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[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1449055496' post='2920345']whats the main differences between a 4001 and a 4003?[/quote]

Mostly the redesigned truss rods. The old system was really designed for use with low-tension flatwound strings, bassists exploiting the 4001's naturally aggressive tone started using high-tension rounds, necks started bowing, people started adjusting the rubbish old rods like they were normal ones - and fretboards started popping off! Rick probably started using modern adhesives for construction around this time as well... :rolleyes:

There are a few other differences - 4003s have a 2-piece neck without the skunk stripe, early ones had heel-end truss adjusters & a 2-part scratchplate for access, and the vintage sound push/pull Chris Wareham mentions is a recent addition.

J.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Don't think this one's been posted yet, check it out before it gets dropped! ;)

[url="https://www.facebook.com/bassplayersunited/photos/a.103359063082133.6994.103346473083392/950326021718762/?type=3&theater"]https://www.facebook...?type=3[/url]

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[quote name='tony_m' timestamp='1449936476' post='2928177']
Don't think this one's been posted yet, check it out before it gets dropped! ;)

[url="https://www.facebook.com/bassplayersunited/photos/a.103359063082133.6994.103346473083392/950326021718762/?type=3&theater"]https://www.facebook...?type=3[/url]
[/quote]

:) Lol

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I've always really fancied a 4001 or 4003 - I love the look and the sound. However having owned (and subsequently sold) a 360 back in my 6 string strumming days I wasn't knocked out by either the build quality or the fit and finish. Don't get me wrong, on a sub £1000 instrument I would've been impressed but not on a guitar approaching two grand. Anyway, back to basses and despite my previous experience I still really want a Ricky bass.

The other night there was a rock covers band paying in town. The bass player had a gorgeous 4003 in Mapleglo which looked stunning and sounded great. At the break I went over to say hi and to say how much I liked his Ricky; he smirked and said it was a fake. I'm no Ricky expert and he pointed out a few aspects of the instrument that demonstrated its fakeness, but to all intents and purposes this was an incredible, authentic looking and sounding copy. He paid around £300 via PayPal from a Chinese website and it arrived a few weeks later, no problems.

Anyway, I'm tempted. I can't justify paying £1700 on a new, real 4003 and whilst I understand and appreciate the ethics of buying what amounts to a counterfeit (and incurring the wrath of Mr Hall and Company) I'm considering doing some research and maybe taking a punt.

Edited by PaulGibsonBass
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[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1450916447' post='2937097']
I've always really fancied a 4001 or 4003 - I love the look and the sound.
[/quote]

As kodiakblair suggests, check out the Rickenfakers group on Facebook. I'd suggest going for an old Japanese faker, as they tend to be closer to a real Rick in terms of sound and look than a modern Chinese faker. The build quality on many of the old Japanese fakers put modern Ricks to shame as well.

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Afraid I don't know any thing about Martch but first impression was It's Ali Express only written in Polish.
Fodera look-a-likes,Wooten Ying/Yang a-likes,the Lemmy Ric a-like are all too familiar.
Nothing to stop them getting them built in China with their logo and if the builders hear about and serve a C&D just shut up shop.

I may well be wrong,just my opinion from following your link. We've a fair few Polish members on BC so ask in the general discussion section.
Might be an idea just to link the home page in case it's viewed as advertising.

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There are usually a few decent Fakers for sale kicking about on the RickenFakers FB page, it's also a good resource for learning about various Fakers.

Yes, my Fakers have 2 extra frets & half an inch longer necks, but they are still through necks and sound great to my ears. Oh, and cost me a damn sight less than a current version (though they did cost ever so slightly more than my last Ric).

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  • 3 weeks later...

Bit of an update, as there's not been much going on in this thread recently...

Courtesy of the RikenFakers FB Group, I have managed to purchase a new scratchplate & TRC for each of my Rockinbetter's.

No.1 has the mirror finish "RickenFacker" TRC & scratchplate, and No.2 has the blank mirror TRC & 'plate. Both were made & sent out within days of ordering.

They look great IMO.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the info.

My post above is the headstock of my lefty AliExpress 4005 interpretation.

Picture straight after unboxing.


And a picture in almost full modified glory, only thing still missing was the new trussrod cover.

It needed some attention in several spots before I was really happy with it. Most of of what I had to do was fixing 'just off' things.
- Center aligned the pickups to the strings, the bridge pu was moved over by 3 millimeters, the neck pu by 1 millimeter.
- Due to the moving of the pickups I also had to move the pickguard.
- Reshaped the nut, they just put on a right handed one so this needed to be seriously modified, I'll probably make a new one in the future.
- Gave the tuner bushings a few knocks on their head, they were mounted crooked, tuners are also not up to my standard so will be replaced later on.
- The fingerboard had several less good looking and finished spots, re-finished these.
- Crowned the frets where needed and polished them, they were level but rough finished in a lot of spots.
- Changed the rotation direction of the pots, they were wired lefty so nothing wrong there, I just can't and won't cope with this reversed crap!
- Done a full shielding of the controls cavity, there was none whatsoever.
- Made a thumb rest.
- Replaced the strap holders, what was on there was mounted with very thin and short screws, to leave those would have been waiting for an accident to happen.
- Checked if all the screws and bolts were tightened and if they weren't tightened them (more often than not they were loose!).
- Did a full and thorough setup.

Conclusion:
After all the things I did I mentioned above this bass has transformed into a very nice, good working and playing Rick 4005 interpretation.
Sound wise it has some settings that can resemble the Rick sound very closely, luckily it also has it's own sound, the pickups sound good enough for me, only minus is that the bridge pickup is slightly microphonic but I can live with that.
The lacquer and finish is not bad - there are some blemishes and rough spots, most blemishes are underneath the lacquer!

This is another AliExpress bass I would advise not to buy to most people. If you are into tinkering it can be turned into something very good, if you are not you should stay away from these basses.

The build quality on this one was a lot better in comparison to the two lefty Jazz V basses I bought through AliExpress before. These two needed some serious work to make them playable, straight from the box they were unusable.

A better view of the new pickup alignment.


Detail shot of the thumb rest.

Edited by blablas
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Nice job - bit of application and you get a result. :)

The thumb rest will get a lot more tones out of it - I did it on one of
my old 70's Ibanez Artists - same deal - pick-ups in two extreme positions
and you want to put your thumb in the middle.
I was inspired by the Magnum bass, which has the same feature.
No you can put your thumb just where you like!

Result.

:)

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You can never be sure, the best you can do is check the seller's feedback and hope for the best.

I've never heard or read of an AliExpress faker that was perfect straight from the box, they always seem to have smaller or bigger issues. And to be honest, what can you expect for the price you pay over there! If something costs a fraction of the price of the real deal they must have cut corners somewhere.

Edited by blablas
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[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1454957358' post='2974627']
Thanks for the info.

My post above is the headstock of my lefty AliExpress 4005 interpretation.

Picture straight after unboxing.


And a picture in almost full modified glory, only thing still missing was the new trussrod cover.

It needed some attention in several spots before I was really happy with it. Most of of what I had to do was fixing 'just off' things.
- Center aligned the pickups to the strings, the bridge pu was moved over by 3 millimeters, the neck pu by 1 millimeter.
- Due to the moving of the pickups I also had to move the pickguard.
- Reshaped the nut, they just put on a right handed one so this needed to be seriously modified, I'll probably make a new one in the future.
- Gave the tuner bushings a few knocks on their head, they were mounted crooked, tuners are also not up to my standard so will be replaced later on.
- The fingerboard had several less good looking and finished spots, re-finished these.
- Crowned the frets where needed and polished them, they were level but rough finished in a lot of spots.
- Changed the rotation direction of the pots, they were wired lefty so nothing wrong there, I just can't and won't cope with this reversed crap!
- Done a full shielding of the controls cavity, there was none whatsoever.
- Made a thumb rest.
- Replaced the strap holders, what was on there was mounted with very thin and short screws, to leave those would have been waiting for an accident to happen.
- Checked if all the screws and bolts were tightened and if they weren't tightened them (more often than not they were loose!).
- Did a full and thorough setup.

Conclusion:
After all the things I did I mentioned above this bass has transformed into a very nice, good working and playing Rick 4005 interpretation.
Sound wise it has some settings that can resemble the Rick sound very closely, luckily it also has it's own sound, the pickups sound good enough for me, only minus is that the bridge pickup is slightly microphonic but I can live with that.
The lacquer and finish is not bad - there are some blemishes and rough spots, most blemishes are underneath the lacquer!

This is another AliExpress bass I would advise not to buy to most people. If you are into tinkering it can be turned into something very good, if you are not you should stay away from these basses.

The build quality on this one was a lot better in comparison to the two lefty Jazz V basses I bought through AliExpress before. These two needed some serious work to make them playable, straight from the box they were unusable.

A better view of the new pickup alignment.


Detail shot of the thumb rest.

[/quote]


Lovely bass :gas:

That thumb rest is a piece of jean yus, thank you for that. Hope you won't mind me sharing it elsewhere :)
I have an incoming faker an that might just find it's way, cheers :i-m_so_happy:

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