Blue Burst 4003 @ Pick of the Rics!
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Blue Burst 4003 @ Pick of the Rics!
Buy it before someone else does
- sloop_john_b
- Rick-a-holic
- Posts: 13843
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:00 am
Weather and photography skills are working against me. This is a tough color to capture with the digital camera.
Overall, the finish reminds me of the spray pattern Rickenbacker uses with the Fireglo finish, with one major exception.
The front and back of the bass body do not fade to clear maple, but instead to a nice trans blue.
You can easily see the blue burst around the edge towards the binding and the wood grain towards the center.
This is an awesome non-metallic finish, and I'm really not doing it justice, here. The chrome really reflects the finish, giving it sort of a blue cast, which is a nice effect.
This is my first new Rickenbacker bass in 6 years, but I also have a '97 4003. I've noticed some differences between these two 4003's.
First, the shape of the neck is different, and I could feel the difference immediately. At the 5th fret, the distance around the neck is at least 1/8th" greater. The differences are not in the fretboard/binding width, but with the more rounded backside of the neck. It's a little deeper, and more rounded. I'm still not sure I prefer it, but it is very similar to the 4003 neck I had on the '88 Blackstar.
The second difference is with the case. This bass shipped with a hardshell SKB case with a black (not blue) interior and chromed clasps (that work), a small recessed RIC corporate logo riveted to the cover, and a much larger interior accessories recess (still no cover). In short, it's a decent case, but you've really got to watch the latches when removing the instrument!
This bass was built the first week of 2005. A great bass, with top notch build quality in an excellent finish. Can you imagine that finish on a 381V69 guitar, possibly with black guards?
Overall, the finish reminds me of the spray pattern Rickenbacker uses with the Fireglo finish, with one major exception.
The front and back of the bass body do not fade to clear maple, but instead to a nice trans blue.
You can easily see the blue burst around the edge towards the binding and the wood grain towards the center.
This is an awesome non-metallic finish, and I'm really not doing it justice, here. The chrome really reflects the finish, giving it sort of a blue cast, which is a nice effect.
This is my first new Rickenbacker bass in 6 years, but I also have a '97 4003. I've noticed some differences between these two 4003's.
First, the shape of the neck is different, and I could feel the difference immediately. At the 5th fret, the distance around the neck is at least 1/8th" greater. The differences are not in the fretboard/binding width, but with the more rounded backside of the neck. It's a little deeper, and more rounded. I'm still not sure I prefer it, but it is very similar to the 4003 neck I had on the '88 Blackstar.
The second difference is with the case. This bass shipped with a hardshell SKB case with a black (not blue) interior and chromed clasps (that work), a small recessed RIC corporate logo riveted to the cover, and a much larger interior accessories recess (still no cover). In short, it's a decent case, but you've really got to watch the latches when removing the instrument!
This bass was built the first week of 2005. A great bass, with top notch build quality in an excellent finish. Can you imagine that finish on a 381V69 guitar, possibly with black guards?
- rickenbrother
- RRF Moderator
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: Sun May 26, 2002 5:00 am
Greg, very nice ! congrats and enjoy it!! Your bass left the factory quickly! My 4004/5Cii has a manufacture date of March 2004...it didn't leave the factory until August 2004.
As far as the case is concerned, I prefer the SKB from a few years ago with the blue interior and non chromed clasps. The case I got with my 4004/5Cii is like the one you just got. The clasps on the new case do not close as well and there is too much room in the in the area where the body of the bass goes. There have been several incidences of shipping damage to the side of the bodies of brand new 4000 series basses jusr before the output jack plate, since there is not enough padding...even a few more instances recently about these cases getting crushed in shipping. Geez what's going on at SKB?
Pepsican said: "I'm suprised someone bit at the price they were asking, but then pickofthericks is a little on the high side"...
...Maybe POTR is a little on the high side for used Ricks (like who isn't?!!), but whenever I've inquired about new ones, I've always gotten a price that was just as good as or better than anyone elses lowest price.
As far as the case is concerned, I prefer the SKB from a few years ago with the blue interior and non chromed clasps. The case I got with my 4004/5Cii is like the one you just got. The clasps on the new case do not close as well and there is too much room in the in the area where the body of the bass goes. There have been several incidences of shipping damage to the side of the bodies of brand new 4000 series basses jusr before the output jack plate, since there is not enough padding...even a few more instances recently about these cases getting crushed in shipping. Geez what's going on at SKB?
Pepsican said: "I'm suprised someone bit at the price they were asking, but then pickofthericks is a little on the high side"...
...Maybe POTR is a little on the high side for used Ricks (like who isn't?!!), but whenever I've inquired about new ones, I've always gotten a price that was just as good as or better than anyone elses lowest price.
JETGLO should officially be renamed JETGLO ROCKS! 
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loendmaestro
- Intermediate Member
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