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NBD Rickenbacker 4003 Jetglo (well, new to me...)


BrunoBass

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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.

D7ED1240-0E2E-45FE-84B2-5EEBF401AD35.jpeg

AD62A2BB-9E7D-48CC-AAED-AEF3C6F04E04.jpeg

Edited by BrunoBass
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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. 👍

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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 👍🏻

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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 by Ricky 4000
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Welcome to the club!

3qtLMUX.jpg

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!)

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19 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Yeah, I should have known that ... I have a hang-under. 🤒

Still, Jetglo it is! Yeah! 😀

WP_20190529_23_05_00_Pro.thumb.jpg.70b949aa97d3c9d29d00a2bc4a6b470f.jpg

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.

 

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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.  

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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).

WP_20190127_20_13_44_Pro.thumb.jpg.15e625857bed4e77514a062587a91d15.jpg

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).

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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.

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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).

WP_20190127_20_13_44_Pro.thumb.jpg.15e625857bed4e77514a062587a91d15.jpg

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!

BgN3TQT.jpg

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.

o9DmPUq.jpg

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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...

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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...

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