New basses

[jdogric12]

Pretty cool - I like it! The triangle pickups are quickly growing on me. I wonder if there is even more to them somehow... like different sized magnets or something maybe? Bluetooth?

[cassius987]

I think the pickup bring a way cool retro thing to these basses, and they should placate those who complain about a place for their thumbs to land on, too. It only took me until the second time looking at the new pickups to find they real fit in quite well, overall. A teardrop/4005 pickguard would be perfect and work aesthetically with the new pickup shapes.

+1. Very well put.

I give Ben mega kudos for pushing ahead with this. So brilliant -- love the look and the design. It took some cajones to do this I'm sure, but I think the result is far superior to whatever the "safer" choice might have been.

The pickups are fantastic, as Jeff said, they actually look pretty retro and go great with the Ric vibe. I love the bridge choice too.

If my wife doesn't stop me (fingers crossed), I'll be ordering.

[teeder]

No thanks. Absolutely butt-ugly, IMO.

I would have done something with the 4004.

[cassius987]

I don't want the classic 4001/4003 to 'go away' or be 'improved'. I like the carried forward idiosyncrasies and think they contribute to the sound and overall brand image of rickenbacker. I'm glad the company is stretching...but also scared for the future of the 4003.

I have to politely disagree. I always saw a problem with the huge gap between the 4003 that was "immutable" and the 4004 which attempted to be as modern, sleek, contoured etc. as possible (which I couldn't really enjoy; plus, not a fan of the pickup placement). I've been hoping the 4003S, with its more pragmatic take on the vintage Ric bass compared with the 4003, would emerge as a platform for some innovations that strike a middle ground, and luckily (for me anyway) that seems to be the case here.

Besides... there will always be a market for the 4003 and 4003S. They're not going away soon.

[bassduke49]

I hadn't thought about the "place to rest your thumb" aspect, and that may be the reason for the shape of the pickup. It's hard to see the relief of the shape of the all-black pickup.

I agree that a 4005- or 360-style pickguard would look better and have the pickups surface mounted to the wood neck-through plank like the 4004 series.

[aceonbass]

Put the pickups in the 4002 positions under a 4002 style guard, and I think most Rick enthusiasts would approve. If RIC doesn't wanna leave the truss rod access routes uncovered, they could put a plate over them like Alembic does. The 4000 series guard is no more necessary on this than the old bridge pickup surrounds. If the pickups are gonna remain where they are, then lose the guard, and give the bass a 4005 style guard.

[jps]

I hadn't thought about the "place to rest your thumb" aspect, and that may be the reason for the shape of the pickup. It's hard to see the relief of the shape of the all-black pickup.

Try this.

Detail from RIC photo 2018

[cheyenne]

I guess these are working prototypes. Hopefully the cosmetic details will get smoothed out a bit.

[sloop_john_b]

Ballsy! A long-overdue shakeup. Well done Ben & team!

[T28]

I will probably be ordering one of these once all the details are revealed. New pups are interesting.

[jdogric12]

Would be really cool to see these pickups on a 4004/5!

[jps]

If RIC doesn't wanna leave the truss rod access routes uncovered, they could put a plate over them like Alembic does.

MTD, too.

[lumgimfong]

Looks less like a Ric. Looks kind of like like a Ric/Danelectro hybrid.

[lumgimfong]

I think they would look much better with silver colored pup covers.

[callofcthulhu]

I'm on the fence... I do kinda wish they'd put some lighter y-tuners on it, pull the guard, and call it a 4004. I don't want the classic 4001/4003 to 'go away' or be 'improved'. I like the carried forward idiosyncrasies and think they contribute to the sound and overall brand image of rickenbacker. I'm glad the company is stretching...but also scared for the future of the 4003.

So... any 4004's at Namm?

Put the pickups in the 4002 positions under a 4002 style guard, and I think most Rick enthusiasts would approve. If RIC doesn't wanna leave the truss rod access routes uncovered, they could put a plate over them like Alembic does. The 4000 series guard is no more necessary on this than the old bridge pickup surrounds. If the pickups are gonna remain where they are, then lose the guard, and give the bass a 4005 style guard.

Either one of these would make way more sense than the current freakshow. This version sullies the good name of the original IMO.