Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted December 16 Share Posted December 16 (edited) My 2024 Jetglo Ric 4003 has arrived. This was secondhand from (Gasp) Cash Converters. I particularly wanted a 2024 (or 2023?) model for the usable bridge and single truss rod, so when this one appeared at a decent saving over a new one I jumped on it immediately. On inspection it is in near mint condition, the only mark I can find on it is a tiny chip at the tip the headstock. After unboxing, I tested it and initially thought there was an intermittent problem with the bridge pickup as when switching to it the sound was cutting out, however I then found that this only happens when using my ridiculously heavy Fender curly cable with woven covering. It seems the weight of the cable was pulling the plug and doing something to the weird mono switching jack used for the 'normal' output. Once I swapped the cable out for a more normal cable the signal was rock solid. I don't have the correct cable etc to try the rick-o-sound output yet, but I'll be placing a thomann order soon which will include the necessary bits & bobs amongst other things. Over the last few weeks since deciding to buy a 4003 I have accumulated various things to slightly customise it: 'Traditional' Rickenbacker knobs with bass/treble & volume/tone text to replace the jazz bass style knobs Rickysounds clear thumbrest Rickysounds black pickguard (bought when I thought I was going to acquire a Mapleglo 4003) A set of Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds 40-60-10-95 (I use these on my Gibson & Epiphone thunderbirds & think they should suit the 4003) A set of Schaller Chrome S-Locks — The 4003 is fitted with strap buttons compatible with S-locks but due to their small size I wouldn't trust them with my usual rubbery grolsch washers. It is not practical to replace the stock strap buttons as they use a machine screw fixing rather than a wood screw. I nicked the black suede strap from one of my guitars and fitted the S-locks. I'm not sure whether I will use the black pickguard but I will put the cobalt flats, knobs and thumbrest on soon. I will probably shield the bass with anti slug tape at some point, however I saw a Youtube video of someone who did this including putting copper tape on the back of the white acrylic pickguard and I'm sure it had a bit of a copper-coloured tinge after he refitted it. Maybe I'll try Aluminium tape on the pickguard or rather than sticking the tape directly to the guard, or make a slightly undersized plate from thin opaque black plastic card stock to go under the pickguard and shield the underside of that to prevent the copper showing through. Edited Thursday at 20:09 by Jean-Luc Pickguard 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted December 16 Share Posted December 16 Very nice 👍🏻 One of these is definitely on my 2025 GAS list! Wish I never sold mine a few years ago, big mistake that I still regret. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted Monday at 23:08 Share Posted Monday at 23:08 That is one beautiful bass, congrats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Tuesday at 00:22 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 00:22 I believe it came with the stock rickenbacker nickel roundwounds fitted but I'll probably put my cobalt flats on tomorrow. The current strings are fairly dead and there was no relief on the neck so there was a little buzzing. I found a tool that looked similar to a gibson multitool in the case, but contained only a full set of metric allen keys. I'm not sure whether this would have come with the bass originally. I tried to find info on the spec of the single dual-action truss rod so I could use the correct size allen/hex wrench, however I couldn't find the answer anywhere I searched so I gave up and instead tried various ones from my set-up tools bag. I was expecting an imperial sized one to fit, but rather it was the 4mm one I have for using on squiers. The truss rod works exactly like any other dual action truss rod and it was easy to add a small amount of relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted Tuesday at 07:33 Share Posted Tuesday at 07:33 Fabulous acquisition, enjoy! 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted Tuesday at 07:59 Share Posted Tuesday at 07:59 Congrats! Although I’m using a Jazz Bass more of late, I still love my jetglo 4003 purchased from this very parish and occasionally take it out for a damn good thrashing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted Tuesday at 11:18 Share Posted Tuesday at 11:18 Absolutely gorgeous 😍 Hope you're enjoying it! If you're tinkering with bits from RickySounds, I'm going to throw another suggestion your way...... I'm a big fan of the chrome pickup cover, but recently started to find it getting in my way. Chuck on a chrome bezel and you get the best of both worlds...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted Tuesday at 11:20 Share Posted Tuesday at 11:20 Great find. Well done! The more recent 4003’s with the new bridge/tail-piece and single truss rod seem like a sensible evolution (about time!) whilst keeping with the classic look. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Tuesday at 15:17 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 15:17 (edited) Just adjusted both. Once I had identified the tools needed for each it was as easy as adjusting any other bass or guitar. I have fitted the thumbrest and knobs. I've not taken the foil sticker off yet — perhaps I will soon; if it comes off in one piece I'll probably resite it on the back of the headstock. The bass has also had its first string change. The light cobalt flats sound perfect for this bass and I'm sure they will feel great once they've lost the initial grabbyness you get with cobalts. I've done a basic setup. It was easy to set the intonation, string height and relief perfectly for the cobalts. I like the tuxedo look, so I won't be putting the black pickguard on it — at least not for a while. One minor issue that foxed me for a little while was that when I removed the original strings the little roller saddles rolled sideways but when I tried to roll them back a couple of them wouldn't move. I took a bit of the neoprene foam that's used in EMG pickup packaging and used that instead of my fingertip to roll the saddle. Edited Tuesday at 16:05 by Jean-Luc Pickguard 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted Tuesday at 17:32 Share Posted Tuesday at 17:32 The bridge pickup bezel is a good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Tuesday at 17:55 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 17:55 I quite like the pickup cover as I tend to play forward of the treble pickup, but if I change my mind I'd probably look into getting a rickysounds bezel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Tuesday at 19:27 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 19:27 I found some info which seems relevant to the issue I had with the bridge pickup cutting out when I used my super-heavy braided curly cable in the mono output. https://www.talkbass.com/threads/rickenbacker-4003-treble-pickup-cutting-out.1176288/ Looks like its a fairly commom issue with a simple fix. I just need to unscrew and pull out the socket so I can clean and bend the switching bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Wednesday at 17:58 Author Share Posted Wednesday at 17:58 After reading the link I posted above I pulled the mono socket out which required removing it from the plate, then rotated it through 180º and reassembled it. The mono output is now working as it should with no cutting out — even with my superheavy tweed covered Fender curly cable. There's a remote possibility that the rick-o-sound output might have an issue due to the switch on the the mono socket, so I need to test this. My Thomann order looks like it'll take a while to arrive, so I have ordered this cable from amazon (for delivery tomorrow) which should allow me to record the bass on two channels (i.e. each pickup on its own channel) into logic through my focusrite scarlett 2i2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted Wednesday at 18:39 Share Posted Wednesday at 18:39 (edited) 5 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: After reading the link I posted above I pulled the mono socket out which required removing it from the plate, then rotated it through 180º and reassembled it. The mono output is now working as it should with no cutting out — even with my superheavy tweed covered Fender curly cable. There's a remote possibility that the rick-o-sound output might have an issue due to the switch on the the mono socket, so I need to test this. My Thomann order looks like it'll take a while to arrive, so I have ordered this cable from amazon (for delivery tomorrow) which should allow me to record the bass on two channels (i.e. each pickup on its own channel) into logic through my focusrite scarlett 2i2. FYI #1, this is a splitter box to do the Rick-O-Sound thing. FYI #2 - you can test the Rick-O-Sound socket with a mono lead: push it in all the way and you should get the Treble pickup; pull it out partly and you should get the Bass one. Edited Wednesday at 23:52 by prowla 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Wednesday at 19:12 Author Share Posted Wednesday at 19:12 I was going to build my own rick-o-sound box like the one in your pic, but the old blood noise endeavors split meld HK in my Thomann order will do the same job. It is only £22 and lot neater (and considerably less hassle) than anything I could build. 25 minutes ago, prowla said: FYI #2 - you can test the Rock-O-Sound socket with a mono lead: push it in all the way and you should get the Treble pickup; pull it out partyl and you should get the Bass one. That's good to know — Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Thursday at 00:50 Author Share Posted Thursday at 00:50 (edited) I've been testing the rick-o-sound output using prowla's handy tip. Reading this post back I realise is sounds like incoherent rambling, but its written as a brainbump to help me remember what I've tried and what works wnen. Unfortunately the treble pickup (ie with mono jack all the way in) gives no output, but the bass pickup (halfway in) works. The issue is to do with the switching doo-dah on the mono jack for the standard output. When that jack is pulled out of the bass everything works perfectly. It appears that the switching doo-dah is supposed to be closed when the jack is inserted into the standard output and open when no jack is inserted, however there is so little room in the channel where the socket sits, the switch gets pushed closed permanently due to pressure against the wood when everything is seated and screwed up tight. When the treble pickup was cutting out in standard mode, the switch was oriented towards the back straplock presumably due to the jack momentarily not applying enough pressure to keep the switch closed. With the switching doo-dah oriented towards the rick-o-sound output, everything works in standard mode but there's no treble pickup signal in rick-o-sound mode. This is the cause of the trouble - The socket is pretty much identical to a standard switchcraft mono socket, but with the addition of a switch which closes when the plug is inserted. Note the nylon standoff at the tip of the inside part of the switch. This ensures the switch does not make electrical contact with any part of the plug — it is part of a separate circuit with its own terminals. In an ideal world the switch will be closed in standard mode and open in rick-o-sound mode. The problem is that with everything is screwed up tight, the outside part of the switch is tight against the wood and makes contact with the inside part closing the switch. This is not a problem in standard mode as we want the switch to be closed, but it effs up rick-o-sound mode as having the switch closed prevents the treble pickup from being output. Tomorrow's another day. I will experiment with other angles of rotation of the 'standard output' socket in the hope that there is a sweet-spot where everything magically works. Otherwise the last resort might be to take a file to the channel to give the socket some extra room. But I really don't want to do that. Edited Thursday at 07:25 by Jean-Luc Pickguard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Thursday at 01:45 Author Share Posted Thursday at 01:45 I gave it one last try before turning in for bed... What has two thumbs and now has both outputs on a 4003 working as they should? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted Thursday at 07:16 Share Posted Thursday at 07:16 12 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: but the old blood noise endeavors split meld HK in my Thomann order will do the same job. It is only £22 and lot neater (and considerably less hassle) Is there a typo here? What are you using as a Rick o Sound box for £22? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Thursday at 07:39 Author Share Posted Thursday at 07:39 No typo. I’ve ordered the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Split Meld HK and a TRS Audio Cable The split meld is £22 and has three jack sockets: one TRS and two TS wired, to split a stereo TRS signal path into dual-mono TS signal paths. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted Thursday at 08:45 Share Posted Thursday at 08:45 7 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: I've been testing the rick-o-sound output using prowla's handy tip. Reading this post back I realise is sounds like incoherent rambling, but its written as a brainbump to help me remember what I've tried and what works wnen. Unfortunately the treble pickup (ie with mono jack all the way in) gives no output, but the bass pickup (halfway in) works. The issue is to do with the switching doo-dah on the mono jack for the standard output. When that jack is pulled out of the bass everything works perfectly. It appears that the switching doo-dah is supposed to be closed when the jack is inserted into the standard output and open when no jack is inserted, however there is so little room in the channel where the socket sits, the switch gets pushed closed permanently due to pressure against the wood when everything is seated and screwed up tight. When the treble pickup was cutting out in standard mode, the switch was oriented towards the back straplock presumably due to the jack momentarily not applying enough pressure to keep the switch closed. With the switching doo-dah oriented towards the rick-o-sound output, everything works in standard mode but there's no treble pickup signal in rick-o-sound mode. This is the cause of the trouble - The socket is pretty much identical to a standard switchcraft mono socket, but with the addition of a switch which closes when the plug is inserted. Note the nylon standoff at the tip of the inside part of the switch. This ensures the switch does not make electrical contact with any part of the plug — it is part of a separate circuit with its own terminals. In an ideal world the switch will be closed in standard mode and open in rick-o-sound mode. The problem is that with everything is screwed up tight, the outside part of the switch is tight against the wood and makes contact with the inside part closing the switch. This is not a problem in standard mode as we want the switch to be closed, but it effs up rick-o-sound mode as having the switch closed prevents the treble pickup from being output. Tomorrow's another day. I will experiment with other angles of rotation of the 'standard output' socket in the hope that there is a sweet-spot where everything magically works. Otherwise the last resort might be to take a file to the channel to give the socket some extra room. But I really don't want to do that. Some random comments back at you! 🙂 NB. you only insert on jack at a time: either a mono into the "Normal" socket or a stereo/TRS into the Rick-O-Sound one. FYI, the switching socket is a Switchcraft part too (I thought I had a note of the p/n somewhere). I think there may be a sweet spot to allow the mono one free movement. Perhaps bending the mono one's inner blade in a bit might give it that extra clearance. The reason there's no sound when a mono jack one is pushed all the way into the stereo socket is because the mono socket's switch connects the stereo one's Tip and Ring together, so if you push a mono jack in all the way, it's Sleeve (Gnd) is touching the Ring, which connects it to Gnd too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Thursday at 11:18 Author Share Posted Thursday at 11:18 Did I mention that the 4003 sounds amazing with 40-95 Ernie Ball cobalt flats? Much better than the rounds that were originally on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted Thursday at 14:32 Share Posted Thursday at 14:32 6 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: No typo. I’ve ordered the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Split Meld HK and a TRS Audio Cable The split meld is £22 and has three jack sockets: one TRS and two TS wired, to split a stereo TRS signal path into dual-mono TS signal paths. Thanks, I’ll add one to my shopping list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted Thursday at 16:38 Share Posted Thursday at 16:38 Pure Tone Multi Contact Sockets... well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted Thursday at 16:52 Author Share Posted Thursday at 16:52 6 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Pure Tone Multi Contact Sockets... well worth it. I love these, I always buy them for any bass/guitar I acquire that doesn't already have a decent socket such as a switchcraft as the flimsy ones in squiers and other less expensive guitars are prone to fail at some point. They don't make a version with a switch however, and the issue I had on Ric the wasn't due to any shortcomings in the socket itself, but the channel routed out for it not being wide enough for it to work properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted Thursday at 16:58 Share Posted Thursday at 16:58 9 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: No typo. I’ve ordered the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Split Meld HK and a TRS Audio Cable The split meld is £22 and has three jack sockets: one TRS and two TS wired, to split a stereo TRS signal path into dual-mono TS signal paths. I’m really interested in this. I’ve been playing various Rickys for 25+ years, and I’ve never used the RoS feature once! Thomann now list it as out of stock……but I’ll keep an eye on it. Please forgive the thread hijack, but I saw 3 unmarked inputs on its front……and I’m a bit confused by TRS and TS? I’d always assumed that RoS needed a splitter cable? I'm guessing then the box then gets jack cabled to the two amps? Do excuse my complete pathetic-ness on this…..but I’d love to get mine working too! 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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