BrunoBass Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) Having first seen one on the back of my mum and dad’s Gallagher and Lyle album when I was a kid and hankering after one ever since, I finally thought ‘bugger it’ and bought a Rickenbacker 4003 in Jetglo. I’m very pleased, so far. It’s a used model, which came up on Richtone’s website at a very good price. I shot straight up to Sheffield and nabbed it. They’d advertised it as a 1993 model but subsequent investigation of the serial number reveals it’s actually a 2005 model, but no matter. It’s in decent condition; it has mild wear and a few battle scars, but I’m quite happy about this as I intend to gig it hard and wouldn’t want to be too precious about it. It came wearing flatwounds which I changed to my favoured Super Slinky’s. The previous owner had the good sense to replace the pickup cover with one of those bezels with the thumb indent, which as a fingerstyle player suits me fine. I find myself using the back pickup only with the band, and with touch of overdrive I have the rock tone I’ve craved for years. Having played mainly Jazz basses for years the neck is the biggest difference to get used to; it’s pretty hefty, but I’m accustoming to it. Looking forward to giving it it’s gig debut tonight. Edited June 8, 2019 by BrunoBass 7 Quote
Ricky 4000 Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 Wow, lovely, and it looks very clean! Please remind me - What's the diff' between 4003 - 4004? 1 Quote
BrunoBass Posted June 8, 2019 Author Posted June 8, 2019 The 4004 has no scratch plate and just single master tone and master volume controls. 1 Quote
Ricky 4000 Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, BrunoBass said: The 4004 has no scratch plate and just single master tone and master volume controls. With the two mini-humbuckers and badass style bridge? Like the Laredo? In which case there's a typo in the text on your post #1. 👍 Quote
BrunoBass Posted June 8, 2019 Author Posted June 8, 2019 7 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said: With the two mini-humbuckers and badass style bridge? Like the Laredo? In which case there's a typo in the text on your post #1. 👍 Well spotted! It’s all the excitement of getting my hands on a Rick... 😉 Amended 👍🏻 Quote
Ricky 4000 Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, BrunoBass said: Well spotted! It’s all the excitement of getting my hands on a Rick... 😉 Amended 👍🏻 Ah, nice one. I wasn't being pedantic, just a bit wooly today, and I couldn't remember if they did a 'classic model' 4004 with detail changes... (I can never remember the differences between 4001 - 4003 without looking it up). 🤒 I know what you mean about the necks, it must feel very different to what you're used to. I'm doing the opposite from you (years with a Ric' - but lately I've been playing a J neck). Going back and forth to the Ric', it feels impossibly chunky for the first 8 frets! But I get used to it again after about 15 minutes. 👍 Edited June 8, 2019 by Ricky 4000 Quote
Jus Lukin Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) - Edited March 3, 2022 by Jus Lukin 1 Quote
Skinnyman Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 Looks nice. I do like a nice jetglo. Enjoy it - they do cut through the mix well 😀 Quote
prowla Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 Welcome to the club! A few notes for you: The mono jack socket is the one nearest the strap button and if you plug a mono jack into the ""Rick-O-Sound" one you'll only get the treble pickup. I'm not sure if your one has it, but on current 4003 models the Treble Tone knob is also a push/pull switch, which allows you to switch in the "Vintage" style treble capacitor. The strap buttons are Schaller Straplocks. Don't put too heavy gauge strings on a Ric; I use Swing Bass 40-60-80-100 on mine. Enjoy the Ric! (BTW, the Laredo is a 4004!) 2 Quote
Ricky 4000 Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, prowla said: Welcome to the club! [...] (BTW, the Laredo is a 4004!) Yeah, I should have known that ... I have a hang-under. 🤒 Still, Jetglo it is! Yeah! 😀 Quote
prowla Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 19 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said: Yeah, I should have known that ... I have a hang-under. 🤒 Still, Jetglo it is! Yeah! 😀 Hehe... 🙂 How does the SD sound in a non drop-edged pickup surround? I had one in my 4001, but have now shifted it to a 4003 which is pending completion. Quote
jezzaboy Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 For various reasons I will never own a Ric but that looks stunning! Quote
prowla Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 1 hour ago, Jus Lukin said: What's the thinking behind that? I have Rotobass 45-105s on... There’s this thing called tail-lift, which can be attributed to string tension. The other Achilles heel of the Ric ain’t such an issue with the 4003, where the neck-body join is weak. Quote
Grahambythesea Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 I’ve read that they’re heavy, what do you think? 1 Quote
Ricky 4000 Posted June 8, 2019 Posted June 8, 2019 3 hours ago, prowla said: Hehe... 🙂 How does the SD sound in a non drop-edged pickup surround? I had one in my 4001, but have now shifted it to a 4003 which is pending completion. Aw mate, it sounds woody and dead! (and its very tricky to get the PUP height just right for fairly even output across the 4 strings). That's probably mainly due to the ancient set of flats I have on there - and that's only because the frets are nearly worn out from years of using rounds... the SD used to sound OK... It needs a good overhaul really (frets, maybe a genuine PUP, and I've lost the original PUP cover... and the Grovers on there aren't the right ones either). Or, I buy a bunch of Retrovibe bits to go on there from Fleabay! 😃 (btw, what's the Bartolini 6RC PUP like? Or is it better to stick to SD or OEM? 🙂) (Sorry for the thread sidetrack - OP). Quote
BrunoBass Posted June 9, 2019 Author Posted June 9, 2019 Just back from tonight’s gig. First impressions: Chunky neck didn’t cause a problem, midrange cut through the mix well, not as much bottom end as I’d hoped - I need to work on the eq, fairly comfortable to play for a two and a half hour set. It’s clear I need to approach how I play the bass in a gig environment differently with the Rick, especially having gigged Jazzes for the last five years but I’m going to stick with it. I wouldn’t say I’m smitten quite yet but I think I may well end up that way! Thanks for all the comments. 1 Quote
prowla Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 10 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said: Aw mate, it sounds woody and dead! (and its very tricky to get the PUP height just right for fairly even output across the 4 strings). That's probably mainly due to the ancient set of flats I have on there - and that's only because the frets are nearly worn out from years of using rounds... the SD used to sound OK... It needs a good overhaul really (frets, maybe a genuine PUP, and I've lost the original PUP cover... and the Grovers on there aren't the right ones either). Or, I buy a bunch of Retrovibe bits to go on there from Fleabay! 😃 (btw, what's the Bartolini 6RC PUP like? Or is it better to stick to SD or OEM? 🙂) (Sorry for the thread sidetrack - OP). Oh man - those machines are horrible! The middle one in this pic has Hipshots, which are really good! It's got a pair of SDs, but I haven't yet wired it up; I previously had the SD on another Ric, which I did to combat the stock one picking up interference. 1 Quote
prowla Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 7 hours ago, Jus Lukin said: Ah, right! There could be a tiny fraction of lift on the E side, but seems pretty stable. I'll keep an eye on it over time. There's always a tiny bit. Incidentally, if you are tempted to tighten the screws, don't over-tighten the 3 under the bridge piece, as you are pulling the centre of the assemble into the well and can make it worse... Quote
prowla Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 7 hours ago, BrunoBass said: Just back from tonight’s gig. First impressions: Chunky neck didn’t cause a problem, midrange cut through the mix well, not as much bottom end as I’d hoped - I need to work on the eq, fairly comfortable to play for a two and a half hour set. It’s clear I need to approach how I play the bass in a gig environment differently with the Rick, especially having gigged Jazzes for the last five years but I’m going to stick with it. I wouldn’t say I’m smitten quite yet but I think I may well end up that way! Thanks for all the comments. Yes, each bass needs the EQ tweaking. The 4000 doesn't have the bass-cut cap on the treble pickup circuit, so it should be quite full sounding. (Of course, it also doesn't have the bass/neck pickup either...) If you listen to Bachman Turner Overdrive's Not Fragile, that was a 4000; there's plenty of bass there to be had... Quote
spongebob Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 Don't think the OP will have the vintage tone circuit on a 2005 - that was introduced a year or two later IIRC. Quote
prowla Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 2 hours ago, spongebob said: Don't think the OP will have the vintage tone circuit on a 2005 - that was introduced a year or two later IIRC. I don't think they did it on the 4000. 🙂 Quote
visog Posted June 9, 2019 Posted June 9, 2019 Very envious of all you Ric owners... the OP's new bass looks Geddylicious... Quote
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