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The Rickenbacker Club Part Twelve

#3,303
I don't get on TB as much as I used to, but I felt the need to spread the love of my New Bass Day. Some back story; I once tried a Ricky at a guitar show many years ago and it was absolutely horrible to play (couldn't hear it, you know what shows are like) really badly set up. Anyway, whilst in a local bass emporium last week I was other trying some cheap basses (SBMM SUB Ray5 and Squier Millennium 5; both nice BTW), I asked to try a 4003S just for fun and to check my previous experience. OMG!!! I fell love with something that I didn't need and couldn't justify, but had to have it! What a thoroughly marvellous/monstrous tone it had and, for a passive bass, how loud was it? Just massive. Could I get Mrs Ez onside I wondered? Well I obviously did (I don't know how) and thus it arrived. One sour note though, I got it home and discovered a small chip on the lower bout :( (must've bashed against another bass whilst hanging up) but went back to said emporium and they couldn't have been more sorry or accommodating. They had another in a different store, but this one spoke to me (it said, "Buy me, buy me!") so they sorted out some suitable recompense and all was rightish with the world. Right, on with the pics.

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#3,304
Twangster......don't let Ggoat poop on your new bass day. I'm pretty OCD about things like crooked parts on a Ric, and after looking at the straight on shot of the body I can tell all of the parts are perfectly straight. The tailpiece MIGHT be offset 1/16" to the treble side, but it doesn't affect playability or string volume. The bridge pickup itself is screwed to its baseplate crooked though, but that can be corrected next time you change strings by loosening its two mounting screws, and twisting it a bit, then re-tightening. Ggoat dropped a turd on the Rush R40 Bassgasm thread too, then disappeared from that thread. Trolls....They're like American Express...everywhere you wanna be.
 
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#3,305
As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I can kind of relate to ggoat. I love my team and yet sometimes hate them when they fail to do the simple things that could make them a great team, and I can't help but open my mouth sometimes (and that's putting it mildly for us Philly fans...)

So Rickenbacker is ggoat's Eagles, and he's like a Philly fan for Ric basses, loving them and hating on them at the same time and unable to control himself over it.

In any case it's just this continuing saga of the TB love-hate relationship with Rickenbackers. I can think of no other bass brand that causes so much wailing and gnashing of teeth around here.
 
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#3,306
I've seen my share of other brands of basses with issues. I don't think that quality control problems are limited to Rics. I suppose I've had a bit of luck with mine - of the 6 or 7 Rics I've owned over the years, and the dozens I've had the pleasure of playing, I can't remember any issues with any of them. And for those features I want in a Ric that I can't buy, I just build it.

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#3,308
OMG ....I'll bet that 4003S sounds horrible with that bridge pickup installed crooked! Fanboy? Really? John Hall and I are NOT on good terms right now, so please take your name calling elsewhere. Is there anything you actually LIKE about RIC basses, or is it all about the negatively?
 
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#3,309
Ah...I forgot about the "...but it sounds great" excuse.

Rickenbacker should put that in the workmanship warranty: "This warranty is null and void if once the instrument is returned to the factory it is determined that the instrument still sounds great. Shipping costs to and from the factory are the full responsibility of the owner."
 
#3,311
I agree that the W tailpiece is weird. That would bother me on my bass.

I honestly don't see anything wrong with the fireglo pickup surround.

Both bridge pickups are angled, almost to the point of wondering if it's intentional. This would not bother me on my bass if it sounded good, and, as has been pointed out, it can be corrected.

So am I a fan boy or not? I've got a certificate I'd like to print out.
 
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#3,314
Twangster101 said:
View attachment 617839 View attachment 617840 View attachment 617841 The goat is correct: 11/1000ths off
on the tail piece.
Click to expand...

That's not nearly as bad as some of the other examples; but, with the particular walnut basses there is absolutely NO excuse for the bridge to not be installed absolutely 100% perfectly centered.

I mean, c'mon...there are two distinct ever-present highly contrasted stripes where the walnut meets the maple that can be used as a perfect template to line the bridge up EXACTLY with the neck.
 
#3,316
ggoat!!! said:
Is uneducated guessing really your thing? Hmmm...
I guess I overestimated you.
Click to expand...
I previously asked if there were anything you actually liked about Ricks, and you gave no reply, so a reasonable assumption amid all of your negative criticisms was that there was indeed nothing you liked about Ricks. You overestimated me? Now you're just being a dick.
 
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