New Rickenbacker short scale, the 4030S

[Woodinblack]

42 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

The peeps at Rick are on the crack pipe if they think these will sell well. 

 

Probably not. They are a short run, they will all sell and then they will not make any more for a decade or so. Its the way ric do things, if they didn't they would all not sell for a fraction of what they cost. Rickenbacker didn't get to where they are today by giving people what they wanted!

[Wolverinebass]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Probably not. They are a short run, they will all sell and then they will not make any more for a decade or so. Its the way ric do things, if they didn't they would all not sell for a fraction of what they cost. Rickenbacker didn't get to where they are today by giving people what they wanted!

Maybe is should have just said "sell" instead of "sell well." 

 

You are of course quite right. They generally don't do anything anyone actually wants. After all, how long did it take them to change the bridge? Then everyone complained they wanted the original one anyway.

[12stringbassist]

If Ric don't do anything anyone wants then they would be stuck with everything that they make...

[tauzero]

On 10/10/2025 at 16:50, Paul S said:

Well, it is short scale.  There is a new fretboard with extra frets on the old long scale neck giving you the smaller intervals between frets.  And if that is someone's reason for liking a short scale then I guess that is a winner.  But not for me - I would prefer the whole thing scaled down with 20 frets on a shorter neck with the associated reduction in weight.  Maybe, even better, a 32" scale, with appropriate body, neck and weight reduction would have been nice.

 

Considering that a short scale has two differences to a long scale - shorter distance between equivalent frets, for the more delicately handed, and shorter reach to the first fret, for the non-Warwick Thumb-inclined, these only tick one of the boxes. Also the lump of metal which counterbalances the ugly lump of wood stuck out needlessly far into space has been moved to a position where it counterbalances it less so it will be more neck-divey. One step forward (for the short scale lover) and two steps back.

[prowla]

6 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

If Ric don't do anything anyone wants then they would be stuck with everything that they make...

Ironically, they did produce a bass which fixed everything everybody complained about on the 4001/4003.

It was the 4004.

People kept on buying the 4003.

They discontinued the 4004.

[Woodinblack]

The 4004 is a great bass but I guess Rick trade on the iconic looks of the 4003. However, like everything ric, I am sure if they made more 4004s people would buy them, their business model seems to be (not unreasonably), make a set of small batches of a thing so there is always slightly less than people want of any product to keep the demand high. And it works well.

[Stag]

I tried a few 4004's and they felt like a weird take on a Warwick bass to me. Sounds weird but there you go lol, each to their own!

[Woodinblack]

I have tried several warwicks, and none of them ever felt like a 4004 to me!

 

[prowla]

4 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I have tried several warwicks, and none of them ever felt like a 4004 to me!

 

I have Rics and Warwicks and would say that they are markedly different. 

[Stag]

Like I said, weird take! The body being that bit smaller than a 4003, the neck being a bit thicker - maybe it was just the one I tried. Definitely didnt SOUND like a Warwick thats for sure. I love Warwicks... when other people are playing them!

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Stag said:

Like I said, weird take! The body being that bit smaller than a 4003, the neck being a bit thicker - maybe it was just the one I tried.

 

Maybe - my 4003 and 4004 are exactly the same size in both body and neck!