Ric 4003 Blackstar, the search begins.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Marky L' post='281880' date='Sep 11 2008, 02:25 PM']Knowing not a lot about Rics, can I ask for a bit of advice on the 4001 and 4003 basses.
What is the major difference between them? Is the 4003 a better beast for the money?
I have heard horror stories of the 4001 neck doing a pretty good banana impersonation as the years go on, but did they they put twin truss rods into the 4001?
Do they sound comparable?[/quote]
I have one of each, [s]the only difference being one truss rod in my 4001 and two in my 4003[/s] each has two truss rods (despite my addled memory in the original version of this reply!).

No problems with neck on my 4001, its straight as a die, although there are some horror stories (a number of sources say the neck was not designed for higher tension roundwounds and the truss rod design was changed around 1981). The sound should be near-identical for any Rick 4001 (post mid-70s) or 4003 as the pickups have not changed since they stopped using "toaster" and "horse shoe" pickups in the early 1970s.

In some years, necks were a bit wider (my 4003 MG/BT has a slightly narrower and less chunky neck than my 4001) but essentially, bar the truss rod and some minor cosmetic differences (dark wood strip running through body in 4001s), they are identical to my mind.

Note: edited later after my brain cells were lined up properly, all three of them

Edited September 11, 2008 by Clarky

[Musky]

[quote name='Clarky' post='281908' date='Sep 11 2008, 03:07 PM']I have one of each, the only difference being one truss rod in my 4001 and two in my 4003. No problems with neck on my 4001, its straight as a die, although there are some horror stories (the neck was not designed for higher tension roundwounds). The sound should be near-identical for any Rick 4001 (post mid-70s) or 4003 as the pickups have not changed since they stopped using "toaster" and "horse shoe" pickups in the early 1970s. In some years, necks were a bit wider (my 4003 MG/BT has a slightly narrower and less chunky neck than my 4001) but essentially, bar the truss rod and some minor cosmetic differences (dark wood strip running through body in 4001s), they are identical to my mind.[/quote]

4001's always had twin truss rods as well. If you've got one with a single TR it might be worth taking a closer look at it, because that's not normal for a Rick.

When the 4003's were introduced they beefed up the neck a bit, particularly the volute at the top, and improved the TR design. Having said that the neck on my 83 4003 felt identical to the one on my 81 4001. The 4003s initially had the TR adjustment at the body end before returning to headstock adjustment.

[Marky L]

Thanks guys.

Yeah on digging around I found comments about the 4001 neck not being designed for roundwounds, which is what I use, but that loads of necks have no issue with the extra tension.

What is the neck profile like? I played a 4003 a few years ago (briefly) and found the neck, what I would call chunky.. more of a D section, like my Thunderbird. I must admit I prefer a nice thin neck, like a Jazz. But it's the sound I love! And the looks, that's what's driving me.


I'm guessing this guy has got his description wrong -
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-4001-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ110286348094QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110286348094&_trkparms=72%3A984%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-4001-ba...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]
In the text he gives a serial number that does check out as made in 1990 so surely that can't be a 4001?

Edited September 11, 2008 by Marky L

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Musky' post='281937' date='Sep 11 2008, 03:59 PM']4001's always had twin truss rods as well. If you've got one with a single TR it might be worth taking a closer look at it, because that's not normal for a Rick.[/quote]
However - it's perfectly normal for most Rick copies. Post a pic or two.

As I understand it, most screwed-up necks on 4001s are as a result of people trying to adjust the truss rods incorrectly - they don't work in the same way as a conventional rod. If you tighten the nuts to try and adjust the relief, it can cause the fretboard to separate from the neck, and all manner of other nastiness. The "proper" way of setting a 4001 neck is to manually flex the neck to the desired relief, and then adjust the nuts to hold it in place.

4003s - and Japanese copies - have conventional truss rods.

Loads of people have, and do use rounds on 4001s - in fact that's half of the sound. Probably lighter gauges are best, though.

Jon.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Bassassin

[bassmachine2112]

hi ,didn,t 4003,s have hot wound pick ups for a while before they reverted to vintage spec n put the push pull switch in to give the vintage bass low mid cut sound?.my 99 jetglo is very hot n is louder than my musicman by quite a bit.i can,t remember the years that they ran with the hot windings but there is a huge bottom end on it.
to do it on the cheap,get a fakiebacker as cheap as n get the electronics off a line 6 variaxe bass n a can of black gloss.sorted.
just as good as is to get a black scratchy n trc ,jetglo n go.once you get the sound dialed in with a bass driver you,ll forget what shape the neck is,pure ear candy.enjoy

[Clarky]

[quote name='Musky' post='281937' date='Sep 11 2008, 03:59 PM']4001's always had twin truss rods as well. If you've got one with a single TR it might be worth taking a closer look at it, because that's not normal for a Rick.[/quote]
You are absolutely right and my memory was playing tricks on me, just took TRC off my Rick 4001 and breathed a massive sigh of relief

[Marky L]

I guess this HAS to be a wrong 'un, but.. yeah I know, too good to be true .. how can I tell? What should I ask?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-JetGlo-4003-Bass-2005_W0QQitemZ170260581850QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170260581850&_trkparms=72%3A1090%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-JetGlo-...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]

[Clarky]

[quote name='Marky L' post='282181' date='Sep 11 2008, 09:45 PM']I guess this HAS to be a wrong 'un, but.. yeah I know, too good to be true .. how can I tell? What should I ask?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-JetGlo-4003-Bass-2005_W0QQitemZ170260581850QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170260581850&_trkparms=72%3A1090%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-JetGlo-...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url][/quote]
The post from the US SHOULD cost about US$120 so why only US$19.50. What is serial number? Any dings, electrical issues (photos not the best)? I would definitely ask for more photos.

Also don't forget you stung for US customs tax (>15%) on declared cost plus shipping, so another £100 roughly on top.

Looks risky to me but you never know

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Marky L' post='282181' date='Sep 11 2008, 09:45 PM']I guess this HAS to be a wrong 'un, but.. yeah I know, too good to be true ..[/quote]
Well, the pics aren't giving much away, but at first glance I'd say that's genuine. Most copies have normal, dark rosewood boards, not the light, orangey wood used here. The inlays look genuine, Rick inlays are poured pearly resin, not the cut-out pearloid material used on copies. The pickup positioning & type also looks genuine - copies usually have the smaller 1/2" gap between the end of the fretboard & the neck pup, and the bridge pup looks like it has a rounded bobbin, not the more squared-off type on copies.

Broadly speaking copies are pretty easy to spot, even the best ones - because they were never meant to be counterfeits, many of the details weren't copied too closely.

That postage is odd, though - maybe just a mistake?

J.

[Marky L]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='282279' date='Sep 12 2008, 01:09 AM']Well, the pics aren't giving much away, but at first glance I'd say that's genuine. Most copies have normal, dark rosewood boards, not the light, orangey wood used here. The inlays look genuine, Rick inlays are poured pearly resin, not the cut-out pearloid material used on copies. The pickup positioning & type also looks genuine - copies usually have the smaller 1/2" gap between the end of the fretboard & the neck pup, and the bridge pup looks like it has a rounded bobbin, not the more squared-off type on copies.

Broadly speaking copies are pretty easy to spot, even the best ones - because they were never meant to be counterfeits, many of the details weren't copied too closely.

That postage is odd, though - maybe just a mistake?

J.[/quote]

Ah yeah.. too good to be true indeed. I emailed the seller asking a few questions and got a reply -

"No this seller broke into my account! Ebay removed the listing so please be careful!! Thank you!!

So strike that one from the list. Bum