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Which Ric 4003 should I get

#21
Horses for courses. If you want more info as to the little details, ask this question on the rickresource.com forum and avail yourself of the centuries' worth of combined knowledge, experience and wisdom. Be prepared to discuss the reasons why you want one, your playing style and repertoire, and anything else that might help them make a recommendation to you.
 
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#22
I played a new 4003W and the sharp edges on the binding was painful, but I have a horrible playing technique which likely isn't going to change due to the type of music I play (loud, hard and fast). I love my 4003S that I've had for 20 years, and passed on the 4003W due to the binding. I'm waiting for my local dealer to get the 4003SW and matte black version in so I can try them both.

I've also had stereo Ricks, but have never used that option.
 
#25
I have had 3 4003's. I still have two of them. The one I sold was the matte black and I ONLY sold it because of the color. I thought I would love the matte finish because I hate how gloss black shows fingerprints. What I discovered after just a little use was that anywhere you touch the matte finish repeatedly quickly starts to get a shine to it, so now you have mixed gloss/matt finish. I would rather just have gloss in that case. Anyway yes the binding takes some getting used to. Personally I would love the rounded body of the 4003s, but to me it aint a Ric unless you have those fingerboard inlays. The dots don't do it for me. As far as the stereo I have no use for it. I rarely use the neck pickup anyway and I can't imagine ever splitting them into separate amps.
~covid 1.jpg
 
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#29
Mr Kringle said:
I've never seen anyone use it.. how does it even work?

Is it really just as simple as running it through two different rigs?
Click to expand...
Either two rigs or a two channel amp with separate eq’s. My current set up.
It’s magical.

It’s really too bad most people don’t like it….using ROS.
B3654286-C0F0-47DE-B8F9-DD45ABC26399.jpeg
 
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#31
I have both a 4003 and a 4003s5. The only functional difference between a 4003 and an S model is the stereo output. To really get a substantial benefit from the stereo output you are best running it into two completely separate amps. You could run effects or distortion through one and leave the other clean and stuff like that. Personally I don’t think it’s worth all the hassle. Aside from the blingy looks a 4003 isn’t any better than an S, in fact some players prefer the S due to the smoother edges.
 
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#34
Well which one do you like? You hear a lot of talk about the binding being sharp, but it never bothered me. The walnuts do tend to have sharper binding just for the fact that there's no finish to "soften the edge" a bit, but that's easily remedied by 2 strokes of a razor blade if that's the sort of thing that bothers you. But again, it goes back to the old line "if it hurts, you're doing it wrong". The walnuts are usually a little lighter weight and they're easy to re-oil when needed. They can be a little less stable depending on the climate of where you live, just for the fact that they are oil finished, but some planks seems to be more stable than others. I've played rics almost exclusively for a long time and can count on about 4 fingers of one hand the number of occasions i've used ric-o-sound, but it does open up a few cool options. I doubt you'll be disappointed either way! Best of luck.
 
#37
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#38
Because it will be your bass, you should get the one that appeals to you the most ;)

Since you asked for input, I'd absolutely go with the stereo model, even if you don't plan on using it right away (once you start, a whole new world of possibilities opens up). Its shark-fin inlays and binding are such a big part of the Ric style, that anything less just looks... lacking.
Hey, you asked for opinions :D
 
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#39
love the jg finish and in the end I chose the s series because I preferred comfort, plus with a more bass and less guitar aesthetic. In the end, however, what matters is the unique tone .... what a show
 

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