Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi

Just following on from recent post regarding 4003 FL finished. I have my fireglo 4003FL! Seller sent it very promptly! It was made in August 04

The Good Stuff!

• Good condition for a 16 year old bass!
  Plays really well (has rounds but the fingerboard seems fine, I'll stick some flats on tho)
  Looks fantastic
  Sounds fantastic (I was a bit worried it wouldn't)

The Bad Stuff

• Side dots! (it seems they are in the strange position)
  A hole drilled in the neck, maybe for a strap button?

On the side dots I'm going to persevere but can you recommend any products to add lines to the binding? Alternatively I may get a luthier to add little lines to the binding if possible. The previous owner seems to have done this, but I don't really like that!

I'm sure it's been discussed but I can't get my head round the logic of the dots!
On the neck hole, just wondering if this is anything to worry about but I think I'll get a luthier to fill it.
But on balance I'm really happy!

Are those dots stickers hopefully?

I can't really tell but my guess is they are in the between fret location like a bass that had been de-fretted. Some folks prefer that, but to me it would be more helpful to have a marker at the fret line.

Now as far as creating new markers, you could drill a small hole at each desired spot and insert either plastic rod, metal, MOP, or abalone, of course glue them in place. Seems to me there would be tons of stickers that would work well as temporary markers, Including glow in the dark as an option. Sharpie marker would work for semi permanent use.

Good luck and enjoy the mwah!
Dirk

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah just stickers I’ve cleaned them off.

I can't really tell but my guess is they are in the between fret location like a bass that had been de-fretted.

That’s exactly the case, I’ve had loads of fretless basses and it’s the first time I’ve seen this! I read that some 4003s had this but I was hoping to dodge a bullet! Might take some getting used to but if I can’t I’ll work out a solution!

Dirk wrote: I can't really tell but my guess is they are in the between fret location like a bass that had been de-fretted.

Hi,
Regarding the side dots on the fretboard, there are two variations used on a Rickenbacker bass. I just looked at my 73-4001 and my Fretless 73-4001 to re-confirm.


1: On any normally fretted neck the side Dots are in the center on the space between any two frets, in line with the fretboard marker, this is the same on both the Shark fin inlays and the round fretboard dot markers used on the S and v63's, the dots start at the 3rd fret

2: On a factory fretless neck the side dots will be in line with the location where the fret would be if the frets had been installed, it may indeed look a little strange, but is there (I believe ) to allow you to locate the correct position to hold down the string. The dots on the fretboard surface will be in the normal location. Another thing to note on a factory fretless neck the dots begin at the location of the first fret so there are more dots than a normal neck

If you've played Rickenbakers for any length of time then muscle memory should help with neck/fretting positioning, if you're used to playing either without looking down at the neck or in darker on stage settings this helps as well.


Stevie,
Always nice to see a fellow Scot here, I bought my first Ric (my 73) from McCormacks Music, still have her too.

Hi

Always nice to see a fellow Scot here, I bought my first Ric (my 73) from McCormacks Music, still have her too.

I remember McCormacks well sadly not there any more. I'm afraid I didn't have the cash for a Ric back then. I'm relatively new to the Ric, I picked up a fretted 4003 about 6 or 7 years ago but I have been playing bass for a long time.

I actually scouted through the forum when the bass came on my radar and apparently around 2005 Rickenbacker went through a phase of positioning the side dots exactly where they would be on a fretted bass between the fretlines, which is mad. This bass is from 2004 so it definetly feels like the dots are in that position unless the intonation is really out but I don't think it is. I play fretless a lot but generally still have the odd wee look just to make sure I am where I should be. I could potentially get used to it but I'm thinking of having a luthier add a line on the binding at 3,5,7,9 and 12.

thx1955 wrote:2: On a factory fretless neck the side dots will be in line with the location where the fret would be if the frets had been installed...

My old '04 4003FL had the side dots just where you'd expect them to be for a fretted bass, right in the middle between the "frets".

jps wrote:

thx1955 wrote:2: On a factory fretless neck the side dots will be in line with the location where the fret would be if the frets had been installed...

My old '04 4003FL had the side dots just where you'd expect them to be for a fretted bass, right in the middle between the "frets".

Interesting variation, I was not aware that the factory went through a phase where the dots were moved. Both my 73 and 2007 have dots in the same place, guessing I managed to avoid the dot move ...

StevieDee wrote:Hi

Always nice to see a fellow Scot here, I bought my first Ric (my 73) from McCormacks Music, still have her too.

I remember McCormacks well sadly not there any more. I'm afraid I didn't have the cash for a Ric back then.

Sorry to hear of their passing, I was in Glasgow in May Last year but didn't have time to go try to find them, I bought my first decent HiFi from them too, the HiFi shop was across the street in the basement.

Back in early 1972, I didn't have the cash either, my Dad gave me the then $50 (pound) deposit which was enough to get the bass on order, I didn't pick up the 4001 till over a year later, by which time I'd scrimped and saved enough from Gigs and part time jobs to cover the cost.

They also helped me get a pair of Acoustic 408 cabinets imported from the USA (and sold me my first Orange OR-120's) a couple of years later, they had great service and back then just about everyone who worked in the Music departments were themselves active musicians. I used to bump into a lot of the folks at Burn's Howff on West Regent Street on a Saturday after the shop shut.

they had great service and back then just about everyone who worked in the Music departments were themselves active musicians. I used to bump into a lot of the folks at Burn's Howff on West Regent Street on a Saturday after the shop shut.

Wow a bit of Glasgow musical history there, I’m a bit younger but bought my first ‘proper’ bass from there, the wee booths where you could try out the instruments were great.

I’m pretty sure a friend of mine worked there and later went to set up CC in the West End.

Wow!! Congrats on the new fretless bass!
I think Fireglo is the most stunning of all the Ric finishes.

lumgimfong wrote:Wow!! Congrats on the new fretless bass!
I think Fireglo is the most stunning of all the Ric finishes.

Thanks!

lumgimfong wrote:Wow!! Congrats on the new fretless bass!
I think Fireglo is the most stunning of all the Ric finishes.

Hmmmmm ..... Fireglo, FIreglo is indeed (IMHO) the most stunning of all the Finishes ...

Congratulations on the new Fretless

StevieDee wrote:

they had great service and back then just about everyone who worked in the Music departments were themselves active musicians. I used to bump into a lot of the folks at Burn's Howff on West Regent Street on a Saturday after the shop shut.

the wee booths where you could try out the instruments were great .

I forgot about the booths .... they were indeed a great way to audition a new instrument, or even an amp, very nice memories of a lovely music shop

My '92 4003FL FG has side dots where frets would be. The board dots 5/7/9/12/etc are "in-betweeners." I think the change may have been early 2000's, was unpopular, and went back... I had a 2007 4003FL AFG which IIRC was like the 92 but I could be wrong. Gonna go check register pics....

jdogric12 wrote:My '92 4003FL FG has side dots where frets would be. The board dots 5/7/9/12/etc are "in-betweeners." I think the change may have been early 2000's, was unpopular, and went back... I had a 2007 4003FL AFG which IIRC was like the 92 but I could be wrong. Gonna go check register pics....

My bass is with a luthier now and the side dots are being moved to the fret position.... no more ‘inbetweeners’ hopefully!