I've waited 4 pages for a number now....I'm 54 years old, I should be too old to care but......
That's a nice look with that toaster and black pickguard.
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That's a nice look with that toaster and black pickguard.
I've waited 4 pages for a number now....I'm 54 years old, I should be too old to care but......
In the spirit of helping Chronicle out, your number is 256.
It seems Chronicle saw your bass, fell in love, and forgot to give you your number.
That's what you get for having such a stunning Rick.
It mesmerize all who gaze upon its beauty.
Jools4001 Your Ric looks very cool!! I need a new PG for mine and I was debating on a black one (mines a jetglo too) but wasnt sure how it would look with the white name plate on the headstock. After seeing yours and seeing how cool it looks, black is on the top of the list.
Cheers. I love it too. It's not original of course, but I don't care because the best bit is... that's exactly how I bought it way back in ' 76, so it's been black-on-black for over 33 years now...no plans to change it
As much as Im head over heels in love with my Ric I have to admit their PGs take some getting used to. LOL I was torn though keeping it 'factory' (ie white) or getting either a black one or a snakeskin grayish print one. I want something to make it stand out a bit, make it /mine/ so to speak. A friend suggested a Tort PG for it and photoshopped a tort PG on a black 4003. Im not a big one for Tort but it did look pretty good I gotta admit.
Heres a pic I took of it yesterday with the pup cover back on (and the screws for the end of the bridge next to the bridge. I got a new palm mute to install so I didnt see any sense in putting those screws in, I just wanted to show its 'complete')
I looked and didnt see my number yet.
Heres a pic I took of it yesterday with the pup cover back on (and the screws for the end of the bridge next to the bridge. I got a new palm mute to install so I didnt see any sense in putting those screws in, I just wanted to show its 'complete')
I looked and didnt see my number yet.
As much as Im head over heels in love with my Ric I have to admit their PGs take some getting used to. LOL I was torn though keeping it 'factory' (ie white) or getting either a black one or a snakeskin grayish print one. I want something to make it stand out a bit, make it /mine/ so to speak. A friend suggested a Tort PG for it and photoshopped a tort PG on a black 4003. Im not a big one for Tort but it did look pretty good I gotta admit.
Heres a pic I took of it yesterday with the pup cover back on (and the screws for the end of the bridge next to the bridge. I got a new palm mute to install so I didnt see any sense in putting those screws in, I just wanted to show its 'complete')
I looked and didnt see my number yet.
257
As much as Im head over heels in love with my Ric I have to admit their PGs take some getting used to. LOL I was torn though keeping it 'factory' (ie white) or getting either a black one or a snakeskin grayish print one. I want something to make it stand out a bit, make it /mine/ so to speak. A friend suggested a Tort PG for it and photoshopped a tort PG on a black 4003. Im not a big one for Tort but it did look pretty good I gotta admit.
Heres a pic I took of it yesterday with the pup cover back on (and the screws for the end of the bridge next to the bridge. I got a new palm mute to install so I didnt see any sense in putting those screws in, I just wanted to show its 'complete')
I looked and didnt see my number yet.
Love that SPLIT_GUARD Rick. You don't see too many of those. It's a Rickensplit!
Mirror's always an option!
But then, I say that about every bass with a pickguard.
Heheh sounds like me with 'black is the best color for any bass'.
I have thought of mirror but once I replace the bridge pup surround and polish up the bridge Im going to have some chrome bling here hehe not sure how a mirror PG would go with that.. Im torn now between black or snakeskin. *rubs chin* mmmm I think.....black... gee thats a no-brainer, right? 
will want black screws though not chrome for it...And thanks for the #!
Love that SPLIT_GUARD Rick. You don't see too many of those. It's a Rickensplit!
LOL!! I love that; Rickensplit! Haha
And yea, Im seeing (looking at other rics) that they dont seem to too common. When I first saw this Ric and that PG I was thinking it was repair job on the PG gone bad wrong...
(Im still pretty Ric stupid but do know more now about them then I did a few months ago at least and still learning) Then the seller told me that was factory (split cause its Trod adjustments are at the heel not the headstock) and I was like oooohhhh. I was also told the Bridge is a 7 screw not 5. I was told thats rather rare? Im about to get in and replace the palm mute on it so I will find that out. I guess call it beginners luck I got one that has some uncommon stuff on it?
Mirror'd go something like this!Heheh sounds like me with 'black is the best color for any bass'.
And thanks for the #!
VVVOh, with the black, I'd leave the chrome screws, make the dark guard pop more.
Dang thats a sweet ric like that. ^_^ And yea the chrome screws would make the PG stand out. Im undecided if I want the guard to stand out or blend in yet though. I will figure it out when I replace the guard heheh so theres no telling how it will end up.
Dang thats a sweet ric like that. ^_^ And yea the chrome screws would make the PG stand out. Im undecided if I want the guard to stand out or blend in yet though. I will figure it out when I replace the guard heheh so theres no telling how it will end up.
I get ya, best thing, I suppose, is buy the black screws, and you can swap them as you like.
yup ^_^ Or maybe I go down the middle and go with ... grey [screws]... >_>
You could alternate them!
From a couple of RIC specific forums I've gleaned the following:
The split guard and the 7 screw tail are uncommon, used briefly in the early 1980s for the 'first generation' 4003 basses.
Later the truss rods were made adjustable at the headstock againg, but of a stronger design.
The 7 screw tail was apparently unpopular with enough fans/customers that RIC dropped the idea and went back to the 5 screw tail, aesthetics were the main concern, though the problem of tail lift was solved by the 2 extra screws.
I like it, personally.
The presence of Hispanic workers at RIC goes back a very long time. Open up a control cavity of a Rick from the 1970s (possibly earlier and later as well) and you will see that 'Rosa' will have had made her mark. Her name graces my 3, from all reports she had been with the company for over 30 years before she retired.
Many of the workers have/had worked at RIC for decades and are extremely skilled, and would be difficult to replace.
That's one of the reason that RIC hasn't moved from the area it is in (Santa Ana, CA), which is extremely stringently regulated regarding environmental contamination, and probably very highly taxed.
The cost and delay of hiring and training new workers is very high and make it harder to maintain QC.
RIC is a family run business, and seems to be very conscious of it's role in the community and the lives of it's employees.
It's a very interesting history that RIC has, and a different philosophy, which seems to be working very well
The split guard and the 7 screw tail are uncommon, used briefly in the early 1980s for the 'first generation' 4003 basses.
Later the truss rods were made adjustable at the headstock againg, but of a stronger design.
The 7 screw tail was apparently unpopular with enough fans/customers that RIC dropped the idea and went back to the 5 screw tail, aesthetics were the main concern, though the problem of tail lift was solved by the 2 extra screws.
I like it, personally.
The presence of Hispanic workers at RIC goes back a very long time. Open up a control cavity of a Rick from the 1970s (possibly earlier and later as well) and you will see that 'Rosa' will have had made her mark. Her name graces my 3, from all reports she had been with the company for over 30 years before she retired.
Many of the workers have/had worked at RIC for decades and are extremely skilled, and would be difficult to replace.
That's one of the reason that RIC hasn't moved from the area it is in (Santa Ana, CA), which is extremely stringently regulated regarding environmental contamination, and probably very highly taxed.
The cost and delay of hiring and training new workers is very high and make it harder to maintain QC.
RIC is a family run business, and seems to be very conscious of it's role in the community and the lives of it's employees.
It's a very interesting history that RIC has, and a different philosophy, which seems to be working very well
Regarding pickguards, my white 4001 had the usual crack near the neck pup from over-tightening the adjustment screw, and the guard was pretty scratched, so I made a new one from clear Lexan.
I traced a pattern which I downloaded onto the plexi and cut it out carefully, drilled the holes slowly, and polished the edges with increasingly finer grits of wet sandpaper, finishing off with rubbing compound once I was happy with the contour and overall shape.
I then backpainted the guard black enamel for plastics using 3 coats, then applied 3 clear sealer coats to keep the paint from chipping, or interacting with the bass' finish.
A backpainted guard has a bit more depth than a solid colour piece.
I kept the original stored away.
It's an easy project if you have the patience.
I traced a pattern which I downloaded onto the plexi and cut it out carefully, drilled the holes slowly, and polished the edges with increasingly finer grits of wet sandpaper, finishing off with rubbing compound once I was happy with the contour and overall shape.
I then backpainted the guard black enamel for plastics using 3 coats, then applied 3 clear sealer coats to keep the paint from chipping, or interacting with the bass' finish.
A backpainted guard has a bit more depth than a solid colour piece.
I kept the original stored away.
It's an easy project if you have the patience.
I dont have the patience to do that though. hehe Least I know it and freely admit it.
And interesting tidbits regarding my Ric... Its the first one Ive ever had, its the first one Ive ever seen in person for that matter so the 7 screw tail looks totally 'normal' to me.
I dont know the exact date on mine yet but its a 1981 and from what the seller said, in his experience most of the 4003s in that year had pretty hefty necks. But a small % did not and mine is in that %. The neck on mine is thinner then the neck on my 95 Fender P special even. In his experience this particular Ric has the 3rd thinnest neck hes ever felt (out of 40+). The Rics in my lap right now (was playing unplugged in between surfing) and this baby is just a dream to hold and play. Its just 'wowawesome'. I so hit a dead center bullseye with this one! Which is a good thing cause I only had one shot at one and I had to make it count for all it was worth.
And interesting tidbits regarding my Ric... Its the first one Ive ever had, its the first one Ive ever seen in person for that matter so the 7 screw tail looks totally 'normal' to me.
I dont know the exact date on mine yet but its a 1981 and from what the seller said, in his experience most of the 4003s in that year had pretty hefty necks. But a small % did not and mine is in that %. The neck on mine is thinner then the neck on my 95 Fender P special even. In his experience this particular Ric has the 3rd thinnest neck hes ever felt (out of 40+). The Rics in my lap right now (was playing unplugged in between surfing) and this baby is just a dream to hold and play. Its just 'wowawesome'.
I so hit a dead center bullseye with this one! Which is a good thing cause I only had one shot at one and I had to make it count for all it was worth.- Status
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