This...If you like it who cares what anyone else thinks…especially random nerds on the internet, myself included
There are a lot of haters. There are a lot of lovers. Play what you like and play it in good health.
+1
I hate Fender...
*Ducks*
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What's wrong with the Rickenbacker 4003?
- Thread starter trothwell
- Start date
+1
I hate Fender...
*Ducks*
This x100.If you like it who cares what anyone else thinks…especially random nerds on the internet, myself included
There are a lot of haters. There are a lot of lovers. Play what you like and play it in good health.
Rics are quirky and the company is a giant pain to deal with on every level.
If you dig the quirks, no problem!
If you don’t have to deal with the company, no problem!
Ric has had QC issues over the years (just like every other company) and their customer service didn’t handle those issues very well. It generated a lot of hate. Personally, I don’t think their CS is any more onerous than Fender’s, but that’s just my experience. There are people on this forum who will spew hate at any brand if you give them enough time. Their hate doesn’t have to be your hate. Enjoy your new bass.
…and for the record, I mostly play Leo Fender designs - Fender, MM and G&L - but I also love my Rics.
As long as you love the bass...
I have owned two. The first 4003 I purchased new in 1983. I had one and only one complaint about it. Soft fret wire. After about 5 years, the frets, especially the lower frets (1-7) where we typically play, had divots in them. I've not seen this much fret wear in any other bass I owned. Otherwise I LOVED that bass and have regretted selling it ever since.
Fast forward to 2017. I bought a 4003S. It lasted about 2 years and was then sold.
- Primary reason - the tone, or lack of it. Over the years Ric has made design changes to the pickups that have robbed them of the tone that Ric is known for. IMHO and IME, a modern Ric will never sound like a vintage 4001, even with the "vintage" push/pull knob capacitor engaged
- Second reason - and this is not really a show stopper, is the ergonomics. The baseball bat thick neck, especially near the first few frets. The thick neck that is only necessary because they choose to have two truss rods instead of one with stabilizer rods
Hopefully you will enjoy yours for many years to come.
My experience has been - play 10 ricks and they may stink, play the 11th and it could be magical. When you find that Magical Ric on the shelf, do whatever is possible to buy it right there and then.
I made that mistake and still don't have my unicorn. I play everyone I see though hoping to find another Goldie.
I made that mistake and still don't have my unicorn. I play everyone I see though hoping to find another Goldie.
Depending on who you ask, *many* things are wrong with it
If you believe all the complaints you see online about Ric basses then you can get the feeling like buying a Ric comes with a lot of baggage, and some extra costs on top of the bass itself, which could put you off the notion of buying one. It's better to approach it more objectively, like you did--try one out, see how much you like the sound and feel, and if you gel with it then go for it 
I have come close to buying a 4003 a couple times now, but the only thing that held me back is the price. You don't often find them in stock locally, and whenever there was one available at my local music store, it wasn't a good time for me to drop that much $$$ on a new bass. Someday the timing will be right though, and I will be taking a Ric home with me
John Hall has been retired for years now , but people love to bash him .
I’ve noticed quite a few changes at Rickenbacker , and yet some complain they don’t . There’s a new bridge , they’ve recently brought back the skunkstripe , and changed to a single truss rod . Major changes . They’ve also been offering some experimental one offs for sale , and have been doing some nice limited runs . And there’s still the classics available , I believe their prices are in line with other US manufacturers . They do not offer an offshore alternative .
I’ve enjoyed Rics for many years . The ones I have are old friends , I still love any opportunity to get my hands on a new one .
I’ve noticed quite a few changes at Rickenbacker , and yet some complain they don’t . There’s a new bridge , they’ve recently brought back the skunkstripe , and changed to a single truss rod . Major changes . They’ve also been offering some experimental one offs for sale , and have been doing some nice limited runs . And there’s still the classics available , I believe their prices are in line with other US manufacturers . They do not offer an offshore alternative .
I’ve enjoyed Rics for many years . The ones I have are old friends , I still love any opportunity to get my hands on a new one .
There's not a lot of middle ground with opinions on Rickenbackers. Bassists either love them or hate them. I love my Walnut 4003.
I have one of those magical ones. It plays and sounds better than any other Ric bass that I've tried, and I've tried dozens over the past 20+ years looking for another one as good.
I’m one of those folks that love the Rick sound but can’t get along with the ergonomics. I’ve tried - twice. Both were well built 4003s and as much as I love the look, the neck, and the tone, I just couldn’t find a way to get comfortable with my right hand. Ended up selling both of them. Made me a bit sad. Now I just appreciate them from afar…
The one Ric I really want is a 4004. They are so hard to find nowadays and one in good condition will be over 2k.
There's nothing at all wrong with the Rickenbacker 4003. They really picked up their game around 2020 in terms of quality, and have been hitting it out of the park ever since.
When I first took up bass, I was warned that I'd become a "Rickenbacker person" if I started on one - I did, and I have. No other bass sounds as good to me.
Well, this thread is a bit of a bitchathon...
Sure they have their idiosyncrasies, but don't most instruments.
Sure they're not Fenders, but heck - if you want a Fender go buy one (I've got one or two).
Sure they don't do a cheap version and haven't offshored, but why should they? Heck, I think it's admirable that they keep working from the same local factory and haven't sold out.
Some say they don't innovate, but that's not true; the 4001/4003 has evolved over the years and when they released the 4004 (which addressed all of the supposed issues), people just went and bought the 4003 anyway.
People accuse them of not using Fender-style truss-rods, but that's not a right or wrong; in fact Ric truss rods are field replaceable, so that's a plus!
People say you have to use unusual techniques to adjust the truss rods, but I've seen video of Dan Erlewine recommending using the same approach for vintage Fenders.
Rics are unconventional, but that's not a minus.
Me, I say the Ric 4001 & 4003 are the best production basses that ever have and ever will exist: they are the best looking, best sounding, most playable, and basically coolest instruments on the planet.
What would I know, though; I've only got 8 Ric basses...
Sure they have their idiosyncrasies, but don't most instruments.
Sure they're not Fenders, but heck - if you want a Fender go buy one (I've got one or two).
Sure they don't do a cheap version and haven't offshored, but why should they? Heck, I think it's admirable that they keep working from the same local factory and haven't sold out.
Some say they don't innovate, but that's not true; the 4001/4003 has evolved over the years and when they released the 4004 (which addressed all of the supposed issues), people just went and bought the 4003 anyway.
People accuse them of not using Fender-style truss-rods, but that's not a right or wrong; in fact Ric truss rods are field replaceable, so that's a plus!
People say you have to use unusual techniques to adjust the truss rods, but I've seen video of Dan Erlewine recommending using the same approach for vintage Fenders.
Rics are unconventional, but that's not a minus.
Me, I say the Ric 4001 & 4003 are the best production basses that ever have and ever will exist: they are the best looking, best sounding, most playable, and basically coolest instruments on the planet.
What would I know, though; I've only got 8 Ric basses...
They are expensive and have suffered from long wait times since at least the 90's, so trying before buying unless you live in a large city with a lot of stores or a thriving used market is difficult.
I've played one exactly once in a store and it was quite frankly a boat anchor : heavy, sharp frets, clown glow, etc. I've also played a couple that were owned by friends (and thus not for sale) and I remember a beat to crap jetglo 4001 that was simply astounding. The thing basically played itself and the strings were on the other side of the fretboard with no buzz.
The company is very small and they own up to it : their website is laughable and their customer service can be real bad, but they still have customers lining out the door to buy their product, so they don't care and keep doing their thing their way.
I've played one exactly once in a store and it was quite frankly a boat anchor : heavy, sharp frets, clown glow, etc. I've also played a couple that were owned by friends (and thus not for sale) and I remember a beat to crap jetglo 4001 that was simply astounding. The thing basically played itself and the strings were on the other side of the fretboard with no buzz.
The company is very small and they own up to it : their website is laughable and their customer service can be real bad, but they still have customers lining out the door to buy their product, so they don't care and keep doing their thing their way.
I don’t know about Rick 4003s, but I had a 4001 I bought in the 70s for 34 years. Absolutely zero problems from day one, although I did great rid of that stupid bridge pickup cover. Other than that, it was a rock solid piece. It was quite a bit more expensive than a Jazz, but the quality showed.
That said, when I got to recording a lot, the music screamed for Fender basses, so for the most part my Rick stayed in the case from about 1980 until I sold it.
One man's opinion...
Every brand of bass has very vocal haters and very vocal apologists on here.
I like G&Ls, and I know that every "do you like G&L?" thread will contain the same long-winded hate from the same small group of individuals. No different for Rics.
I think, in general, Rics and G&Ls are very highly regarded around here. For every player that's had a bad experience and screams about it every chance they get, there are a hundred happily playing these instruments.
Every brand of bass has very vocal haters and very vocal apologists on here.
I like G&Ls, and I know that every "do you like G&L?" thread will contain the same long-winded hate from the same small group of individuals. No different for Rics.
I think, in general, Rics and G&Ls are very highly regarded around here. For every player that's had a bad experience and screams about it every chance they get, there are a hundred happily playing these instruments.
So my Ric is my #1 bass. To me, the ergonomics feel like home. I can see how it would bug some others though. I do have a gripe with some QC issues on my 2009 4003. The clear coat is already wearing off in some small areas on the back of the neck. Not in a spot where my hands are either, weird. At some point it will need to be addressed so that stinks. John Hall can be a jerk but I imagine getting lots of hate from people who never even touched one, or maybe just played one once in a music store, would get on my nerves too. Plus the people that are constantly asking why there arent cheap imports...which would likely have their own set of issues to address for a small company. Sure we would all like cheap versions of things we want, id like a Tesla for $5000. Also, Rics are made in the US, in CA no less, and its expensive to run a biz there so that reflects in the price.
They did update the bridge, and the original is a pain if you need to adjust it but...I had my bridge adjusted once since Ive had the bass and havent had to do it again. Dual truss rods are also outdated but not that big of a deal. I read John Hall saying that when they tried to offer updated designs it didnt sell, the old 4001/3 designs do. Thats why they kept them exactly like the original design: they sell.
They did update the bridge, and the original is a pain if you need to adjust it but...I had my bridge adjusted once since Ive had the bass and havent had to do it again. Dual truss rods are also outdated but not that big of a deal. I read John Hall saying that when they tried to offer updated designs it didnt sell, the old 4001/3 designs do. Thats why they kept them exactly like the original design: they sell.
I've had 2 Ricks a 5 string and a 4 string. If you like the sound, nothing sounds like a Rick but a Rick (actually, the Danelectro 64 bass, yes the one that looks like a Mosrite copy, sounds more like a Rick than a Rick does, but they're super hard to find. I had one a and sold it like a blazing fool.)
I really liked my 4 string much more than i did the 5. it was a beautiful bass with awesome binding, said binding was actually very painful as it'd dig into my right arm. the available tones were much more versatile than most would believe, but the neck pickup was pretty much useless by itself as its half as loud as the bridge pickup. imagine having to fiddle with your amp or pedals for output levels just because you want to change which pickup you're using. the neck was weirdly blocky and chunky feeling but i quite liked it.
One thing for sure is a playing on a rick will just make you play differently and even write differently, dial in a nice fat and dirty tone and you'll be pumping out headbanger riffs left and right. Anyway I don't have either anymore and I do miss having one, but I would only buy another if I was just drowning in cash, or if I were to stumble upon an incredible deal. I feel Spector gives you the neck through and aggressive tone thing in a much more ergonomic package, I much prefer an overdriven Rick tone to an overdriven Spector though.
I really liked my 4 string much more than i did the 5. it was a beautiful bass with awesome binding, said binding was actually very painful as it'd dig into my right arm. the available tones were much more versatile than most would believe, but the neck pickup was pretty much useless by itself as its half as loud as the bridge pickup. imagine having to fiddle with your amp or pedals for output levels just because you want to change which pickup you're using. the neck was weirdly blocky and chunky feeling but i quite liked it.
One thing for sure is a playing on a rick will just make you play differently and even write differently, dial in a nice fat and dirty tone and you'll be pumping out headbanger riffs left and right. Anyway I don't have either anymore and I do miss having one, but I would only buy another if I was just drowning in cash, or if I were to stumble upon an incredible deal. I feel Spector gives you the neck through and aggressive tone thing in a much more ergonomic package, I much prefer an overdriven Rick tone to an overdriven Spector though.
I had a 4001 Ric, got rid of it, and came in from the cold a few years ago by buying a 2003 Mapleglo (the exact same color as my 4001). I don't get the hate. I don't find the ergonomics bad at all, and I think the plastic chrome cover looks cool. I put my right hand between the two pickups, which I assume is what you should do. The bridge cover is a good rest for me hand when playing with a pick. Works great for me. The bridge seems fine at the moment, and the neck isn't warping, so there's that.
I will say the 5 string I bought was crap. Bad design for the 5th string and the pickups, while very cool looking, didn't sound as good compared to my 4003. The B string didn't come through at all compared to the other 4 strings. So that was sad. It was well built, however, and great too look at.
Enjoy your Ric!
I will say the 5 string I bought was crap. Bad design for the 5th string and the pickups, while very cool looking, didn't sound as good compared to my 4003. The B string didn't come through at all compared to the other 4 strings. So that was sad. It was well built, however, and great too look at.
Enjoy your Ric!
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