NBD - my first Rickenbacker

[itu]

The neck IS different. Everybody talks about double truss rods, but one thing is the string spacing from nut to bridge, loved it. The neck heel could have been rounded differently though.

[signals55]

Ordered a TRS cable now looking at getting a basic splitter box 

[Skybone]

Custardglo

[geofio]

  On 08/10/2023 at 18:15, itu said:

The neck IS different. Everybody talks about double truss rods, but one thing is the string spacing from nut to bridge, loved it. The neck heel could have been rounded differently though.

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The 2023 models are totally redesigned, one truss rod the neck profile is a very flat D it feels amazing, the best neck I have played on without a doubt , the one truss rod makes it easy to set up the bass in minutes, When I first started playing Rics back in 1978 the necks were baseball bats and I am not exaggerating, The new models are soooo much better I have had over 40 of them. 

[rwillett]

  On 09/10/2023 at 06:34, Skybone said:

Custardglo

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Wow. What a great colour. Never thought I’d say that about a yellow guitar. 
 

I suspect it’s great if you want to hide in the background playing at a custard factory.

 

love it. 

[signals55]

Concur the last Rick  I played was really thick on the neck 

The 2023 much better 

[Skybone]

It's certainly different!  

 

I do quite like it though.

[NikNik]

  On 09/10/2023 at 10:27, signals55 said:

Concur the last Rick  I played was really thick on the neck 

The 2023 much better 

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Most of the Rick basses I had had ok necks, my favour being a 'shouldered' 1973 4001 . I also had a V63 which was a dream to look at, and sounded amazing, but the neck was like a baseball bat so it got moved on.

[tvickey]

  On 09/10/2023 at 06:34, Skybone said:

Custardglo

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What year is this one?  That looks like the new bridge, and a still with a glossy fretboard?  

 

[Skybone]

Think that they were a special run for some US shop in 2022 apparently.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Skybone

[miles'tone]

  On 09/10/2023 at 07:54, geofio said:

The 2023 models are totally redesigned, one truss rod the neck profile is a very flat D it feels amazing, the best neck I have played on without a doubt , the one truss rod makes it easy to set up the bass in minutes, When I first started playing Rics back in 1978 the necks were baseball bats and I am not exaggerating, The new models are soooo much better I have had over 40 of them. 

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Strangely, the new 2023 4003 basses now have a single trussrod, whereas the 2023 4003s basses are advertised as having "an improved dual truss rod system".

 

Typo or just Rickenbacker being Rickenbacker? 🤷‍♂️

Edited October 10, 2023 by miles'tone

[diskwave]

Not for me but a guy I knew bk in the 70's used one though an old Marshall stack...massive sound...sounded like an orchestra, kinda boomy but clear to and in a three peice with a Tele it worked so well......Always impressed me.

[geofio]

  On 10/10/2023 at 09:17, miles'tone said:

Strangely, the new 2023 4003 basses now have a single trussrod, whereas the 2023 4003s basses are advertised as have "an updated dual truss rod system".

 

Typo or just Rickenbacker being Rickenbacker? 🤷‍♂️

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Defo one truss rod now. it works well. 

[miles'tone]

  On 10/10/2023 at 12:43, geofio said:

Defo one truss rod now. it works well. 

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Even on the 4003s, the one with dots and no binding? It would make sense to do both with the new upgrades...also their website if so 😄

[msb]

One of these days I’ll fire up a stereo rig.

[miles'tone]

  On 10/10/2023 at 09:17, miles'tone said:

Strangely, the new 2023 4003 basses now have a single trussrod, whereas the 2023 4003s basses are advertised as having "an improved dual truss rod system".

 

Typo or just Rickenbacker being Rickenbacker? 🤷‍♂️

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Same story on all the ones listed for sale through official dealers...

Bizarre. 

 

[neepheid]

  On 29/09/2023 at 09:55, Wolverinebass said:

When I got my 4003 it wasn't set up either. The relief was all wrong so that it had a choke on the 3rd fret. The intonation was a fair bit off too and the pickups were too high. Plus, the case was broken with one of the studs having been bashed through the abs. It was new. Guitar Guitar couldn't have been more helpful and exchanged the case in a day and I did the "lower than the 9th circle of hell" setup on it. Sounds amazing now.

 

I only got it for a laugh and now it's one of my favourite basses.

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You bought a Rickenbacker 4003 "for a laugh"?  Nice position to be in

 

[Wolverinebass]

@neepheid to be fair, at the time I had got a temporary promotion at work and had a significant pay rise. I had always fancied getting one so i just thought "why not?" If I don't like it I can send it back.

 

I don't do that job anymore (it made me truly miserable) so i quit and run my own studio (see @Erax Sound in the affiliates section - shameless plug alert!!), but it's a really good bass. Ironically, I've been recording with it this morning.

[neepheid]

  On 11/10/2023 at 11:49, Wolverinebass said:

@neepheid to be fair, at the time I had got a temporary promotion at work and had a significant pay rise. I had always fancied getting one so i just thought "why not?" If I don't like it I can send it back.

 

I don't do that job anymore (it made me truly miserable) so i quit and run my own studio (see @Erax Sound in the affiliates section - shameless plug alert!!), but it's a really good bass. Ironically, I've been recording with it this morning.

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Ach, you don't need to justify it, it's just not a phrase you hear every day and couldn't help myself commenting on it

[prowla]

  On 30/09/2023 at 17:24, meterman said:

So if that’s ‘Rick-O-Sound’, does that mean the Shaftesbury copies have ‘Shaft-O-Sound? And the Hondo copies have ‘Hond-O-Sound’?

 

Either way if had a spare three grand I wouldn’t say no to a Rickenbacker 3000 bass. They’re like the Rickenbacker bass equivalent of a Fender Telecaster or something. Quirky but I like them.

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The Japanese ones were labelled "Stereo-Sound"!

[prowla]

@tvickey Congrats - you now have the best bass money can buy!

 

(I have 8 - I'm a Ricaholic...)

[prowla]

  On 30/09/2023 at 22:02, chriswareham said:

I couldn't bring myself to part with the eight or ninety quid they want for one of those splitter boxes, so I built one for about ten quid in parts (aluminium pedal case and three decent quality jack sockets).

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My "Hack-O-Sound" box...

 

[6feet7]

I've just bought a beautiful red 4004 Laredo and converted it to a 5 stringer. It's so much lighter and more comfortable than the 4003 and just as cool looking

Edited October 11, 2023 by 6feet7

[prowla]

  On 11/10/2023 at 12:51, 6feet7 said:

I've just bought a beautiful red 4004 Laredo and converted it to a 5 stringer. It's so much lighter and more comfortable than the 4003 and just as cool looking

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I'm looking forward to having a go on that at the Bass Bash!

[tvickey]

  On 11/10/2023 at 12:38, prowla said:

 

 

(I have 8 - I'm a Ricaholic...)

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Oh wow, what finishes are the 8 that you have??  Photos?

 

I've definitely looked around for some others... sadly, my GAS acts up most when something is particularly rare and/or difficult to find (e.g., I'm sure I could do with a nice late 70's early 80's Burgundy-Glo 4001... or a Noir with an ebony fretboard).