The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Rickenbacker Basses => Topic started by: drbassman on February 21, 2012, 10:03:52 AM
-
I thought I read somewhere that the newer Ric 4003 necks were not as thick as they used to be. Is that true?
-
Yes. Apparently, some time around 1997, the necks got oddly thick for Rickenbacker. It was a year or two ago that they switched to a new, 2 piece neck design with a thinner profile.
-
Must be quite recent as my 2006 4003 is more chunky. I'd like to play a new one to see the difference.
-
Me too. My local shop just can't get new ones very often Ric is so behind production. If I get my hands on a new one, I'll report back.
-
I think right around '09 they went back to the thinner profile. Bill the HOG has a mapleglo and jetglo in stock now. I can stop by and check them out for you if you want.
-
IIRC when they started to shift to the thinner neck profile, for a while they were still doing the chunky ones. Maybe that's changed now.
-
I think right around '09 they went back to the thinner profile. Bill the HOG has a mapleglo and jetglo in stock now. I can stop by and check them out for you if you want.
Thanks Scott, I was gonna call Kurt. If you have chance, let me know what you think. Don't go out of your way though. I might be able to stop by on Monday or Tuesday.
-
just got a 2011 in midnight blue. much nicer neck than my late 80's ric. new pickups are pretty hot also. And bodies is slightly maller too!!!
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/other%20brands%20-/RICS3.jpg)
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/other%20brands%20-/RICS5.jpg)
-
Late 80's? The pickguard looks '80-'81.
And congrats on the new bass, looks stunning.
-
Great! I like that body change too. Very smart looking. I found out my shop has 3 new Rics in stock, so I'm definitely gonna check them out (they are holding one for me). The only problem I ever had with my Rics were the necks. ;D
-
Late 80's? The pickguard looks '80-'81.
And congrats on the new bass, looks stunning.
never tried to date it by serial number. Nevr a huge ric guy. Had a early 70's 4001 and first few years of the 4003 sold both because i am an idiot.... I just assumed it was late 80's when i got it about 12 years ago off the feebay. back when rics were reasonable. think it was around 400 with HSC.
new one was part of the talkbass MF frenzy a while ago. came out to $1060, waited about 6 -8 months.
-
I'd love to hear any reports about the change in neck profile. I would really like a faster neck than mine.
Thanks for the heads up.
-
never tried to date it by serial number. Nevr a huge ric guy. Had a early 70's 4001 and first few years of the 4003 sold both because i am an idiot.... I just assumed it was late 80's when i got it about 12 years ago off the feebay. back when rics were reasonable. think it was around 400 with HSC.
new one was part of the talkbass MF frenzy a while ago. came out to $1060, waited about 6 -8 months.
that burg is an early 4003/..the 2 piece guard is a dead giveaway....80-early 86 is when those were around...check your jack plate for the letters....it will range somewhere between T and Z for the first letter...
-
I'd love to hear any reports about the change in neck profile. I would really like a faster neck than mine.
Thanks for the heads up.
I'm going on Monday or Tuesday to see for myself! I'll report.
-
I was in and out of the HOG real quick today, only the jetglo left.
-
I was in and out of the HOG real quick today, only the jetglo left.
Crap, he said he had a FG! Oh well, might consider the JG, like it better than the maple.
-
I'm going on Monday or Tuesday to see for myself! I'll report.
i'm tuned in!
-
Played the JG 2012 4003 today. Nice bass. Well made as usual, nothing really new about it. The neck appears to be the same width as the previous years, didn't detect anything different here. They seemed to have taken the crown off of the back of the neck's profile. There's about a 3/4" wide flat spot down the middle of the neck, making it a a little thinner in the center, but the sides appear to be the old profile. It didn't make the neck feel any better in my hand than ones I've owned before. So, the change is minimal. I think it would have been better if they had also tapered the rest of the back of the neck on the edges too. That would have been substantially new and made for an easier playing neck. Final verdict: not much better and not enough change for me to buy it. Still a nice bass though if you like the neck profile.
I did pick up a new oversized LP cherry burst and found the neck has changed on those. Really nice, narrower and a bit thinner. So, I bought it! Fits perfectly in my hands.
-
Body and neck little smaller not much. pickups and the push pull pot are the real changes. much hotter pups and the bridge pickup sounds much better than prior rics.
-
Body and neck little smaller not much. pickups and the push pull pot are the real changes. much hotter pups and the bridge pickup sounds much better than prior rics.
I agree, it sounded really good.
-
Played the JG 2012 4003 today. Nice bass. Well made as usual, nothing really new about it. The neck appears to be the same width as the previous years, didn't detect anything different here. They seemed to have taken the crown off of the back of the neck's profile. There's about a 3/4" wide flat spot down the middle of the neck, making it a a little thinner in the center, but the sides appear to be the old profile. It didn't make the neck feel any better in my hand than ones I've owned before. So, the change is minimal. I think it would have been better if they had also tapered the rest of the back of the neck on the edges too. That would have been substantially new and made for an easier playing neck. Final verdict: not much better and not enough change for me to buy it. Still a nice bass though if you like the neck profile.
I did pick up a new oversized LP cherry burst and found the neck has changed on those. Really nice, narrower and a bit thinner. So, I bought it! Fits perfectly in my hands.
Thinner front to back is good but that profile doesn't sound appealing to me. OTOH the dual truss rods have always limited what they can do with the profile, compared to a single rod.
-
Thinner front to back is good but that profile doesn't sound appealing to me. OTOH the dual truss rods have always limited what they can do with the profile, compared to a single rod.
I agree Dave, I didn't like the feel of it at all. I would have bought the JG if it had been an actual improvement. I love the blind eye to customer feedback of Ric ownership. It's a great fundamental bass, but no product made by man is beyond the need for improvement. The list is significant. The bridge is a huge minus, the neck profile hasn't really improved, the dual truss rods are more trouble than they are actually worth, how much demand is there really for the stereo jack. The hotter pups are definitely nice and push-pull switch for vintage vs modern tone is cute. Overall, progress moves at a snail's pace.
-
The new necks are identical in profile to the C64 necks. I'm not a huge fan of the flat profile, but it's a personal preference.
-
Played the JG 2012 4003 today. Nice bass. Well made as usual, nothing really new about it. The neck appears to be the same width as the previous years, didn't detect anything different here. They seemed to have taken the crown off of the back of the neck's profile. There's about a 3/4" wide flat spot down the middle of the neck, making it a a little thinner in the center, but the sides appear to be the old profile. It didn't make the neck feel any better in my hand than ones I've owned before. So, the change is minimal. I think it would have been better if they had also tapered the rest of the back of the neck on the edges too. That would have been substantially new and made for an easier playing neck. Final verdict: not much better and not enough change for me to buy it. Still a nice bass though if you like the neck profile.
I did pick up a new oversized LP cherry burst and found the neck has changed on those. Really nice, narrower and a bit thinner. So, I bought it! Fits perfectly in my hands.
Thanks for that. In a way I'm relieved. If the neck was indeed faster, I'd be managing GAS and I have enough of that to deal with!
-
The new necks are identical in profile to the C64 necks. I'm not a huge fan of the flat profile, but it's a personal preference.
Exactly. For me, the most comfortable profile is that of a newer TB or jazz bass. I know they aren't for everyone either. That's what makes the world go round!
-
that burg is an early 4003/..the 2 piece guard is a dead giveaway....80-early 86 is when those were around...check your jack plate for the letters....it will range somewhere between T and Z for the first letter...
Not to mention the extra screws at the rear of the tailpiece. A great improvement that was quickly phased out.
-
I always put TI flats on my RICs to keep the neck in shape and the tailpiece down. Worked like a charm.
-
Hey, I'm the proud owner of a new RIC JetGlo 4003. I had a defective bridge on my new LP and Gibson didn't have any left in stock and I didn't want a repaired bass. So I swapped it out for the 4003.
Played it at practice for a couple hours last night and the neck wasn't bad at all with TI flats on it. Pretty easy to play actually with the low tension strings. And it sounds great through my Mesa rig. The guys in the band really like it. So, it wasn't a bad swap at all!
-
Congrats!
-
Congrats!
Thanks Ilan. I'm hoping the neck works out cuz the bass really is well made, sounds good and is attractive!
-
Time will tell, hope it stays comfortable to you.
-
Time will tell, hope it stays comfortable to you.
Me too, it's definitely different from the prior generation. Push-pull switch for vintage vs contemporary tone is kinda cool too. I've always loved their pickups. Great output and tonality.
-
And it sounds great through my Mesa rig.
I would be forced to suggest a new hobby for you if it didn't. LOL!
-
I would be forced to suggest a new hobby for you if it didn't. LOL!
No need to worry, bass will always be my number one hobby! I am looking to increase the bass output on my rig with another 15" cabinet though.
-
i really like my new ric. sounds great , comfortability hopefully will grow on me.
Enjoy
-
As Al requested, here she is.......I just realized my favorite two players are black (Gretsch ThunderJet and 92 TB)! It was never a favorite color of mine, but it is growing on me.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Basses/DSCN0802.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Basses/DSCN0804.jpg)
BLACK BEAUTIES! :vader:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Basses/DSCN0803.jpg)
-
Ooh, shiny! :mrgreen:
Black Rics are definitely cool!
(http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/839/jgtwins1.jpg)
-
Ooh, shiny! :mrgreen:
Black Rics are definitely cool!
I have to agree!
-
Jetglo 4003, as classic as it gets. The iconic Ric.
-
Congrats, she's a beauty!
-
Looks great, DrB! That is easily my favorite color combo. (I was having cold sweats over a jetglo 4003s/8 on ebay last week!)
-
Looks sweet Bill. I'm glad the next is working for you. Did it have the dreaded 'dead E' out of the box?
-
Looks great, DrB! That is easily my favorite color combo. (I was having cold sweats over a jetglo 4003s/8 on ebay last week!)
I saw that one and sent a link to a buddy. What did it end up going for?
-
I saw that one and sent a link to a buddy. What did it end up going for?
3350 plus shipping :o Outta my league, for one of those
-
Looks sweet Bill. I'm glad the next is working for you. Did it have the dreaded 'dead E' out of the box?
Not that i noticed. What us it?
-
Not that i noticed. What us it?
Mine had a very low output on the E string out of the box. It took 2 luthiers to finally sort it out after I had been trying for months. I have read on the Ric forum about this being quite a common problem on the newer ones.
-
What did the luthiers do to fix it?
-
Maybe I have a tin ear, but my e-string sounds fine to me. No dead spots that I can detect. Booms right out there.
-
Now and again I notice that the E on my '76 4001 is a little weak, but it doesn't bother me enough to try and change anything.
-
Mine had a very low output on the E string out of the box. It took 2 luthiers to finally sort it out after I had been trying for months. I have read on the Ric forum about this being quite a common problem on the newer ones.
Maybe I have a tin ear, but my e-string sounds fine to me. No dead spots that I can detect. Booms right out there.
Are we talking, dead spots or badly adjusted pickup poles and What Ric forum thread.
-
I think the fix involved adjusting the pole pieces, action and also the twin truss rods. I had tried all those options to no avail.
The guy who nailed it in the end isn't a pro luthier - rather a bass player friend from another forum that had a few Rics and knew the fix.
I can't recall the exact thread I was referencing - it was probably 4 or 5 years ago when I first got mine.
-
Low E output has never been a widespread problem. No doubt it occasionally happens and no doubt it's frustrating if you happen to buy a bass with it, but it's not common.
I bought two new 4003s and one almost new one between the late 90s and about 2005, none of them had this problem.
-
I think people have confused the low E output with incorrectly adjusted pole pieces, and I have read on a forum in UK where a guy had gone through many 4003 basses to get over his low E problem before purchase and then spreads a word on this ''common problem with Ric necks'' poor chap :rolleyes:.
I haven't come across this ''problem'' personally, as it's not a problem with new 4003's as the poles are adjustable, but on the RIHS I have had to move magnets to get an even output.
Problem is on a well set up neck and action, the E string is not in the radius of the other strings, it has to be set a little higher and most pups are set to a specific radius.
-
My problem with my new 4003 is the RIC-brand truss rod wrench I own won't fit the nuts properly because the truss rod cavity is too shallow and there isn't enough room to slide the driver over the nuts! Duh! Other than that, all is well.
-
My problem with my new 4003 is the RIC-brand truss rod wrench I own won't fit the nuts properly because the truss rod cavity is too shallow and there isn't enough room to slide the driver over the nuts! Duh! Other than that, all is well.
Yes, that's a problem, it's a tool that's not really needed and when you see someone prizing up the nuts on a 4001 to get the tool actually on, well you get you're bass right out of there. I use an open ended spanner, job done.
-
Yes, that's a problem, it's a tool that's not really needed and when you see someone prizing up the nuts on a 4001 to get the tool actually on, well you get you're bass right out of there. I use an open ended spanner, job done.
Yep, typical instrument maker. They sell a truss rod tool on their web site that doesn't fit the intended instrument properly. I have to say that it did fit my first 4003 from 4 or more years ago. Just doesn't work with a new one. Opps!
-
You need a thin-walled hex wrench like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-hex-box-guitar-truss-rod-adjustment-wrench-guitar-/120873406674?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1c249dd0d2#ht_657wt_1163
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/1-4-hex-box-guitar-truss-rod-adjustment-wrench-guitar-/15/!BcIgshQCGk~$(KGrHqIH-CIEquOQ(0FvBKzLqiyNHg~~_12.JPG)
-
If you can't move the nut with an open wrench then there's a problem.
-
You need a thin-walled hex wrench like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-hex-box-guitar-truss-rod-adjustment-wrench-guitar-/120873406674?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1c249dd0d2#ht_657wt_1163
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/1-4-hex-box-guitar-truss-rod-adjustment-wrench-guitar-/15/!BcIgshQCGk~$(KGrHqIH-CIEquOQ(0FvBKzLqiyNHg~~_12.JPG)
Exactly. I was going to look for one locally. I have the Gibson 5/16" version already. Thanks for the link!
-
If you can't move the nut with an open wrench then there's a problem.
The strings get in the way with an open wrench, but there is room if you loosen them enough. I prefer a thin wall wrench, I'm less likely to bugger up the nuts.
-
bugger up the nuts
Sounds like a live album from the '70s...
-
Sounds like a live album from the '70s...
:D Good one, you really cracked me up!!!!!!
-
Sounds like a live album from the '70s...
Actually, sounds like a slightly odd rock band.
-
Actually, sounds like a slightly odd rock band.
Wait - I've got it - British comedy show!
-
Wait - I've got it - British comedy show!
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Brilliant.jpg)
-
Maybe I should suggest our band change its name! "Bugger Up the Nuts" sure is a name folks won't forget! Appeals to my Scottish heritage as well! :P