Just got a new 4003 in Mapleglo

[Colonel Sanders]

I haven’t been posting here for quite a while!

I dropped by today by my local music shop and saw a new Rickie 4003 in Mapleglo. They rarely come by in Oz so I grabbed it.

https://therockinn.com/collections/new ... s-guitar-1

It was cool to see they got back to putting the skunk stripe! It gives a much better look in my opinion. I was pleasently surprised to see that Rickenbacker finally has a decent bridge. The neck pickup pocket also has a decent size. My previous 2011 4003 had a huge neck pocket and it was leaving very little wood between the bottom body wing side (where it meets the neck end) and the actual neck pickup cavity.

I was very surprised (shocked?) to see that the double truss rod is gone. It’s probably better this way I guess on an engineering point of view. But I’ll miss these finicky dual truss rods. It was part of the charm of these basses.

My takeaway is that the current production model is probably the better design of all the Rickies I ever had (about 24 basses manufactured between 1964 and 2011).

It sounds awesome and will most likely steal a lot of playing time from my trusty 73 4001.

[cheyenne]

Congratulations! Nothing like a new Rick!

When I retire in 2025, I think I'm going to treat myself with a new one as well.

[ram]

Great looking bass! Love the grain!!! Congratulations!!!!

[slave]

The Rock Inn? Ha! I was just having dinner @ Hanami Japanese around the corner last night!

I've never seen a Rick 4003 on the walls at the Rock Inn. I bought my '83 AzureGlo 4003 from Melbourne sight unseen, having no idea whether it would agree with me or not, having never seen a Rick 4003 in a shop. And I still haven't!

Good for you! Looks like you got a pretty one.
How are you getting on with the new/thin neck profile?

[jps]

Congrats, Jeff!

I have yet to see any of the new Ricks around here; I'd love to get to feel how the new necks are compared to the two '73 4001s I had.

[Colonel Sanders]

The Rock Inn? Ha! I was just having dinner @ Hanami Japanese around the corner last night!

I've never seen a Rick 4003 on the walls at the Rock Inn. I bought my '83 AzureGlo 4003 from Melbourne sight unseen, having no idea whether it would agree with me or not, having never seen a Rick 4003 in a shop. And I still haven't!

Good for you! Looks like you got a pretty one.
How are you getting on with the new/thin neck profile?

Small world!

I wasn’t aware there was other members living in Perth.

I actually love the thin neck profile. But I’m actually not really bother by neck profiles. All my basses have significantly different neck profiles and I easy adapt.

[Isaac]

I may be the only person who feels this way, but I'd really rather have maple wings on the headstock on a mapleglo.

[Colonel Sanders]

I may be the only person who feels this way, but I'd really rather have maple wings on the headstock on a mapleglo.

Yeah, agree.

If I had a wish list it would be for the 4003 to have the same headstock as the 1972 models, and the wings as per the 73 4001.

Oh.. and crushed perloids as per the 4005XC.

[Isaac]

A maple "skunk stripe" is an interesting idea, too. I've seen a picture of one. I think maybe I like the dark one better, though.

[ricosound]

and checkerboard binding

[cheyenne]

Checker binding too..

[teeder]

20231206_202949.jpgand checkerboard binding

Nice! Love the way the peghead looks.
Do these come with checker binding now?

[bassduke49]

Not as a rule. Retailers sometimes order a special batch in special colors, clear coats, and checker binding. But the shedua/walnut center strip has returned, and the new tailpiece, and (I think) the solitary dual-action truss rod are standard now.

[Colonel Sanders]

Not as a rule. Retailers sometimes order a special batch in special colors, clear coats, and checker binding. But the shedua/walnut center strip has returned, and the new tailpiece, and (I think) the solitary dual-action truss rod are standard now.

Having had 4001/4003 from pretty much all from each decades between 1960 to 2020, I find the new breed of 4003 is the better build with the least amount of “how the heck would someone comes with a stupid solution like this” only Rickenbacker is able to do. This being said my 1973 4001 is still my favorite bass.