the screw holes, but be flush with the edges of the surround. It would take some talent to make one in a shed, that's for sure.

With stuff like this, you're paying for the tooling more than the material anyway...

 

[hubberjub]

At the moment, I'm in a "leave it on" kind of mood. Another time may be a "take it off" kind of mood.

It's this kind of mentality that got me kicked out a band and more than one Chuck E. Cheese's.

 

[hubberjub]

OMG! After owning more than 20 Rick basses at times over 42 years, I just now discovered that the damn things are just made outa WOOD! And not even solid wood! There's at least six pieces of wood that are just glued together! What flimsy crap is this? And that pickguard is just PLASTIC! And so is that cheap truss-rod cover! And the metal parts aren't even made out of silver - they're just chrome-plated zinc or steel!!! And there's hardly any sound that comes out of them; you have to connect all that spaghetti wire stuff to an amplifier to hear anything at all!!!! Man! I feel so . . . so . . . violated!

Wait, you're saying I'm going to need an amplifier, too? Damn, this bass playing business is getting complicated.

 

[woodyng2]

I'm a long-time guitarist/pedal steel player, but I just started playing the bass. I just got my first decent bass, a recent Rickenbacker 4003. I like the sound and feel of it a lot. My only issue is with the treble pickup metal surround. I've taken off the cover, as it got in my way when playing. The metal surround has two very sharp little points that I always seem to catch my fingers on when playing the E string. I'm sure Rick players will know what I'm talking about. Has anyone come up with a solution to this issue? Are there replacement surrounds that don't have these odd points? Has anyone taken a grinder to them to round them off? Maybe I'm alone in this.

I get why people want more access to the strings,but i always leave my covers on for this reason.
(Besides the fact they just look cooler on.)

 

[Jeff Scott]

...PS - Really enjoyed your book. I was actually looking at my copy on Monday, as we're rearranging and the bass books are being relocated. Couldn't resist pulling it out of the stack...

We're in the midst of doing some "rearranging", too, in our living room (so far most of the trim is torn out - we did that yesterday - and the plaster and lath from the walls and ceilings should be mostly down by late tomorrow, not to mention the inner and out foyers, and a good chunk of the stairwell, many doors are gone for refinishing as well.......................), so my copy of the book is out, at the moment, too. What kind of rearranging are you doing?

 

[Stranger Danger]

I'm a long-time guitarist/pedal steel player, but I just started playing the bass. I just got my first decent bass, a recent Rickenbacker 4003. I like the sound and feel of it a lot. My only issue is with the treble pickup metal surround. I've taken off the cover, as it got in my way when playing. The metal surround has two very sharp little points that I always seem to catch my fingers on when playing the E string. I'm sure Rick players will know what I'm talking about. Has anyone come up with a solution to this issue? Are there replacement surrounds that don't have these odd points? Has anyone taken a grinder to them to round them off? Maybe I'm alone in this.

Treble Bezel will complete your life