4003 Walnut

[jiemp]

Hi there from France,
In last november I ordered a 4003 Walnut in a big shop here in Europe. Delivery was anounced for the 3 of march. You undestand my excitation last week ! But ...No delivery and the bass is now anounced for end of june.
Does someone know if those bass are still in production and if I have a chance to get one ?
Same question about the 4003S Walnut that in fact I would prefer instead of the 4003.
I will also try to ask on the Rickenbacker website and bive back to you the answer if I get one !
Many thanks
Jean-Marie

[rickenbastard]

It appears that it's still a normal production model so you should still be able to get it. No idea the time frame on that sort of thing.

[jiemp]

hello, so you got one of those beauty ?
What is you apprecaiation ?
On my side even if the look is great, I'm interested by the mapple fingerboard neck.
Bye

[Baker69]

Seems to be a similar situation here in the UK, however you can pick up a 4003w ex-stock if you want a left handed model!

How times have changed.

[cheyenne]

Sometimes it takes a while for Rickenbacker to deliver do to production issues, especially on a newer model like the 4003W.

I placed an order on one of the new 4003S models introduced at NAMM and was told 8-12 months for delivery. I've been around here long enough to understand that its just a number, and could very well get pushed back several times, and I'm good with that. I know that when it finally arrives it will be worth the wait.

[RickyBubba]

Probably not an option for you, but several are on the US E-bay

[jiemp]

Hello, thanks for all contributions !
Baker 69, there is also a lefiy one in stock in Thomann.de ...But, unfortunatly I'm not Paul Mc Cartney !
RickyBubba, most of my guitars and basses came from EBay US as the used market here is quite poor and as long the Euro was strong.
But at this time the change between $ and € is not good at all for us A bass with a Buy it know price of 1950 $ would arrive at home for 2400€. Thats's 400€ more than the average price on the market here.

Bye

PS no answer from Rickenbacker official web site

[rickenbastard]

hello, so you got one of those beauty ?
What is you apprecaiation ?
On my side even if the look is great, I'm interested by the mapple fingerboard neck.
Bye

I love it. It has a more natural warm tone than most other 4003 basses I've played. I'm a huge fan of maple fingerboards so that was the appeal to me but having the walnut body with no finish on it cancels out the extra bright sound that a maple fingerboard normally provides. Most people who see it say it's the most beautiful bass they've ever seen.

[Kopfjaeger]

Actually I think this is pretty good news for me!! I'm guessing that the easiest/most economical way for RIC to offer a Walnut bodied instrument would be to order all the Walnut for said instruments and knock out the bound Walnut as well as the unbound Walnut "S" basses at the same time. if yours has been pushed back to June, I'm sorry to9 hear this, but that may mean my Walnut "S" bass will be done around the same time!!!

Sepp

[T28]

Wildwood got a couple 4003W in Weds. I imagine they are gone.

[jiemp]

Hi all !
As i was surfing on the web last saturday, I saw a 4003 Walnut in a french shop. They said "delivery between 24 and 4h"...I immediatly asked "does it means you have one in stock ?" and the answer was "yes, we received one yesterday". You imagine the end of the story...The bass is now at home !

[jiemp]

Well, sorry I missed the preview button...

So, first impression : it smells real wood when opening the case !

second impression : its sounds great, very clean and bright, bridge pickup is really strong, but much more than the neck one. I will have to lower it.

Just two questions if someone knows :

1) it's my first bought new rickenbacker and I'm surprise to discover two keys in the goodies bag. The smallest is for the saddle bar, but the other one doesn't fit with the pole pieces of the pickups. So what ?

2) with my own key, you imagine I didn't use a huge effort, but it was impossible to turn left or right those pole pieces, like they were glued. What do you think of that ?

I used it for my last rehearsal and my friends were very impressed. But the bad point (I always wear short sleeves) is that the edge of the body is really, really sharp...

Have a good week end guys

[squirebass]

Welcome to the forum, Jean-Marie, and heartfelt congratulations on your lovely new acquisition!
I know that feeling well, opening the case of a new Rickenbacker bass for the first time.

I'll wait for others to comment on the adjustable polepieces question, since I've never actually adjusted them on my '09 4003, but this is a place where you will find an astounding degree of knowledge about anything Rickenbacker, in my experience very friendly, helpful folks some of whom are also very creative in the technical and mechanical aspects of luthiery. I feel sure you will find this place to have answers to any questions you may have.
Enjoy your bass!

[Boogie]

Congratulations on getting your 4403W!

I don't know if Rickenbacker pickups are wax-pottted, but I recall playing with the adjustable pole pieces on my guitars' pickups. While turning the screws, I noticed some white stuff coming off the screws. The stuff felt like wax. Could it be the same on the Rick pickups, too?

[lordblackmore]

2) with my own key, you imagine I didn't use a huge effort, but it was impossible to turn left or right those pole pieces, like they were glued. What do you think of that ?

Yeah, I'm not sure what they're thinking about when they install those screws. I could only get one of the four pole pieces to turn on my bass. It's a common problem.