Suggestions on changing my bass

[jc-sz]

Hi everyone, It's been I while since my last post, I am a bit busy nowadays...

Now this time I want to see what you people think about something I've been considering.

I bought my '03 4003 FG VP last year, and it looks brand new except for a small belt scratch I think happened today.

The thing is, sometimes I get a bit frustrated when using the neck pup, cause the signal is low and dies quickly. The trebble pup is great, but I usually go stereo and the bass pup is the one I tend to use the most and this is starting to bother me. I've been considering buying a new higain for the neck and get rid of the toaster, once I pay some debts and get some extra money. Also, I know the strings (.50) are not helping much and I certainly will try .45 as soon as I change them.

The other thing I'm not completely happy with is the neck, which is a bit too fat. This results in great mids (which I love) but still, it's a bit uncomfortable for playing.

Now, my favorite colour has always been Burgundy and now I see a guy here (I'm in Argentina) selling a '77 4001 BG which looks nice, I think the finish in the headstock might be a bit damaged...

So what do you think? Should I consider selling and buying this one or keep mine and see if a higain and 45 strings may help?

Will the 77 have a more comfortable neck? What about the trussrods, will they be vintage or modern in the 77?

So I accept suggestions, and also info on the 77 models... You may help me make up my mind... I wanted to see what you guys thought before going and checking the 77 out... Of course, I would think of changing it provided that it is in perfect functional conditions and the finish gets at least an 8/10.

Thanks all!!

Cheers!

[VRICKY63]

I can only provide information from the two 77 4001 basses I have owned. The necks were much thinner and more narrow than the 4003 you have. The truss rods were vintage types but worked very well. Although I found the 77 necks very comfortable they also tended to flex a bit when I played so the intonation could go off a bit. The 77 high gains sounded perfect to me. Very deep but with a beautiful high end sheen. You would need to bypass the capacitor on the bridge pickup to get the same sound as a newer 4003. I loved the 77s and would buy another if I had the money. I do enjoy my 08 4003 but the neck is huge so I had it converted to a 4-2-5. The conversion makes it easy for me to reach the E string. Hope you can play the 77. I think you will really like it.

[jc-sz]

Thanks! I think I might give it a try. The thing is, I cannot risk selling mine and then the guy sells his to someone else, Ricks are not easy to get around here... And very expensive...

Thanks for the great info! I'll have it in mind... A narrow and thin neck is exactly what I'm looking for... however, vintage trussrods put me off a bit... I should be more than carefull when checking it, and I'm not sure what to look for. Plus, I've never tried them myself.

Thanks!!

[paul_yan]

The '77 is definitely worth checking out, Joaquin. Ask the seller to take off the TRC for you, if possible, to see if the rod nuts look and work alright. Good luck!

[ken_j]

I would buy the '77 if I liked it and then live with two basses for a few weeks or months before deciding on which to keep. This way you will have no regrets.

[jps]

I would buy the '77 if I liked it and then live with two basses for a few weeks or months before deciding on which to keep. This way you will have no regrets.

That's exactly what I did after buying my '67 330, living with it and the 360V64 for a while. I ended up selling the V64; as nice as it was, I just liked the older guitar better.

[jc-sz]

Thanks all!

I forgot to mention, but buying without previously selling is completely out of the question... So the best option so far is to contact this guy and see if I can take a look at the 77 and play it for a while to see if there's any improvement comfort wise...

I've never dealt with vintage trussrods, so any help or tip to check them would be welcomed... I mean, I don't think I'd be able to actually try them...
I know about the typical cracks at the headstock, so, considering there's none, one should expect them to work properly, right?

Thanks again!! Let's see what happens... I'm thinking I've to be completely conviced I want it before I put mine for sale.

Cheers

jc

[jps]

The old truss rods are not hard to adjust as long as you learn what to do; there is plenty of info here on the forum, just do a search. I find I virtually never have to adjust them compared to the new design.

[johnallg]

The old truss rods are not hard to adjust as long as you learn what to do; there is plenty of info here on the forum, just do a search. I find I virtually never have to adjust them compared to the new design.

Same here.

The neck not being cracked just means no one has tried adjusting them wrong. If you want to take a look at them, pull the TRC and see if they are bent down into the neck wood or straight. If they are laying on the wood, this is not a disaster, you just need to loosen them, pull them, and either straighten them if possible or cut them shorter and rethread the longer one. Sounds hard but it really isn't. Don't let that spoil the buy if you like the rest of the bass.

[jc-sz]

Thanks John and jps!!

Just one more, in your own opinion and according to what you have tried, would you keep or sale? I mean, if you compare playability, versatility, output lvl, tone, etc.

I do understand, and i'm not implying it won't, that it all comes down to what I end up liking more when I try and compare. I just want the opinion of some of you who have far more experience trying different Ricks... That's it.

I'm not trying to bore you insisting.. it's just that I've read some other posts and many seem to preffer new to old stuff...

Thanks!!

Cheers!

[jps]

I don't know what the necks on a '77 are like, but if you are not comfortable with the neck on the 4003 I would sell it for something more to your liking. I really loved the 4004Cii I had but my hands could not come to terms with the neck and string spacing on it, so I sold it. I can say with confidence that if you can find a '73 4001 you will like the neck.

[johnallg]

I have a 2004 4003 and the neck of that is the same as on your 2003 - bigger. Thicker, back of neck to fretboard top. The 77 4001 will have a thinner and easier fit-in-the-hand neck than the 2003. If you are not having an issue with neck size, then the tones will be a bit different too. The 4001 will have a bit brighter sound, more of a 70s prog rock type sound than the 03 4003. Another thing I've noticed on my 75 4001 when compared to my 4003-based basses (3 others) is the harmonics ring clearer and longer, and are somewhat more present in the playing as well. I hope that is clear to you what I mean. I believe the harmonics more present while playing gives it the brighter sound I mentioned above. I really like the 70s 4001 basses, though they are a bit more limited in varied sounds they will do. They are capable of "thump."

[jc-sz]

Thanks again jps and John!

Last nigth I went to check the bass out... I am almost convinced I'm better off with my current bass, and this is why:

Pros:
Great structural condition (no fretboard separation)
Neck was very straight (a little adjustment would finish making it arrow straight)
Neck was really confortable
It looked all original (not sure about the tuners, they looked like the current ones without the Rickenbacker inscription).

Cons:
Had been refretted and it was definitely not the best job. The new frets looked, felt and sounded well, but you could see the wood had been sligthly damaged, the binding had been sawn (you could see the fret from the sides) and the finisht was not touched.
The truss were a little bent to the wood. I know this can be easiily repaired, but it needs be done, and that's what counts.
The finish had some wear, specially the headstock... not that bad, but considering mine is mint, I would like something in better conditions. Not necessarily like new, but a bit better.
I have to say I was a bit dissapointed with the colour... I know it's difficult for the colour to come out simiar in pictures, but I expected it clearer. I thought I really wanted a BG and now I'm not that sure, I guess I'm happier with FG.
Finally, and possibly the less important together with the colour, I did not like the headstock much. I preffer the sharper edges style of the new models.

Now I'm thinking I should start looking for earlier (1980's) 4003... Those would have thiner necks (back of neck to freatboard top as John said), right?
However I'm not sure there are many of those around... but I'll see... In any case, I might save some money and buy miself a hotter higain for the neck position.

Thanks everyone once again and further suggestions are very well welcomed (for instance on early 4003, 4001s from other years, etc.)

Cheers!!!