Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ten years ago I bought an '81 Fireglo 4003 for $599. Later that year I sold it at a loss because I was a relatively new player and listened to other peoples' negative comments about Ricks.

On July 20, 2005, I went to American Musical Supply and clicked on the "E-MAIL FOR PRICE" button on the Fireglo 4003. Long story short, FedEx arrived at my house the next day with this two month old beauty.

[img]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a328/KPJ/Basses001a.jpg[/img]

I don't ever anticipate selling this one!

Kevin, welcome back to the dark side.

classic bass in a classic color ... congrats ... the new ric is a better bass than the 81 as well ...

Yeah, Jeff, the new ones are better. When I finally realized that a new one was well within my means, I grabbed it. Think about it, a new 4003 sells for a price that is comparable to an American made Precision Bass. Which one is giving you better value? When you can get a versatile, hand-made in America bass for the same price as a mass-produced one, Fender prices seem almost criminal by comparison!

Very purdy....congrats !

You don't know the power of the Dark Side,

You must obey...

Welcome back sir.

you can get a versatile

I dont know if I would call a Ric so much versatile. If you ask me Ric's are kind of in their own little world. If I wanted a truely versatile bass I would go with some kind of active bass. However dont get me wrong. I love the rics sound. Its probly one of my favorite. I love it to death however its not so great for everything. Ehh.... Sorry i had to be luke on this one.

Congrats on the bass. Ehh... Im still waiting. Haha i probly shouldnt even be here.

Hey Kevin, I agree about the Rick negativity. There is a well-known bass store less than two miles from my home called Bass Central, and they seem to not like Rickenbacker at all(although I really like some of the guys who work there).

They warned me about the quality and customer service, among other things, so I was really cautious when I decided I really wanted one.

I can understand why some places complain about service because Ricks are handmade, thus making things move more slowly, which in turn is a really good thing!

Heck, I probably wouldn't have found this forum if I wasn't so afraid of the aforementioned issues, and now I realize that their quality is among the best out there, with proof in the latest Harmony-Central reviews, and right here by forumites.

Well anyway, after listening to the guys at Bass Central, I said I still wanted a bass that sounded like that, and they just said "be careful", and to look for the older ones, because they are more reliable!

That's right before I educated myself here. Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum! (I don't believe I've done that before?)

Negative comments about Ricks is a form of self-induced retardation. There are a lot of players in my area who played my Ricks and either of the fenders I USED to have, and all preferred the fenders. Both Ricks played MUCH better, though they don't quite have as much natural bottom, the definition & punch are clearly superior. And then, obviously, there is the issue of beauty of style and design. Ricks win hands down! Although I would never have pulled the frets out of a Rick to make a fretless (as per Jaco) like I did with my P-bass. Actually, a friend has a new Fender 5 string which sounds awesome through my amp when we played a jam at a local tav recently, but I didn't get to play it myself. He says it's an easy player, so I'm not really prejudiced against any brands, I just like Ricks better.

Guys i never really ment anything bad against Rics. I dont know how you all took that. Ehh...

A lot of people who speak ill of Ricks have never actually played one. How a bass with two pickups, each with its own volume and tone controls, and a three way switch can be considered not to be versatile, is beyond me. I have three distinct tones set, each accessible with a flip of the switch. I can play just about anything in my set with just those three settings. Plus the thing is a freakin' work of art!

Nothing looks like a Rick, plays like a Rick or sounds like a Rick!

There's no question that a RIC is a unique type of instrument, not in the mainstream per se. (Nevermind that the Music and Sound Retailer listed the 4003 as the best selling bass in North America in the over $700 category for 6 months earlier this year.)

If you've always driven a Ford, a Mercedes will seem awfully weird to you.

esp the Gullwing 300!