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Tried a Ric 4003 for the first time... WOW! Now, a question...

forrestlaw

forrestlaw

Jun 25, 2018
609
998
Houston
#1
Walked into a shop today to look at P basses and noticed they carried Rics. I decided to play a few since I had never picked one up before and was super impressed. Will likely be buying one in the coming days.

Now, the question I have is regarding the finish options. The two in stock were a Jetglo and Matte Black. Anyone own one that has a good reason to choose one over the other? I did notice that the matte finish has an unfinished rosewood fretboard while the Jetglo fretboard is finished/sealed. Other than that they seem to be exactly the same.
 
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#5
charlie monroe said:
A matte finish will gain shiny spots where you come into contact with it.

Jetglo Rics are timeless. Do they both have shark inlays?
Click to expand...

Lammchop93 said:
Go Jetglo for sure. Matte never works out on guitars. They get shiney where your body rubs against it.
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Jetglo is what I was thinking. Looks more classic to me anyway.

The matte finish that turns shiny in spots doesn't sound like that would be a cool-looking kind of petina. Sounds like it may be more of a "I wish I had bought the Jetglo" kind of look.
 
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#6
Hi Forrest,

The version with the dots is the 4003s model. Some players like this model over the 4003 as it has more rounded body contours and is more comfortable to play. The 4003s lacks the stereo option, which might be something important to you. Both are fine basses. I own a 4003s/5, which is similar in look, except for the pickups and bridge, to the 4003s. I've come to like the dots and rounded contours.

Happy Hunting.
Bones
 
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#7
My 2 cents: both sitting and standing with a strap properly adjusted: play the 4003 FOR A LONG TIME in usual and unusual ways. Check and see if your picking hand (wrist) is bothered by that body edge binding. I have lost track of how many bound Rickenbackers I have purchased over the years - only to dump them shortly afterwards as I realized how truly un-ergonomic they happen to be for me. YMMV of course, but for a sizeable number of people there is a very real comfort improvement in the UNBOUND (s) models...
 
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#8
mikewalker said:
My 2 cents: both sitting and standing with a strap properly adjusted: play the 4003 FOR A LONG TIME in usual and unusual ways. Check and see if your picking hand (wrist) is bothered by that body edge binding. I have lost track of how many bound Rickenbackers I have purchased over the years - only to dump them shortly afterwards as I realized how truly un-ergonomic they happen to be for me. YMMV of course, but for a sizeable number of people there is a very real comfort improvement in the UNBOUND (s) models...
Click to expand...

That's a really good idea. I played the Jetglo one for quite a while when sitting, but would be smart to try out standing as well.
 
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#10
Rosewood is normally unfinished. The fingerboard of that bass is likely super-dry, needs a touch of oil periodically.

I have a jetglo Rick guitar with the goopy thick finish. The sound is great but if I had a choice, I'd go with the matte finish as the grip is probably better on the back of the neck.
 
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#15
forrestlaw said:
Walked into a shop today to look at P basses and noticed they carried Rics. I decided to play a few since I had never picked one up before and was super impressed. Will likely be buying one in the coming days.

Now, the question I have is regarding the finish options. The two in stock were a Jetglo and Matte Black. Anyone own one that has a good reason to choose one over the other? I did notice that the matte finish has an unfinished rosewood fretboard while the Jetglo fretboard is finished/sealed. Other than that they seem to be exactly the same.
Click to expand...
I think it's mostly a cosmetic difference, unless the sealed fret board bothers you. Personally, i like the sealed feel on a Ric. My Ric is fireglo but i always wanted a jetglo! Beautiful looking basses!
 
#16
Start looking for a Walnut 4004:

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#17
forrestlaw said:
There was a cheaper one with no binding and dot inlays, but a Ric without binding didn't look right.
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The 4003S (note the capital S) is simplified in that it does not have the "Deluxe" features (binding, triangular inlays, and Rick-O-Sound [ROS]), but are not any lesser than a "Deluxe" 4003 model. If you have no need to ever use the ROS feature, the 4003S would be an excellent choice, really. For the first few years (starting in 1957), Rick basses were more like the S model in that they had no binding (they had radius-ed edges), dot fingerboard inlays, and no ROS; the "Deluxe" version was introduced in the early 1960s.
 
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#18
mikewalker said:
My 2 cents: both sitting and standing with a strap properly adjusted: play the 4003 FOR A LONG TIME in usual and unusual ways. Check and see if your picking hand (wrist) is bothered by that body edge binding. I have lost track of how many bound Rickenbackers I have purchased over the years - only to dump them shortly afterwards as I realized how truly un-ergonomic they happen to be for me. YMMV of course, but for a sizeable number of people there is a very real comfort improvement in the UNBOUND (s) models...
Click to expand...
Tone Twins 4.JPG ^^THIS, THIS, THIS^^ about a bazillion times. If there's any bass on the planet that needs to be played - really played - before you buy one, it's a Rick. Lots of people find them awkward/weird/ uncomfortable/just awful to play - and lots of us don't. Mine, for example, fit me like a glove, and I can play them until I get so tired that I pass out. And, yeah, I have a Jetglo, too; this '73 4001. The other one is an '01 4003 in Desert Gold. Good luck finding one of those... So, please, please, try before you buy, 'cause there are too many unhappy EX-Rick owners around here already...:whistle:
 
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#19
Yeah, play it for a little while. The hard edge binding where your forearm crosses the bass can get chafed, no worse than any acoustic guitar or a Tele, but it bugs some people. The 4003s models are definitely more comfortable to play, and they sound identical. The 4004 are very nice, but getting hard to find. From a purely cosmetic point of view, nothing beats a bound Jetglo with shark fins, but it requires a little ergonomic compromise. The matte looks cool, but it's nearly impossible to "un-buff" a shiny spot that develops at wear spots and have it match, whereas a gloss finish can always be buffed back up to gloss. Hard to go wrong with any Ric, but take your time, plenty around, so don't over-pay.
 
#20
Man didnt take long , and as with all Ric threads this will continue and morph this thread into something not resembling the original topic.

I get it if , you dont like 4003 basses ,go start a thread about it.

I have one and love it. I'm a hobbyist .
I dont play three day supersets.
I do like the sound and the feel .
Yay me
 
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