I always wanted a Ric having played an old 4001 years ago, but could never really afford one. When I left my previous job I decided to buy one as a leaving present to myself, so bought a used black 2002 4003 (without the trick tone control) which had just had a pro set up. Waiting list is well over 12 months for a new one and £2k+ so the £1300 I paid felt like a bargain, especially as the bass is largely unmarked - it was bought by a Bruce Foxton fan who didn't actually play much and it's never been gigged.
Hated the neck pickup cover so bought the bezel with thumb rest from Rickysounds and after a while I just got used to it. As others have said, the neck doesn't taper much so it's a bit of a baseball bat, but action is nice and low with no buzzes, so it plays pretty well.
Thought about a Hipshot bridge to replace the weird Ric version but not got round to that yet. That new Babicz looks the business though.
The pickups definitely have their own individual character, but I manage to get some decent tone variation by experimenting with balance and tone controls.
You pays your money and takes your choice. If you don't like 'em buy something else. If I fall out with it I could probably recoup my investment.