Tried my first Ric, ever

Too bad about the action. Mine is set super low with flatwounds. Yeah the binding can be a bit uncomfortable -- always have the 4003s model.

 

The 4004 solves all those troubles:

 

*Stares longingly*
Yeah it does. What a beautiful instrument.

 

Never really been interested in playing one due to the controls and ergonomics. But many players I like play one, and always liked the sound. One local player here plays one; got to see her this week playing it. Sounded great and man was she having fun!

 

They don't make the 4004 currently, but you can find used ones in a variety of colors.

Your other option is the 4003s, which looks a lot like a regular 4003 but has no binding and a contoured body. It also has dots instead of shark fin block inlays, and the electronics are set up for mono only, which is how most people play bass anyway. The walnut s model is called the 4003sw.

RIC also has started producing the new 5 string model, which is contoured also and has a new pickup design that looks cool and pisses off the purists.

Come over to the Rickenbacker club thread, lots of pictures and people who know way more about this stuff than I do. Some of the them know more about the history of Rickenbacker than most RIC employees, I'd imagine.

ETA: sounds like the one you tried out in the store was a 4003, which has binding on the body. I like it and don't have a problem with it, but some people just don't. Looks cool anyway, depending on which color you have.

 

You can get used to the binding. When I first had my 4003 I found that it was uncomfortable to play for more than 1/2 hour at a time. Now, doesn't bother me at all (although yeah, I've had it for over seven years).

 

There’s a sweet red one still for sale here on TB as we type

 

Or the 4003SW. Walnut body, no binding. Nice warm tone.

 

That's the Guitar Center way..... and don't EVER bring your bass there for ANY work.

 

I love the look and I love the tone

I hate the binding, the mechanical mute, the pickup cover, the tailpiece and bridge,

 

Shame .the action on mine is ridiculous, in the best way.
Neck is dead flat ,low string height, no buzz.

 

Check out a 4003S. It does not have the binding and does have a contoured body shape, making it more comfortable to rest your arm on. It goes without saying, but try not to judge based on the setup at the store. And also don't judge by the strings. The factory round wounds, IMHO, are horrible.

I own a Jetglo 4003S. My biggest complaints are: 1) the baseball bat neck, which could be made thinner (on both axis) by getting rid of the unnecessary dual truss rods and changing to one rod; 2) the factory pickups are over wound, and Ric has been gradually adding more winds to them since the late 70's. The idea is to get higher output, the price is lost high frequencies (from what I've read - high frequencies are the first to bleed off as the signal travels over longer distance). Pickups can be replaced, the neck cannot.

Some people dislike Rics for several other reasons. Yes it is a pain to intonate, but that is not normally done often unless you change string brand/type/gauge. Yes the adjustable foam string mutes are unnecessary for most people, but also can be easily lowered and forgotten. Yes the cover for the bridge pickup is in the way, but can be easily removed (and replaced with a bezel that covers everything but the pickup itself).

If I could convince the company to change one thing: dump the dual truss rods in favor of one, and make the neck thinner.

 

I get ya. I hate the feel and the looks. But man do they sound good. Especially when you REALLY lay into it and run a slightly overdriven sound. I’d never own one but I enjoy listening to them.

 

I love my skinny-necked 4001. Binding, mute, gaping bridge pickup hole, and all.

If you bond with the instrument, you’ll figure out how to play it well. If not? Maybe a Rick isn’t for you. They’re an odd and offbeat company, but if you look hard enough you really can find what features you need.

 

3/4" action, LOL! Gotta love GC and their bass maintenance habits.