Model of the Week Twelve: The 4003S5 "five banger"

[rickfan60]

Here are some reconstruction details of my '86. It has no finish and the BT is looking pretty rough. I was considering having the hardware plated.

The headstock....

and the body.

Here is how the body looked when it was apart.

[rickfan60]

and here is my 2002 MG.

[rickfan60]

For a very brief time I owned this one that had JR customized bridge saddles. I never should have sold it.

[rickfan60]

It's 1986, another year of innovation for RIC basses. Somewhere in '86-'87, RIC introduced the five-string variant of the 4003S with the typical dot position markers and no binding. A new headstock shape was created, allowing three modern Schaller tuners on the "top" side, and two on the "bottom" side of the head. The tailpiece was also modified with the "teeth" over the mute removed. Obviously, the nut was cut to allow the addition of a low B string, and I believe the neck and fretboard were cut just a tad wider to ease fingering. Also, a five-pole high-gain pickup was placed in the treble postion, with a Toaster at the bass position. Don't know offhand if they were equipped with the Rick-O-Sound output.

So let's discuss and post pictures of the first Rick 5-bangers!

Yes, the fingerboard is slightly wider than the 4 string version. ROS was not a standard feature of the model but that does not mean they don't exist. With RIC ANYTHING is possible. Never say never when it comes to feature combinations! The headstock is only slightly longer. It had to fit in a standard case, after all. A cleaver change in the flair north of the nut allows the 3rd tuner to fit.

[ram]

Here is my 2000 4003S5. I add the ROS capability. It is one KA bass!

[johnallg]

Cool thread. Since the S/5 is a 5 string variant of the "S" there is just mono output on S/5's.

Fun game: Count the S's and 5's in this post!!!

Okay, maybe not so fun. Remember, I'm a numbers guy.

Can you tell it is tax season and Jason's firmly in the mainstream?!

Come up for air a little more often, jdog!

[rickenbrother]

Bill Henshell also has a 4003S/5 MID that we compared at the Milwaukee confluence. His was the same shade as yours, Joey. I don't know how to describe the difference.

Da Blue Beast might have a bit more purple in it or something.

Could be some purple. It's a really difficult color to accurately photograph. A real beauty in person. It's gets many compliments when it's gigged.

[ilan]

Could be some purple.

That's because it's the "old" Midnight Blue. After some of them had color bleed into the white binding, RIC changed the formula and the shade. The purple hue was gone. It's also a bit less "metallic" now.

[weemac]

Here's the only pic I could find of mine.

Brett, this may be your one as well...

Eden.

[rickfan60]

My feelings on the 4003S/5 are mixed. Overall it is a good bass but the 33 1/4" scale might be a tad short for a B string. It does flop around and must be played carefully. The 4004Cii/5s I have played seem to have the same issue. Of course this varies with playing style. The string spacing is narrow, perhaps too narrow for most players. The Jeff Rath mod of widening the spacing works very well and does make the S/5 more playable. I recommend the mod to anyone who feels the spacing is too tight. My 2002MG was my first 5er and I resisted the urge to change the spacing until I felt comfortable with 5 strings in general. It was not a smooth transition for me as I kept plucking or muting the wrong string. Once I got used to playing on 5 strings the spacing was much less of an issue. The bridge pickup fits nicely under the strings and there are no weak zones at the extremities. The neck toaster is equally well suited with its 6 alnico poles. The tuners are smooth and easy to reach.

[jps]

My feelings on the 4003S/5 are mixed. Overall it is a good bass but the 33 1/4" scale might be a tad short for a B string. It does flop around and must be played carefully. The 4004Cii/5s I have played seem to have the same issue.

EADGC might be a way to go on these.

[rickfan60]

That is not a bad suggestion. I do like to have those extra low notes that a B provides.

[bassduke49]

Former Forumite Greg Shadoan has offered this link to view his five bangers, one in the relatively rare Red:

http://www.rickresource.com/rrp/bass5strings.html

[byu]

Well I'm a little late to this one and I missed the 4001 & 4001S threads but here's my Midnight Blue '02 4003S5.

[rickaddict]

My feelings on the 4003S/5 are mixed. Overall it is a good bass but the 33 1/4" scale might be a tad short for a B string. It does flop around and must be played carefully. The 4004Cii/5s I have played seem to have the same issue.

What about trying some higher tension strings? I have Elixers on mine (they're higher tension than the medium Ernie Ball slinkys that I have on my 4001s and much higher tension than any round core TI's or DR's I've tried) and it has no issues with B-string floppiness. I probably play my 5-string a little lighter than I normally play a 4-string because the tighter spacing doesn't allow me to dig my fingers in as much, but...no problems here.