Rickenbacker 4003s Reissue Review

[lordblackmore]

I have no idea what makes for a good review, but here goes. I'll post a separate write up when I plug the bass in.

4003s Reissue First Impressions

I ordered the reissue 4003s the day after Rickenbacker announced it. As luck would have it
the two basses they showed at winter NAMM 2015 were shipped to dealers and my dealer got
the first FireGlo bass. I was the first one to place the order, so I am the happy recipient
of the the fireglo 4003s reissue.

The bass arrived yesterday and after letting it sit overnight to acclimatize, I cracked
open the case this morning. I have not yet plugged in the bass.

Initial Inspection:

There are two notable things, which I'll touch on later, but nothing dealbreaking. The bass was
clearly well cared for by Rickenbacker and by Chris at Pick Of The Ricks (PoTR). Inside the
case are the bass, the usual Rickenbacker case candy along with the bridge cover and original
strings that came with the bass. A couple of extra pieces of bubble wrap were in the case to
prevent the bass from moving during shipment. The case is in new condition, with no scratches,
or other issues.

Set Up:

At my request Chris set the bass up with a new set of TI Jazz Flats. The setup is exactly as
requested, with the action as low as possible. The bass was just below concert pitch when it
arrived and after tuning it, it still has low action and is easy to play. As someone who
has a chronic tendonitis issue and is developing some finger joint arthritis a good, low
action setup is crucial.

Finish:

The finish, as mentioned before is FireGlo. It's a great color and looks great on this bass.
The reds are red and the translucent areas really highlight the maple underneath. I can't
say if this is better or worse than other fireglo finishes, but it looks great to me. There
is however, one small finish flaw. On the edge of the upper horn there is what looks like
a finish drip that never got cleaned up. This isn't noticeable, except at close inspection.
I doesn't bother me, but I am including it for accuracy and compeleteness. I didn't find
any other finish issues.

Hardware:

The hardware, for example, the bridge, pickup surround, etc are all problem free and also
completely clean when I recieved the bass. The only notable issue is that the bridge pickup
is a little slanted. this is very unlikely to cause any issues in terms of sound. This also
doesn't bother me much, but I'm including it for the same reasons as mentioned above.

Weight and Balance:

I don't have any way to weigh the bass, but it seems lighter than other Rick basses I've
owned, aside from the 4000L, wich was very lightweight. It weighs more than my 2003 Fender
Highway 1 P Bass, so I'd say it's not too heavy. From the balance perspective, there's a
tiny bit of a neck dive, but very, very slight. This is not different from other Ricks
I've owned. I'll add here that the bass sounds good and seems quite resonant when not
plugged in.

Neck:

The fit and finish of the neck is very well done. The finish is clean, with no blemishes
or other issues. The fret ends are clean, with no burrs. The neck width seems to be
pretty much standard for Rickenbacker 400x basses. I can't quite describe the fingerboard.
The wood looks like it has some sort of pattern or something in it. It looks quite distinctive
to my eye. Much different than my 2004 620/6. I think it looks good and adds another dimension
to the overall look of the bass. The neck is on the chunky side, but not clubby. I'm coming
from usually playing shorties or my P which has a J neck, so almost anything will seem
chunky to me.

Overall Impressions:

The bass lives up to all of my expectations. Classic look and classic sound.

The first set of pictures can be found here:

http://imgur.com/a/GRt0Q

[MoseRorris]

Cannot wait to get mine! I'll have to put flats on it straight away

[Kopfjaeger]

I too can't wait to get mine! In my experience, Chris at PotR will give you a great set up with your purchase! I was hop9ng he would have landed the walnut one as well so I would have gotten it! I was thinking that since these instruments were at NAMM, they would have been perfect.

Sepp

[aceonbass]

I don't get it. Why haven't you plugged the bass in yet?

[lordblackmore]

I don't get it. Why haven't you plugged the bass in yet?

lol.

I have since I wrote that. I just wanted to get something out quickly.

I plugged the bass into an Mbox Pro and demoed some stuff using Amplitube through headphones (I don't have a rig here) and it sounds great. I haven't owned a Rick for a long time, so I have nothing to compare it to. I need to spend some more time dialing in some stuff.

[jps]

Maybe it's a good thing that you are coming at this with a renewed/fresh perspective, Tom. What was the last Rick bass you had?

[squirebass]

Tom, why was the bridge pickup cover off the bass when you got it? Is there something new or different about the bridge pickup that was being displayed at NAMM?
Enquiring minds want to know...

[lordblackmore]

I had Chris remove the bridge cover for me, before the bass was shipped. In retrospect I should have had install one of those plastic bezels (name escapes me) in the neck pickup cavity.

The last Rick bass I owned was a blue boy 4004L. It was also the last Rick I purchased. I haven't owned a Rick bass for a very long time and have been waiting (and hoping) that the 4003s would come back.

As a side note, I've always had ergonomic issues with Rick basses. The 4003 lacking a body contour on top was uncomfortable and the width of the neck on the 4004L was difficult for me. I've always though that a 4004L with the neck the width of a 4003 would be my perfect bass.

[ilan]

one of those plastic bezels (name escapes me)

http://www.tubeampology.com/

The Mapleglo 4003S/BT pic at the bottom of the page is my son's bass...

[bassduke49]

Tom, too late for the dance I suppose, but since late 2010, the shape of the necks of the 4004 series changed to be consistent with the 4003 necks; both two-part construction, also.

[rickenbottom]

Tom. That is one gorgeous looking 4003s in fireglo. I think I need to order one...

[qwezirider]

Gorgeous bass.

[lordblackmore]

Tom, too late for the dance I suppose, but since late 2010, the shape of the necks of the 4004 series changed to be consistent with the 4003 necks; both two-part construction, also.

Too for late for now. .

A couple of years from now when I'm getting the itch to buy something again, I'll remember this.

[Keef]

Tom, thanks for sharing those great photos of your new, beautiful bass.... and thank you for sharing your initial thoughts.
I'm sure I'll be getting one sometime down the road, and I would install the vintage style knobs as well. It's a very classic look.
I'm looking forward to seeing the other finishes as they come in.

[squirebass]

Tom, thanks for sharing those great photos of your new, beautiful bass.... and thank you for sharing your initial thoughts.
I'm sure I'll be getting one sometime down the road, and I would install the vintage style knobs as well. It's a very classic look.
I'm looking forward to seeing the other finishes as they come in.

+1 here, LordBlackmore (love the handle as well, are you a Ritchie Blackmore fan?)
Since I've got one of these puppies on order, its so nice to see a sample of what is coming....