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I've been playing bass for 48 years and been through a bunch of basses but for some reason, always avoided buying a Rickenbacker. When I saw this one on E-bay, it called for me. To say I am pleased would be an understatement. The body is a comfortable size and weighs about 10lbs but because it's very well balanced, you don't notice the weight that much. It has a weird scale size of 33.5" and is about 3.5 inches shorter than a standard Fender Jazz bass. You have to buy your own tool to adjust the truss rods. Once I received that tool, I made a few adjustments, straightening the neck and setting the action low and I just love it. The bridge gives you plenty of options for height and intonation adjustments. The tone pallet is just amazing. Contrary to what you 'mostly' hear from a Ric, which is "clangy" sounds, this bass will produce very smooth lows and of course that classic Ric sound. With a pull of the bridge volume knob, it switches to the "Ric-o-sound" mode. I'm not crazy about this because it detentes the volume by around 10-15 db so I don't use it. All in all, this bass looks and sounds great and because of the way it is balanced, I can play it all night. It was truly worth every penny.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The Rickenbacker 4003 is a legendary bass. Years ago I sold a 4001 to a friend because I needed the extra cash and I felt although it was a great bass guitar it was limited. I was playing a lot of blues with a band and it was just too growly, it had too much upfront presence and just didn't fit. I had a G&L L2000e and that bass just about covered everything. Fast forward into the future, my future. I have a musical partner who inherited a 74' 4001 which he rarely played because he is a drummer. Together we put a bunch of punk metal songs together. His 4001 has a killer sound and fits exactly what we have been playing and recording. Needless to say I wanted one of my own. The vintage Ric's that are in good shape were running over 2000 dollars. Ouch! So I looked here on eBay and found one. A Jetglo 4003. Not exactly a 4001 but in my mind I figured it will do. I made the seller an offer and he took the bait. When the bass arrived it was in dead mint condition. It was like waking up on Christmas morning to find a tree full of gifts and shiny lights and tinsel. I plugged her into a mic pre of my recording system, to my delight the sound was thicker with a wider shape and range. It preserved that original Ric-O-Sound which I had been accustomed to but it was better. I could immediately hear how this guitar could fit into a number of different genres unlike the 4001. Wow was I happy! 2 nights later I took the bass out on her maiden voyage to the rehearsal studio. My partner who owns a 4001 sounded off about how his bass was the original vintage Ric and sort of snickered at my new Ric. 8 bars into our first song I could see in his eyes that we had something really, really cool. After rehearsal he asked me if my 4003 had been modified. I said thats the way she sounded out of the factory in the 2000. The following evening my new 4003 and I proudly took the stage. Words cannot express how happy I am with sound, the quality and build of this bass guitar. I no longer miss my old 4001 and I no longer covet my partners Rickenbacker. This one is simply better. In my opinion there are 4 bass guitars that set the standards. These 4 basses are the corner stone of all bass guitar sounds and builds. The American Fender Precision bass, the American Fender 21 fret Jazz bass, the American G&L L2000e (which is the most amazing bass I ever played and owned) and finally the Rickenbacker 4003.Read full review
For all of those who hated vintage RIC for the low output, thin tone, and hard to adjust necks.... ALL THOSE ISSUES ARE RESOLVED. The current production Ric bass has a great neck, ample output, great tone, all while maintaining the classic style. RIC is easily one of my favorite guitar makers.... This RIC bass is almost equaled in awesomeness by my Tobias.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Originally introduced to the Rickenbacker sound by Chris Squire of Yes in the 1970s, I've long been attracted to the gritty sound. This instrument certainly delivers sonically. What has been most gratifying, though, is the feel of the bass. The neck is fast and slim (perfect, for me). The double cutaway shape provides easy access to the highest frets. The various sound combinations take some time to figure out, but the pick-up configurations supply plenty of options. I've only had it for a month, but it has replaced my other guitars (Fender Aerodyne Jazz, Ibanez SR800, Gibson EB3 are the primary choices) as my primary bass at this point.
Its simple, there is noother bass like a Rickenbacker, The sound,sustain, the action and the impecable construction is in a world class of its own. I played many of bass's and none compare, sorry Fender and Gibson or any other bass's, nobody has that growl that the Rick offers a bassist. I really love and prefer Rickenbacker Bass for that old Rock & Roll PUNCH.... Nothing like it and hate having to sell and part with it. It took me 30 years to replace the one I lost and now have to seperate from it because of hard hit economic times. I will get another one day, just hope not another 30 to do so. LOL its like losing the love of your life. Rickenbacker wow, I had two in my life... Thanks for letting me share and vent. I even went across the pond tofind the perfect thumb rest. Chow spypro56Read full review