4003 vs 'C" series

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:46 pm

Impressions...

Both are great basses. Vs. isn't quite the right term.

The 4003's were darker sounding, and the neck is a bit rounder and clubby feeling compared to the 'C' basses. The new ones have a bigger headstock than they used to, which is awesome. Still not as curvy and big as the "c" though.

c64 and c64s were brighter, and the neck is slimmer, almost feels like a 4003 neck that was flatened on the back, if that makes sense.

The headstocks are bigger, nothing to do with the reverse style, just the shape.

I wonder how close a 4003 with the toaster and the horseshoe PU's would sound to the 'C' series?

This was at Rocker guitars in San Francisco, they also had 4 12 strings and a bunch of 6's.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 5:57 pm

No 2 Rics sound exactly alike ... I currently own 7 Ric basses and I have 4 others that I sold off ... that makes 11 ... from 1968 to 1998 ... 4001, 4003, 4004, 2030, 4 string, and five string models ...

I have owned basses that were the same model and same year that still sound different ...

The pickups make some difference ... the cut of the wood makes some difference ... each piece of wood itself sounds a little different ...

So how close would it sound ... I would guess fairly close ... but not identical ...

Myself ... I would be happy to own either ... the 4003 will cost less ... the c64 will probably go up in value whenever ric stops making them ...

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 6:56 pm

I do agree that each RIC is unique, I am talking more "in general" here.

The 3 4003's I played sounded very similar, as did the c64s and the c64.

One of the 4003's was Montezuma Brown. What a great finish!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 7:07 pm

Damn ... it must be nice to live where a local music store stocks Ric basses ... The local GC here used to but now it's a lot of low end stuff for beginners ...

I've never played a c64 so I can't say for sure ...

I do know that with a high gain in the neck position a bass will be thicker than the same bass with a toaster ...

Hey .. I'm have fun with the new Ric ...

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:02 pm

I've had a chance to "play" a C series and the neck, to me, didn't feel all that different from my CS or V63s.

The CS feels the best, thinner fron to back than the V63's and the C64 somewhere in between.

Of course I need to have all of them to be happy

But I have a Dynasty LX on order so I can finish Jeff's aluminium horsies. The old Syncrowave ain't making it.

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 3:00 am

New toys for the shop! Cool! I am looking forward to the psuedoshoes. So what is a Dynasty LK anyway?

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 6:46 am

Likewise! Played an 80s 4003 next to a V63 whilst in Vegas; didn't like the 4003 much (I much prefer the more recent ones with the slimmer contouring and bigger headstock; they seem to sound better as well).The V63 was much better IMHO in every way (although I realise the C series is supposed to be different). In fact that's another I should've bought....

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 8:28 am

Jeff-

A Dynasty LX is an inverter based power source that welds using AC/DC so I can use it on the aluminium. Ulike the old square wave welders the inverters are many times lighter (41 lbs vs 238)
and produce a 'softer' arc, better welds (IMHO) and have a definite cool factor.

Unfortunately this comes as a $2600 bite!

Will have your horsies, soon.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:08 pm

If the neck is flatter than the new 4003's sounds like the early 70's necks profiles, (I've never played a 60's bass, but I assume the necks are similar)

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 3:53 pm

60's 4001 necks are a true wonder ...

they are quite different from all the other Ric 4001/4002/4003/4004 basses ... no re-issue bass will ever replicate that neck ...

If you ever get a chance to play one ... do

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 4:18 pm

Same with my '67 4005WB's neck!