Rickenbacker 4003 2012 model

[geofio]

Hi, As a long time 34 years Rickenbacker player i just had to review the latest offering from Rickenbacker. i have been using rics for a long time, i have owned some really good sounding instruments others not so good. Iwas diagnosed with a nerve condition in my neck and advised to give up playing bass. difficult to do when you enjoy playing the thing!!! I sold all my Rickenbacker,s off. but a few weeks after doing this i realised there is more to owning a ric, i found i could not be happy without one being in the house i had to have one, tried to kid myself that i could survive without one lol. I just could not, can,t explain it but i just had to have one. So i decided i was going for a brand new model 2012!!!, i initially was going to buy a midnight blue 4003 from a store in glasgow, i had the bass put aside for me, and as i am fussy as can be asked the poor guy in the shop to go over the bass and check it out for me before i ventured into the store. I was kind of shocked when he called me a few hours later to tell me he had found a flaw with the 4003, the chrome on the tailpiece had bubbled up and he sent me pics to show me the fault. me being me i could not accept that bass no matter how good it sounded!!! So what now?? they only had the one in stock. later that day the shop called me to say that the uk Rickenbacker rep was in scotland, he had a brand new mapleglo 4003 with him, it had just arrived from the states, would i be interested in that at the same price £1550. of course i was interested i was in the store next morning not only was it awesome looking it also sounded great too, i have to say out of all the Rickenbackers i have owned this one is really top notch. Fit and finish is 10/10 for me, i have been all over the bass looking for flaws, none found . the body is made from the finest maple, it is the first time i have owned a natural finish Rickenbacker, it is a pleasure to look at the beautiful grain on the body and neck, the caribbean rosewood fretboard is just stunning with the high gloss varnish on the fingerboard. hardware is spotless,also the feel of the neck is just right not to thick or thin, just right, the bass was actually very well set up out of the case, all i had to do was adjust the treble pickup pushed it a bit higher on the E side changed the strings to Rotosound swing 66 roundwounds and the bass was singing. I know there have been issues with Rickenbacker basses recently but if this one is anything to go by, i would not hesitate to buy a new one now, i can not recommend enough, just make sure you play the bass before you buy, i would not buy one blind from the internet.

Edited September 25, 2012 by geofio