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Rickenbacker 4003S Advice Please


Fingerslikesausages
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[quote name='stevebasshead' timestamp='1449678449' post='2925906']
Spend a couple of quid on a wrist sweatband and the problem with Ric binding hurting your wrists goes away :)
[/quote]

Yes, forgot to mention this is what I did. Pack of 3 from a local sports shop was about a fiver.
Only trouble is, sometimes you forget to pack one (and worse, leave it in your case after a sweaty gig! lol)

Also, as ezbass says; it'll be a voyage of discovery - whether you discover you love them to bits, or whether you decide they're not for you after all - you'll have still learned something. If you lived close to me, you'd be welcome to come along & try my faker. Maybe there's a kind Rick player near you, who would offer you a try of theirs?

Certainly Gelfin always takes his Rick along to the Cardiff bass bash - if you were anywhere nearby, whenever the next one is
PS. Gelfin challenges even Rick haters to play his, and tell him they still don't like Ricks - it's certainly a good 'un

Cheers again

Edited by Marc S
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I played a brand new one in PMT last year and really was amazed at how good it was, it was beautifully built, played like butter and had that Rick sound, had it not been in the walnut finish I would have brought it there and then. Give a new one a try and see what you think

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[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1449590376' post='2924939']
Now I have to say - It was and still is undoubtedly the best looking bass I've ever worn - and it sounded pretty good too - but it was SO uncomfortable to play when standing up I couldn't believe it - Gutted wasn't the word.

No arm chamfer = Pain when you're use to Basses that have them (they're there for a reason!). Also some songs were played with a pick and I kept catching my pick on the pickup surround which is MASSIVE and stands proud of the body.

With hindsight I could have probably persevered with it and maybe I could have found a way to adapt my playing style to suit the guitar, but at the time I really didn't think I should have to do that.

So to summarize form my experience - Find any one to start with and make sure you play it on a strap and whilst standing up - Then if you get on with them, I would go and try a few others to find the one that's suits you the best..HTH.
[/quote]

+1! I was flying to a gig in Edinburgh and a kind friend who lived that way said he'd loan me a P bass for the night. When he arrived, for some reason he had brought a Ric instead. I was excited and worried in equal measures. Excited because I'd always loved the idea of Rics, the look, the tone etc but had never tried one. Worried because I was sure after the gig I'd have a very expensive itch that would need scratching ;)

By the time I'd played a 45 minute set I had no interest in owning one any more. For whatever reason I found it so uncomfortable to play. I was changing strap height between every song, for some reason I was digging in more than normal and it gave me blisters but most annoyingly I found the pickup cover to be right in the sweet spot where I wanted to pluck.

Anyway, since then, Ive played another friends with the pup cover removed (whilst seated) and had no issue at all. Loved it! Morale of the story? make sure you try a Ricci before buying one! :-)

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[quote name='spiltmilk_2000' timestamp='1449787645' post='2926965']
+1! I was flying to a gig in Edinburgh and a kind friend who lived that way said he'd loan me a P bass for the night. When he arrived, for some reason he had brought a Ric instead.......

Anyway, since then, Ive played another friends with the pup cover removed (whilst seated) and had no issue at all. Loved it! Morale of the story? make sure you try a Ricci before buying one! :-)
[/quote]

Indeed, try before you buy - but a good point about the pickup cover / guard too
I'm not sure how keen a shop would be, in allowing you to remove one of these if you were just trying
So make sure you try one (or more) with the cover removed.
It's a valid point, cos my faker is more comfortable to play than my Rick
but I'm sure this is partly because I took the cover off that straight away

As said above, that cover seems to be right in the way of the sweet spot, where you want to play
But it also seems to make you move your right hand, which may even contribute to the "digging in" of those unchamfered edges....

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[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1449747845' post='2926421']
Pickguardian do them
[/quote]

Bizarrely enough, I've put the raised bridge pickup surround/ring on my 2 Fakers because I couldn't get on with the flat plate, and left the cover on as well.

Edited by Skybone
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  • 4 months later...

I have wanted a Ric for over 30 years, ended up with the usual Precision, not so unusual Aluminium neck Kramer, an Alembic and an early active Wal.

So having decided to sell the Alembic (so on that basis I had the money in theory right? ) I went to PMT in Cardiff to try a 4003S they had in stock. Looked beautiful on the wall and its still does. As other have commented the neck felt so weird, also close up the control had a sort of cheap look. Sound was great, esp the bridge pickup but after 15 mins of playing I was glad to give it back but sad that a little dream had died.

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Try the bass you are buying, not just any 4003s. Rickenbacker are similar to Fender in that their QC varies a LOT, much more than it should at the price point it is at. I too would choose an s over the standard for the body contouring, however I found the neck to be a bit fat and sticky when I tried one in GuitarGuitar last year.

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I've only played the 4001 model and I loved the sound and everyone said I look cool as f**k, but it felt strange playing strings that were almost parallel to eachother. I could've gotten used to it until I played an absolute monster of a Kubicki.

That said, I miss the 4001 more than the Kubicki...

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