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NEW RICKENBACKER 4003 BASSES


geofio
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[quote name='geofio' timestamp='1342704358' post='1739613']
i played the rics through top of the line ampeg amp and 8x10 ampeg cabinet, a classic combination for the ric. i have tried adjusting individual poles on the pickups , it does not make any difference to the sound of the E string apart from making it a bit louder, the point is the E does not sound right !!! as i said there will be good ones out there thankfully, i am just concerned as a ric user, and i am more concerned for guys who are about to buy one and maybe who have never played a ric and think that the sound the new ones make is a normal rickenbacker sound, the whole experience is disappointing when you like a certain brand of bass.
[/quote]

I expected you'd likely have used a decent setup. :)

TBH, if that's the case it's sad to hear and I don't know what the answer is.

I understand your point about newbies; I always thought that about Warwicks, which in most shops are so horrendously set up (or not set up!) that it could put people off for life. I've had a few Warwicks so know how nice they can be, but that first impression needs to be a good one.

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4000, you are 100% correct, that is my main concern, if a ric virgin goes into a store and picks up one of these basses and thinks that is the norm for rickenbacker. if i were the store i would send the whole lot back!!! but i think they are counting on peoples ignorance, and the thoughts off its a rickenbacker it must be good.

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[quote name='Stag' timestamp='1342716902' post='1739942']
And yeah... Dont say it on RR lol... Seen you on there recently actually Spongebob!
[/quote]

Guilty! I do frequent the police state that is RR on a regular basis for my brain-washing!

Must have seen you over there as well?

Geofio is also there - like me, he uses the same name on both forums!

In fact, I posted my photo just below his playing the Ric the other day. :D

Edited by spongebob
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I'd been hankering after a Ric since the mid 80's. Last year I was fortunate enough to be in the financial position to realise my dream. Common sense told me to buy a second hand bass but pride forced me to buy a brand new Midnight Blue 4003. When it arrived, it didn't ooze quality. Some of the components, particularly the plastic pick-up cover were not what I expected on an £1800 bass. Worst of all, it didn't sound like a Ric to me. I changed the strings for a lighter gauge then tried a different brand, all to no avail. No matter what I did, I couldn't get it to sound like a Ric. I'd still like one but I'd have to try it before I laid out the cash.

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hi mojo , i can understand the let down that must have been, i did the same myself , i took a chance and purchased a new 2011 fireglo on line, and it was the same experience as yours, if you have had rics that sound like rics should , anything else after that is not acceptable. luckily i sold the fireglo on to someone who wanted that particular sound that that bass made , certainly was not the traditional piano wire sound i was used to, it was more like a dead thud!!!! the secret is get a used one in mint condition with the piano wire sound, they are out there i have found 2 of them just recently both jetglo one was a 1999 and the other a 2006. good luck. george

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  • 2 years later...

Hi guys just passing through and noticed this old thread. Anyone got any up to date info?
I'm a Rick player. I bought a new midnight blue one at the beginning of last year. I had the shop set it up for me. When I got there I was left alone in their sound room to noodle! Firstly the quality was good, early Ricks were no better, I played my 75 for years before I got a neck problem. Fixed now. The main thing I would say is how much louder the new one is. I've been using the new one since, with no adverse effects, other than my guitarists stack falling over and knocking it!
Hardly any shops have them in the UK at this time. As I'm looking for another. I use rotosound strings, either 40s or 45s as it had those on when I bought it. I have far better basses, but I'm back with my first love now.

Edited by ellie
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A really good new Rick with a great quality ckeck and sound was the 75th Anniversary.
I ordered and bought it in the States and it really shines.
For the rest.. It is a lottery with many many losers.
But when you find a winner...oh my God! ...the sound is nothing than superb.
I played fifty and I found five...keepers...forever ( blue boy included)
Best

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I have a late 80's jetglo. It's the best Ric I have ever played.
At the last Cardiff bass bash the guys who weren't that keen on Rics, played it and changed their minds.

However a couple of years ago I tried some out at PMT Bristol. If I closed my eyes I wouldn't believe I was playing a Ric they just felt wrong and didn't have the classic sound.
Every modern one I have tried has been slightly disappointing.

I guess this can happen with any brand though.

If you're going to spend a significant amount on any bass you just have to research and try a few before you buy. Not easy nowadays I know.

Edited by gelfin
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  • 4 months later...

You guys are scaring me! Ive just ordered a 2014 ruby 4003 after years of hankering after one and am now worried that its not going to be all I had hoped.
Ive played many different basses over the years but my 'go to' bass is an ibanez roadstar 2 which is a delight to play and very versatile.
Whenever I get a new (usually used) bass I find it takes a fair bit of tinkering before it is just how I like it and I guess the Ric will be the same...

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The good news is they have been turning out some nice Basses recently i purchased a new Ruby 2014 myself a couple of months back and it is a great playing/sounding bass zero issues so i think you should be ok. just be sure the E string is ringing like the rest of the strings that was the first thing i did when i went to buy mine no issues. Ruby is now my fav colour on the 4003 and hard to find in uk. enjoy.

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I've had 2 4003 lefthanders and both had the dead E string. The last one was a beautiful Mapleglo jobbie. I tried everything to make it work, truss rod adjustments, set ups, changed pickups, bought one of those fancy drop in bridges ( which had problems of its own!) to no avail. Gutted as I love Ricks and the sounds. Even my missus was sad to see it go! Of course these were bought online with no chance to play them as I live up in God's country and they were down south. Lesson learned eventually!

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[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1342656709' post='1738975']
Do what the famous Rick players all did and score a 70s Japanese copy.
[/quote]

NOW EDITED because I can't be arsed ;) :
Let's see:

Macca - real Ric
Chris Squire - real Rics (incl 21 fretter and 8 string)
Mike Rutherford - real Rics
Roger Glover - real Rics
Glenn Hughes - real Ric
Joey DeMaio - heavily modified but real Ric
Geddy Lee - real Rics
Martin Turner - real Ric
Lemmy - mostly real Rics (original 4000 with added T/Bird pickup & white black trim one etc etc, all Signature basses ; dubious are the 2nd one (maple fingerboard) and maybe a couple of others that he's used)
Paul Gray - real Rics
Foxton - first an Ibanez then real Rics which he's completely up front about
The Ox - real Rics
Roger Waters - real Ric
Chris Wolstenholme - real Ric
Mani - real Ric
Cliff Burton - modified but real Ric
Paul Wilson - real Ric
Jon Camp - real Ric
Rick James - real Ric
Bob Hardy - real Ric
Pete Trewavas - real Rics
Al Cisneros - real Ric
Paul D'Amour - real Ric
Mike Mesaros - real Ric
Andy Lewis - real Rics
Peter Hook - FAKE!!!!! (Hondo II) - I'll give you him. ;) And some points for Foxton and Lemmy.

...I won't go on.

Sorry, I don't like people making things up, so I thought I'd set the record straight.

Edited by 4000
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[quote name='BigGuyAtTheBack' timestamp='1422867653' post='2677592']
I've had 2 4003 lefthanders and both had the dead E string. The last one was a beautiful Mapleglo jobbie. I tried everything to make it work, truss rod adjustments, set ups, changed pickups, bought one of those fancy drop in bridges ( which had problems of its own!) to no avail. Gutted as I love Ricks and the sounds. Even my missus was sad to see it go! Of course these were bought online with no chance to play them as I live up in God's country and they were down south. Lesson learned eventually!
[/quote]
There's s thread on TB suggesting the dead E is a truss rid issue. Brave man who plays around with the rods in a Ric too much, but if you know what you're doing might be worth a go.

Re the thread topic, I love Rics, own two great examples, but even by Fender standards their QC is absolutely appalling, even instruments at trade shows have poorly aligned PUPs/strings/bridges, gaps under pickguards, poor finishes etc. Buying new and unseen is a huge risk. It's going to be interesting to see whether the 'new' 4003s series is a genuine attempt to lure back an increasingly disaffected and weary bass community , or just another run of poorly made reinventions of the same old model.

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Well, I buy ones from '72 or earlier...works for me. ;) Although I'll give you the rods and bridges can still be a pain. Still, most muscle cars won't go round corners. You can't always have everything. :lol:

I will say though that the 4004 I had was stunningly made, better than either of the Wals I owned and as good as some of my Seis.

Edited by 4000
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I know the sensible thing to do would be to trawl around the country trying various basses but 'the guvnor' didnt go mentally when I proposed the purchase so I had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak.
I have a bit of a collection (20 at the moment) and have picked up a couple of guitars off ebay with issues. Whilst most things are fixable I hoped a new Riccy would be issue free and since its by far the most expensive of my purchases I thought it would be less risky option.
Anyway its on its way now so I will let you know how it goes on its arrival. I am pretty flappin' excited! Fingers crossed.

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[quote name='4000' timestamp='1422908244' post='2678288']
I will say though that the 4004 I had was stunningly made, better than either of the Wals I owned and as good as some of my Seis.
[/quote]

That is in part the problem, Ric have a loyal, almost rabid, fan base for their traditional output, yet have experienced very little reward for their attempts at innovation and improved quality. I can't help thinking that RH's philosophy could best be summed up as 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Forumites around the world can rant all they want, but traditional Rics sell, they hold their value, and the brand maintains a semi-mystical and iconic foothold in music instrument culture that only Fender and Gibson can rival.

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[quote name='earhook' timestamp='1423002227' post='2679543']
I know the sensible thing to do would be to trawl around the country trying various basses but 'the guvnor' didnt go mentally when I proposed the purchase so I had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak.
I have a bit of a collection (20 at the moment) and have picked up a couple of guitars off ebay with issues. Whilst most things are fixable I hoped a new Riccy would be issue free and since its by far the most expensive of my purchases I thought it would be less risky option.
Anyway its on its way now so I will let you know how it goes on its arrival. I am pretty flappin' excited! Fingers crossed.
[/quote]

Keep us posted :)

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