• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Wondering if I should return my Ric

jmattbassplaya

jmattbassplaya

Supporting Member
Jan 13, 2008
11,840
9,847
#1
Hey TB,

I bought a 2016 MapleGlo Ric last week from my local GC. It was a used model that they had for a good price, and I was even able to haggle them down another $100.

It's a really cool bass. I love the look and the fact that it inspires me to play differently than how I normally play on my Jazz or Ray. That said, I'm not in love with it and I wonder if it'd be smarter to return it while it's still in it's 45 day no haggle return window.

I like to tinker and do my own setups, and the Ric isn't easy to do this on. I'm a little perturbed that these basses don't come with their own truss rod tool, and the process of installing and removing the pickup cover is a small burden. The bridge is another matter all together with its floating saddles.

Anyways, I wanted some opinions. Anyone buy their first Ric and learn to love these oddities? Anyone buy one and ended up saying the juice wasn't worth the squeeze?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mosstone, InhumanResource, waynobass and 3 others
#4
cunningplan4gfts6.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: aah_scary, SanDiegoHarry, Root 5 and 16 others
#8
jmattbassplaya said:
Hey TB,

I bought a 2016 MapleGlo Ric last week from my local GC. It was a used model that they had for a good price, and I was even able to haggle them down another $100.

It's a really cool bass. I love the look and the fact that it inspires me to play differently than how I normally play on my Jazz or Ray. That said, I'm not in love with it and I wonder if it'd be smarter to return it while it's still in it's 45 day no haggle return window.

I like to tinker and do my own setups, and the Ric isn't easy to do this on. I'm a little perturbed that these basses don't come with their own truss rod tool, and the process of installing and removing the pickup cover is a small burden. The bridge is another matter all together with its floating saddles.

Anyways, I wanted some opinions. Anyone buy their first Ric and learn to love these oddities? Anyone buy one and ended up saying the juice wasn't worth the squeeze?
Click to expand...
Do you love the way it sounds? Can you get that sound with any other bass? Do you like the unique feel of it? These are the questions you want answered within your 45 day time limit. Once you get the strings and setup to your liking,you typically never have to change settings again.
I am completely not handy with setups,but i just did my first-ever trussrod adjustment,in over 40 years of Ric ownership. Sweetwater has a $4 Taylor tr tool that worked just fine on the Rick.
(Btw,i recently had to take advantage of that 45 day no questions asked policy on a used Schroeder cab i bought from GC). It started making wonky sounds after a couple of practices,so back it went).
And lastly,PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! ;):D
 
  • Like
Reactions: seang15, superdick2112, Snowglo and 3 others
#10
woodyng2 said:
Do you love the way it sounds? Can you get that sound with any other bass? Do you like the unique feel of it? These are the questions you want answered within your 45 day time limit. Once you get the strings and setup to your liking,you typically never have to change settings again.
I am completely not handy with setups,but i just did my first-ever trussrod adjustment,in over 40 years of Ric ownership. Sweetwater has a $4 Taylor tr tool that worked just fine on the Rick.
(Btw,i recently had to take advantage of that 45 day no questions asked policy on a used Schroeder cab i bought from GC). It started making wonky sounds after a couple of practices,so back it went).
And lastly,PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! ;):D
Click to expand...

IMG_0238.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowdownthump, NYCBass, seang15 and 19 others
#13
Rabidhamster said:
If you don't like it you don't like it. You don't do a set up every day so if you can handle it periodically that's no big deal.
But if aside from the setup you don't love it you might as well return it and get something you do love or save the cash.


Also lol at "no haggle return window"
Click to expand...
I think this is spot on. If it doesn't do it for you, take it back. But, I know I am willing to look past difficulties in set ups for an instrument that plays and sounds like I like. My number one strat has a heel truss rod adjustment, and the only war to get at it is to take off the neck. Total PITA, but at most something I have to do twice a year
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rabidhamster and nixdad
#14
Yes, the bridge is a pain to adjust.
Yes, the pickup cover removal is a small chore.
Yes, they should come with a truss rod wrench.

All that aside, nothing sounds quite like a Ric.
I find them to be very comfortable - even with the body binding - and I love the way they feel & play. I bought my first Ric 35 years ago when I was in high school, I've owned 10 more since then, and I've grown to appreciate their little idiosyncrasies.
I haven't heard you say anything negative about comfort, playability or tone, so I think you may grow to love that bass, to enjoy learning all of its set-up tricks, & in general become fond of it for its quirkiness.
Give it just a little more time...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gizmot, franvarin, nixdad and 2 others
#15
jmattbassplaya said:
Hey TB,

I bought a 2016 MapleGlo Ric last week from my local GC. It was a used model that they had for a good price, and I was even able to haggle them down another $100.

It's a really cool bass. I love the look and the fact that it inspires me to play differently than how I normally play on my Jazz or Ray. That said, I'm not in love with it and I wonder if it'd be smarter to return it while it's still in it's 45 day no haggle return window.

I like to tinker and do my own setups, and the Ric isn't easy to do this on. I'm a little perturbed that these basses don't come with their own truss rod tool, and the process of installing and removing the pickup cover is a small burden. The bridge is another matter all together with its floating saddles.

Anyways, I wanted some opinions. Anyone buy their first Ric and learn to love these oddities? Anyone buy one and ended up saying the juice wasn't worth the squeeze?
Click to expand...

I've taken three runs at Rics, including one bought brand new. The best of the bunch was the 1980 4001, that was pretty sweet, but still had all the quirks that were really tough to get past.

The brand new 4003 had such horrid QC that I returned the thing.

The newer 4003 was seemed fine from a QC perspective, but again the quirks of the bass are really hard to get past, at least for me. I even had a Zero-Mod thumb rest and other ways to try and work with it.

In the end, as much as I liked the sound and the look, it wasn't a fit for me. I should also note that I could tell that right away from the first time I picked one up, but I persisted to try and make it work. I should have just trusted my instincts and saved myself a lot of money.

So I don't know how it will end up for you, but I think my advice would be to trust your own instincts...if the oddities seem too much to overcome, they probably are.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Groove Doctor, andrew, ajkula66 and 2 others
#16
jmattbassplaya said:
Hey TB,

I bought a 2016 MapleGlo Ric last week from my local GC. It was a used model that they had for a good price, and I was even able to haggle them down another $100.

It's a really cool bass. I love the look and the fact that it inspires me to play differently than how I normally play on my Jazz or Ray. That said, I'm not in love with it and I wonder if it'd be smarter to return it while it's still in it's 45 day no haggle return window.

I like to tinker and do my own setups, and the Ric isn't easy to do this on. I'm a little perturbed that these basses don't come with their own truss rod tool, and the process of installing and removing the pickup cover is a small burden. The bridge is another matter all together with its floating saddles.

Anyways, I wanted some opinions. Anyone buy their first Ric and learn to love these oddities? Anyone buy one and ended up saying the juice wasn't worth the squeeze?
Click to expand...

If it's not speaking to you now, chances are it never will. I'd return it and grab something that does. If it's just the setup holding you back from realizing it's potential, you may want to reconsider, but there is no amount of tonal bliss, playability or prestige that would have me suffer through setting up a Ric. Ever. Assuming I did fall in love with one, the prospect of future fret work and the fact that it doesn't have a neck that could just be replaced would be enough to keep me away anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nixdad and jmattbassplaya
#18
jmattbassplaya said:
It's a really cool bass. I love the look and the fact that it inspires me to play differently than how I normally play on my Jazz or Ray. That said, I'm not in love with it...
Click to expand...
Love, but not in love? I got my 2014 4003 and kept it. It is different to play, and considering your other basses it seems the Ric complements them.

I had to remove the pickup cover and adjust bridge saddles, and I may do the Hipshot sometime. I put on a Zero-Mod thumb rest and don't like the placement, but overall I like having the Ric.

I tinker with cheap basses to experiment with, but that's not reason I have the Ric, or the Modulus J, or the GL Jazz, or the P. I just like to play them, I mostly hope they remain tinker free.

Enjoy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nixdad and jmattbassplaya
#20
I bought a used one once back when I had a job and the money to spend.

A 4003 model.

I thought I liked it, at least I loved how it looked and liked the unique tone as well.

What do you know, I ended up hating it because the way the neck felt.

Just oddly clunky and straight out uncomfortable for me to play.

So after using it a couple of times occationally at a couple of rehearsals and gigs as well as recording the band I was in at the time being second demo tape, I went back to playing my old main, which I by the way still own, though it is not my main anymore, an Aria Pro II Laser Electric.

The Rick eventually got stolen, and I didn't miss it a bit, other then the money lost on a resale.

If I were you I would sell it back, but then again I am not you, and you might end up liking it.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SanDiegoHarry

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back