SLOPPY WORK NEW 4003

[DriftSpace]

The warranty is meaningless to me in the UK, if i have a problem i fix it myself.

You definitely did the right thing.

[Kopfjaeger]

contacted Rickenbacker directly, to point this out sent the pictures so will see what they say. was really pointing this out so that if anyone else gets a a new bass with a crackling output jack this may well be the cause not something you would first think of as you expect the bass to be finished and assembled properly , not something you can take for granted it seems. i have fixed the situation myself now zero issues it is a good bass great tone and ring so don't want it replaced or anything, just disappointed at the poor quality control once again from Rickenbacker.

And what was RIC's reply? I bet they apologized profusely and said that this has never happened before and that they would address it with the assembly crew so that no other instrumentss would ever leave the factory like this?? A formal letter of apology is being handwritten by JH as I I type this. I bet it was more in line with what I got when i told RIC the Jetglo paint shattered along the tailpiece on my 2011 Jetglo 4003, less than a year after I purchased it. RIC blamed it on me putting heavier strings on it. Yup, no joke. Then when a dozen more of the same vintage and color popped up they offered to sand the bottom edges of my tailpiece. Thanks but ummm, no thanks.

Sepp

[geofio]

True Sepp, i remember your pics, it was a disgrace and the usual treatment from Rickenbacker, i just sent the pics to let them know i found this issue i do not expect anything to be done anyway as i am in the UK LOL, my post was really to make other folks aware , if they have purchased a new Ric 4003 and they are having problems with an output, you don't expect the wood work to be the issue now do you ???!!!!! so who ever installed the output harness could not be arsed to do the job properly, i know if that was me doing that job i would have some pride and tidy the woodwork up and it was not just a cosmetic issue it interfered with the functionality of the Instrument.

[lordblackmore]

contacted Rickenbacker directly, to point this out sent the pictures so will see what they say. was really pointing this out so that if anyone else gets a a new bass with a crackling output jack this may well be the cause not something you would first think of as you expect the bass to be finished and assembled properly , not something you can take for granted it seems. i have fixed the situation myself now zero issues it is a good bass great tone and ring so don't want it replaced or anything, just disappointed at the poor quality control once again from Rickenbacker.

Forget getting any help from Rickenbacker.

[geofio]

I posted the same pics and comments on the Rickenbacker forum, they deleted my post that shows how much Rickenbacker care and ignore problems.

[Gilmourisgod]

I've seen all kinds of debris in the control cavities of guitars, so that's not unusual, but if it impedes operation of the jacks, it's clearly sloppy QC. Somebody got lazy right before clearcoat spray, 1 second with a compressed air gun = no problem. I don't think you should see this kind of mess in a $1500-1800 bass, but Ric, like a lot of guitar makers, has never seemed to care much what it looks like under the TRC or pickguard. When you have as big a production backlog as they have for the past decade, QC is going to slip, no way around it, really. I'm neither a Ric hater nor a Fanboy, just a realist. They have gotten a little sloppy, and their CS reputation at large is not good. As long as their products continue to sell so well, they don't really have an economic incentive to change, so they won't. Thankfully, when they get it right, they get it REALLY right, but if you get a flawed instrument you are kind of on your own. I don't think this particular episode rises beyond the level of minor aggravation.

[aceonbass]

The mono jack is such a tight fit that I don't know if it will ever be possible to stop these things from binding on new instruments. RIC uses 3 lock washers as spacers on the jack for this very reason. For awhile I stopped building these harness with the special Switchcraft jack that RIC uses, and went to my double stereo jack design, but most people wanted it the way RIC does it, so I went back. It's hard to argue with traditionalists....

[rickaddict]

Well...It's too late to start offering solutions now, but I would have recommended loosening up the nut on the jack and rotating it until you find the point where it is uninhibited. If the contact tab thingie on the jack is being pushed into the wood, the cord won't go into the jack properly. When I've worked on my Ricks I've had to sort this problem out many times when putting them back together. I've also recently played a new 4003S that had a jack that seemed to not be rotated to the right spot. I could barely get the cord in. Anyhoo...Welcome to Ricks. They have their quirks, but we love them anyway.

[geofio]

cheers guys, yes it is just so annoying that someone at the factory could not be bothered that is it in a nut shell. Thus giving the customer a pain in the ***, i shouldn't need to fix a £1699 guitar that is $2555 !!!! that is the cost in the UK for a new 4003. I have been playing Rickenbacker's for 38 years now and love the sound a and feel, but feel annoyed at the company , they don't give a dam.

[Kiddwad57]

Back in the day, or maybe in some cases it's true even now, you had music stores with qualified repair people to deal with minor quality control issues such as this. Now so many purchases are done through the mail and big box stores that don't make in-store repairs. The expectation is that with even minor problems we'll just ship it back. It removes the connection between the musician to the manufacturer, which is unfortunate for everyone.

[Gilmourisgod]

Back in the day, manufacturers had paid staff at the factory who's job it was to fix minor problems like this before they ever went out the door, or to cheerfully fix legitimate problems that were missed, free of charge, including shipping. It shouldn't be the stores responsibility to correct factory QC problems. I saw the clearcoat chipping issue around brand new Ric bridges (both Jetglos) at GC with my own eyes. They just sell them as-is, with such slim margins and poorly paid staff, thats no surprise. Every company has QC issues occasionally, a reputation is earned or blown on how a company deals with these issues, in other words Customer Service.

[geofio]

Correct Alexander, i understand things can go wrong or mistakes are made, to me this is just laziness , whoever the person was that installed the wiring must have seen this , stumps of wood sticking up !!! they just thought ah fire the jack in there no one will see it anyway !!! that is my perception, if it were my company i would make sure i had a guy at the end of the line checking for such defects and not to let the guitar leave the factory sub standard, as i said i posted on the Rickenbacker forum , their way of dealing with my complaint was to delete my post. that says it all to me. no more new ric's for me.

[Kiddwad57]

You guys are right of course. There is a big difference between gnarly wood around a jack under a pick guard and clear coat issues around the bridge, and neither should happen. Quality control should be much tighter for higher ticket items and Customer Service should make everything right. If a customer makes their dissatisfaction known on a company's forum, they should get in touch with that customer and figure out a way to smooth out the situation instead of removing the post. If they did, it is likely that a customer would amend the post themselves, to everyone's advantage.

I do remember the days when stores had wider margins and could afford to hire people to deal with the issues that were within the scope of possibility. It was actually a cheaper way for everyone to deal with minor issues and this type of service fostered customer loyalty. Now it is up to the manufacturer to insure that their products leave the factory minty fresh or they will likely see the returns or suffer blows to their reputation. I don't know anyone who feels loyalty to the big box stores, including the employees. I miss the variety of smaller stores that we used to have in our area, all closed now because of those big outfits. Personalized service is rare these days.

[jdogric12]

Correct Alexander, i understand things can go wrong or mistakes are made, to me this is just laziness , whoever the person was that installed the wiring must have seen this , stumps of wood sticking up !!! they just thought ah fire the jack in there no one will see it anyway !!! that is my perception, if it were my company i would make sure i had a guy at the end of the line checking for such defects and not to let the guitar leave the factory sub standard, as i said i posted on the Rickenbacker forum , their way of dealing with my complaint was to delete my post. that says it all to me. no more new ric's for me.

Before I say this, let me remind you, I've reversed my position and now agree with you - and still do.

If your tone on the corporate forum was like it is here, are you surprised they wouldn't want that on their corporate website?

Let's even give you the benefit of the doubt and look at it only quantitatively instead of qualitatively. You're simply restating your original complaint over and over. This is no longer a discussion for you, just a rant.

You're right, and we definitely get it, but if you don't want to impart thought or insight, or affect any real action (like requesting action by RIC or one of its distributors or dealers), then just let it go. This forum is not a soapbox for you to broadcast your unhappiness with the company. Try TalkBass or plenty of others where Rick-bashing, some deserved and some undeserved, is more welcome.

I'm genuinely sorry this happened to you. I have had similar experiences and know where you're at right now. It's not fun. And now, it's been years since I bought a new Rick, preferring the vintage ones. Perhaps this is the right time for you to similarly adjust your course. Good luck.

[geofio]

mmmmmm, interesting reaction there, Don't know how to reply to that to be honest, so i won't bother, but i will say i was just pointing an issue out and the way that Rickenbacker dealt with it, which i am not happy about, my bass is sorted by myself, i would never rely on Rickenbacker to sort an issue anyway , i fix my own problems, i only wanted to make folks aware of what is going on.