Rickenbackers

[Spectrum]

I just skipped to page 5. Did I miss anything I haven't seen before?

 

[mapleglo]

Rics

• mapleglo
• Sep 5, 2017
• rickenbacker 4003

Rickenbackers and clones

My collection. Modded 4003s, and some inspired builds.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Rics

• mapleglo
• Sep 5, 2017
• rickenbacker 4003

Rickenbackers and clones

My collection. Modded 4003s, and some inspired builds.

drool

 

[electracoyote]

I just skipped to page 5. Did I miss anything I haven't seen before?

Nope.

Redundant and pointless as ever.

 

[SactoBass]

I bought my first Ric 4003 brand new in 1974. I have owned other Rics as well since then. But I haven't owned any in the past 10 years or so. I have a P bass and a J bass, both with necks that have a 1.5 inch nut width. That seems to fit my left hand better. I think that's why I haven't owned any Rics lately.

If I could find a Ric (either a 4003 or 4003s) with a 1.5" (or near 1.5") nut width, I would consider buying it.

 

[Ric5]

More (unfinished) Fuel from that hotbed of Flagrant Trade Dress Violators festering away over in Luthier's Corner. I added CF stiffeners instead of two truss rods, and a volute so the head is less likely to snap off. Sacriledge!
View attachment 2745974
View attachment 2745975

These wood nerds have to be stopped! Somebody might get offended and read a different thread in a red-hot hissyfit!

That needs a pearloid trc

 

[Ric5]

The truth is this bass came with 2 15k ohm humbuckers and it had 250k ohm pots ... so the Nordstrand pickup and the 4 band Audere preamp was a significant upgrade ... stock this bass was an Edsel Dog ... pretty much lame in every way except it was pretty ...

I owned the bass for less than a month ... This is what it looked like when I sold it ... It had a much better and more versatile tone then than the stock Edsel wiring ... From the factory this bass was very lame. basically a 3 string bass with bad tone on the 3 strings. The original bass had a thicker tone than a normal 4004 because of the additional wood on the thicker neck which made the stock electronics even more lame.

Probably the new owner of this bass will probably be an amateur player and a collector. It will hang on the wall and never be gigged ... like most Rickenbackers.

 

[Ric5]

In hindsight I was probably crazy to mod this bass because most Ric owners want stock rather than good tone.

But when I bought it I was going to keep it and gig it. But a situation came up where I needed money so it had to go.

 

[Ric5]

Here is the solution one owner had to make his bass actually cover 5 strings...

Look how far off the neck those strings are

And that guy took a lot of heat for doing that

 

[Ric5]

Someday I just gotta do a Ric like this ...

except with 5 strings

 

[Ric5]

Well actuall did some like that

 

[Ric5]

Sometime I will turn one of these into a 5 string

That will drive the purists totally nuts

 

[Max Blasto]

I have been playing Rickenbackers since 1973. I love the tone and the look ... But I really have a hard time with the Rickenbacker Cult mentality and the "attitude" of the Rickenbacker faithful. The Arrogance makes me uncomfortable.

For instance it is fine to modify and build copies of Fenders, but not Rickenbackers. If I build a Rick copy and post it here I will get a lot of hatred directed my way, and I get that hate just for modifying Rickenbackers. But If I build a copy of a jazz bass and put in active electronics then everybody will praise my workmanship.

If you compare basses to cars then Fenders are like a Chevy, Gibson would be a Buick, Ibanez would be a Toyota, and ... Rickenbacker ... would be an Edsel ... There is no other bass manufacturer that can't seem to make a proper 5 string bass.

I am thinking of making a special TRC for my 2 Rics that says Edsel or Edselbacker

Keep doing what you're doing, Jeff. You're fine.

Wanna see haters, post a Gibson. Mods or no mods

 

[Ric5]

You see the Rickenbacker purists used to love me, because I played the holy grail of Rickenbackers ... a 1960s 4001 bass ... like Chris Squire and Paul McCartney, and it was very pretty and I knew how to make it rock ... But I made them a little nervous because this bass actually got played. It had fretware and a good belt buckle rash

 

[Ric5]

But then I started playing modern music ... yes I needed a low B.

I bought this bass here

And I started playing Fenders ...

 

[Ric5]

I even made Fenderbirds

 

[Ric5]

But then I did the unforgivable ... I made better 5 string Rics in my basemant than what came out of the Rickenbacker factory

 

[inanimate_carb]

In my worldview, you HAVE to modify a new Ric to get it to perform to modern standards. Any mods on top of that are really just finishing the arch.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

Where's KBD when we need him!

We need him? Why, to tell it is pronounced rickenBACKer as in linebacker and the 4004 is better than the 4003? There, done.

 

[JMacBass65]

We need him? Why, to tell it is pronounced rickenBACKer as in linebacker and the 4004 is better than the 4003? There, done.

It's just not the same........