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Rickenbacker 4003


Guest MoJo
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Loved them since I had a go of a friends early 70's 4001 back in 1988/89. I have had my '92 4003 13 years now and it's still my favourite bass. Neck profiles have changed back and forth with them,the neck on mine is great compared to my mates 2001 model. I would love to own either a 4001 V63 or a Jetglo 4001 in the future.

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Guest MoJo

[quote name='charic' post='1253925' date='Jun 2 2011, 01:23 PM']:) the ad at the moment below as I type is the retrovibe rv4. Try one of those instead?![/quote]

I have a friend who has an RV4 and he also used to own a Rick. He thinks the RV4 is great, but it's not a Rick

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Guest MoJo

[quote name='4000' post='1252933' date='Jun 1 2011, 05:32 PM']£2600? What year was it? That's proper vintage territory. Anything later than '72 and they're having a laugh.[/quote]

Not sure. I think it was a 4001c64 although I could have been mistaken. I wasn't paying a lot of attention as I said, I'm not keen on Fireglo (or burst finishes in general). My eyes were transfixed by the lovely Jetglo 4003

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I have just bought a 4001c64 and its great. Its my second real rick and a good faker some years ago. There is a huge difference between this one and my previous one which was a 4003 from the late 90s. It had a neck like a cricket bat.
I think there are two things with a bass and they are not necessarily related, how it sounds, and how it feels in your hands. It will take me a bit of time to get really used to playing with the horseshoe like hand rest which according to rick should not be removed, but the whole feel of the bass is different to its predecessor. I played another one before buying this one in Farnham and it didnt feel quite the same as this one.
Its pretty much horses for courses really, I am one of the apparent minority who like the old fashioned 1 3/4 neck on a precision, many dont. Would rather have a precision neck than a jazz.
Just what floats your boat.

BTW, I would also disagree about colour too, that fireglow finish is apsolutely stunning, I could look at that for hours.

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[quote name='bumnote' post='1254662' date='Jun 2 2011, 09:51 PM']It will take me a bit of time to get really used to playing with the horseshoe like hand rest which according to rick should not be removed, but the whole feel of the bass is different to its predecessor.[/quote]
In the original Ric bridge pickup the "horseshoe" was actually the magnet assembly and removing it would cause the pickup to stop working.

Is this still the case with the new Rics with this feature or is the horseshoe simply a cosmetic detail now?

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Guest MoJo

[quote name='bumnote' post='1254662' date='Jun 2 2011, 09:51 PM']Its pretty much horses for courses really, I am one of the apparent minority who like the old fashioned 1 3/4 neck on a precision, many dont. Would rather have a precision neck than a jazz.[/quote]

I have always convinced myself that a slimmer neck makes for a faster, more comfortable playing experience. The recent arrival of a G&L L2000 tribute changed all that. Measuring 43mm at the nut in stark contrast to 37mm on my Ibanez SRX650, it's chunky profile is so comfortable to play and the G&L is currently my weapon of choice. I'm going to revisit the 4003 this weekend with an open mind and see how we get along

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='1254770' date='Jun 2 2011, 10:55 PM']In the original Ric bridge pickup the "horseshoe" was actually the magnet assembly and removing it would cause the pickup to stop working.

Is this still the case with the new Rics with this feature or is the horseshoe simply a cosmetic detail now?[/quote]

As far as i understand it the pickup is different to the originals, and that the top 'covers' for want of a better word are chunky bits of metal that are connected to the pickup and provide some sort of magnetism. Ric say the covers can be removed carefully by a specialist, but it will alter the sound. My nose is twitching a bit cos it sounds like a bit of marketing bs, but its still a great bass.

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[quote name='bassman2790' post='1254831' date='Jun 2 2011, 11:34 PM']I have always convinced myself that a slimmer neck makes for a faster, more comfortable playing experience. The recent arrival of a G&L L2000 tribute changed all that. Measuring 43mm at the nut in stark contrast to 37mm on my Ibanez SRX650, it's chunky profile is so comfortable to play and the G&L is currently my weapon of choice. I'm going to revisit the 4003 this weekend with an open mind and see how we get along[/quote]

The g&l is an underated bass in my opinion. I liked my trib when I had it but I also used to have a very early one with the old headstock and front mounted controls, really great bass, although rather heavy. i think they were better than and had a bigger range of sounds than a stingray.

good luck in your revisit.

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[quote name='bumnote' post='1254854' date='Jun 2 2011, 11:56 PM']As far as i understand it the pickup is different to the originals, and that the top 'covers' for want of a better word are chunky bits of metal that are connected to the pickup and provide some sort of magnetism. Ric say the covers can be removed carefully by a specialist, but it will alter the sound. My nose is twitching a bit cos it sounds like a bit of marketing bs, but its still a great bass.[/quote]

You can remove them and most people can't tell the difference in tone. On my 4001CS I couldn't really tell the difference and I don't say that lightly! :) Although I've never done it to a C-Series (never owned one) and the pickup is slightly different on those, but I'm pretty sure there are some Rick Resource Forumites who have done it; I'd ask on there.

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='1254770' date='Jun 2 2011, 10:55 PM']In the original Ric bridge pickup the "horseshoe" was actually the magnet assembly and removing it would cause the pickup to stop working.

Is this still the case with the new Rics with this feature or is the horseshoe simply a cosmetic detail now?[/quote]

It isn't part of the pickup as such (no magnets) & doesn't affect the magnetic field in the same way as the original: it's essentially cosmetic. Ric says there is a slight effect but as I stated above I suspect it really is pretty slight if so; I'd be surprised your average punter would notice any difference, although I could be wrong.

When I got my first CS I'd read that they shouldn't be removed so never did; on my second I found out it didn't matter so tried it without for a while (soon put them back for cosmetic reasons). Having said that I'm quite happy having them (or the normal handrest) on; it's quite comfy for me because that's how I learned to play, on a Ric with a handrest.

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='1255722' date='Jun 3 2011, 05:25 PM']So at what point did the horseshoe cover stop being part of the pickup itself and was just a cover/handrest?[/quote]

On the standard 4001 / 4003 models, in 1969. I think other models have had a true horseshoe since though,

More details here if you scrool down to the pickups section:


[url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Fakericks.htm"]http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Fakericks.htm[/url]

Well worth reading that before you buy a Ric!

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The horseshoes on the reissues (V63, CS etc) aren't real horsies - i.e. the pickup does not work in the same way as an original horseshoe pickup - so the 'covers' can be removed with little (possibly no) noticeable difference. The covers on the 4001/4003 basses are purely covers and these days are actually plastic, so can be removed without problem (I think Joey's Bassnotes might even have a guide to doing this somewhere). Just make sure you put the earth wire back on one of the screws when you're reassembling.

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Anyone know for a good website that clearly details the various models and evolution of Ricky bass guitars ?

I'd love to own a Rickenbacker Bass and recently tried out a brand new mapleglo Rickenbacker 4001 C64 ? ? ? I thimk it was . . . . I liked it but decided to do a bit more research and maybe look out for something second hand and hopefully a bit cheaper ?

Troiuble was - I got completely confused by the different model numbers ie "C63's" . . "C64's" . . then I think there were some that were "V's" something or other ? . . . and all in all I didnt have a clue which were which, and what, if any, were the differences between these various models ? . . . .

So now I've sort of given up looking out for one mainly due to my confusion as to what is what ?

:) :) :lol:

Edited by Nostromo
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These are Mike Scott, from the Waterboys, 10 rules of how to be a ROCK 'N' ROLL STAR. Please pay close attention to rule number 2.

[font="Courier New"]I've been looking at the website of one of these rock schools where you take courses in how to be a performer. Maybe it works for some people but that kinda thing wouldn't have drawn me at the age 16. Rock + school just don't mix. So I think I'll start my own ALTERNATIVE ROCK'N'ROLL SKOOL. Courses to include:



1. How to dress like a proper f***ing rock'n'roll star (rule one: dress the same offstage as onstage. And I mean dress offstage like you would ON, not on like you would off)



[size=5]2. How to choose a musical instrument (it's the way it looks, stupid!)[/size]



3. How to write HOOKS. (If your songs ain't got 'em, get another job)



4. How to play your instrument not with your head or fingers BUT WITH YOUR LIFE



5. How to confound your audience's expectations



6. How to creatively joust with the mysterious race of beings known as ROCK JOURNALISTS



7. The lore and evolution of rock'n'roll (and how not to GO BACKWARDS. Rolling Stone magazine take note)



8. The occult science of the killer song intro



9. The occult science of the extended outro (rule one: earn it by preceding it with a disciplined and economic song arrangement)



10. How to get people to do things for you (eg take care of the money stuff) without surrendering your power or authority to them[/font]

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Guest MoJo

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' post='1256623' date='Jun 4 2011, 04:35 PM']Hurrah! Is it one of the recent ones with the wonderful neck? I see the pickup cover's come off in record time! Spill the beans!! :)[/quote]

I'd kind of made my mind up to take the plunge and ordered the pick up cover replacement plug in advance. The cover was getting right in the way of a comfortable playing position. It feels different to any bass I've ever owned, string spacing at the nut is slightly narrower than my G&L but from there upwards it remains quite a bit narrower and at the 12th fret is as narrow as my Ibanez. It'll take a bit of getting used to but that trademark tone will make the effort worthwhile

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