Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

This question is for the ones who have owned or do own both a 4003 and a 4004L or Cii, not necessarily simultaneously, but at one time or another.

If you had both basses and had to give one up, which one would you give up and why?

Jack

Good question. I have a 4004C and 2 4003 and 2 4001 basses. Last to go would probably be the 4003S. Even though I play the 4004C more at the weekly jams, I bond better with the S bass because of the sound, feel, and magnetic horseshoe treble pup.

Since I started this I'll weigh in with the conclusion I've come to after owning a 2010 4003 since April and picking up 2009 Cii. Even though the 4003 is identified more as the traditional Rickenbacker bass guitar, I would keep the Cii. Why? The Cii is lighter, and, for me, is more comfortable to play. The 4003 has the pickup cover, which, for me, is a pain to work around and get off and on, however I would not want to take it off for good, because I do like the look it gives the guitar. Also the extra features that the 4003 has, (the ability to change the tone with one of the control knobs, and the ability to deaden the strings) are of no use to me since I never have a reason to use them.

Well, I have played seven 4004s now--does that count as having some experience with both?

I gravitate towards the tone of the 4003 ever so slightly, and in some ways the feel as well. Plus, I love the stereo wiring setup of a 4003; I find it very useful. Most of the complaints people make about the 4001/4003 don't irk me so I don't see the 4004 as an "improvement", just an alternative. All that said I don't think 4004s are really that different from 4003s; the neck pickups sound quite different and the neck itself feels different and those are the biggest things I notice. The tone of the HB-1s is definitely a bit "crisper" versus that warmth and growl of the Hi-Gains.

/musings, /ramblings

Hmm, one of the best ideas for a topic in a long time.

I've had the tranny red CII. I loved the feel, weight and playablity of this bass, but just couldnt get used to the really, really DARK tone it had.

Just for the record,,,,,, it was the one in the RIC literature, and I was the original owner. How I ended up with it in Ohio was simply luck of the draw. I got it in 6 months back when everyone else on the forum were on a waiting list for theirs seemingly forever. I modded it with concentric vol/tone for each pup to get maximum tonal range out of the bass,,, but still didnt care for the tone.
I went back to 4003's.

Then I picked up the '08 Laredo. Nice bass,,,great sound,,, neck was a bit wide,,,sounded alot better, brighter than the CII,,,could be "the" bass,,but....I couldnt really get the neck to settle down. I worked with it for quite a while and finally sold it. A problem maybe with 2008 Laredo necks? I believe I wasnt the only one. I also modded it V/V/T and put a hipshot A bridge on it to get the action down where I prefer.


I went back to 4003's.

Now I have an '88 V63 that is smoking. I've removed the shoes because they get in my way,,, I love the way they look, but damn,,, they get in my way. great bass, love the tone and how it plays. So I guess I prefer the 4003 or 4001 style.

However, If RIC would make a 4004 Laredo with a 4003 2 piece neck,,,,It could be the perfect Rickenbacker bass for me.

I currently own a 4000, 4001, 4003, 4004L and a 4005 of these five the 4004L is the odd ball out.
I think its a great sounding bass but its a matter of neck/fretboard width. Its too much of a difference for me between the Laredo and the others and unfortunately that means that it spends a lot of time in its case

FWIW I think if the Laredo was the only bass I owned I could get used to it but...

Bottom line.. I would trade it for a 4001/4003 any day

cheyenne wrote:However, If RIC would make a 4004 Laredo with a 4003 2 piece neck,,,,It could be the perfect Rickenbacker bass for me.

They already have and I've played a couple. Ironically I preferred the ones with one-piece necks as far as tone. That's a small sample size of seven (2 + 5) to really say I'd always prefer a one-piece, but it is interesting that the two-piece I was so excited to try out didn't pan out, I kind of wanted to take it home until I test drove it. My favorite so far was an MG one-piece Cii. Someone here bought it on my recommendation IIRC.

I don't mind the neck taper of the 4004 but I do feel more at home on a 4003. Both are equally playable IMO.

I have a 4003, a 4004L, and a 4004 Cii. I think I like the Cii the best for some reason. There's just something about it that keeps pulling me back to it. The sound and feel is just unbelievably balanced.

Are you sure it was a neck with the 4003 dimensions? or just a 4004 2 piece neck?

I'm talking about a 4003 neck on a 4004 laredo.

cheyenne wrote:Are you sure it was a neck with the 4003 dimensions? or just a 4004 2 piece neck?

I'm talking about a 4003 neck on a 4004 laredo.

No, I doubt it was 4003 dimensions. It was a slim-profile 4004-style neck so it had that taper going on.

Sell both, get a 70's 4001!

I currently own 2 4003's - but have in the past owned 2 others....and a 4004L and a Cii.

The looks of the 4004, are for me, a bit of an issue - a little bit annonymous. From many angles, apart from the headstock, it could be any bass. I used to stare at mine from all angles to try to like it more! The lack of binding and pickguard just didn't do it for me.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to own both (you never see them for sale over here), but I always stick to the 4003's. Why? I suppose the tone, looks, shape and feel....basically, the 4003 is everything I want in a bass package. They may not be contoured for comfort like the 4004, but it's a shape that, for me, plays just right...the chunky nature is the nature I like...you really feel part of the bass....when I'm playing, it is an extension of me.

I actually love the pickup cover....other basses without them feel wrong to me now!

For gigs, I'd always for the 4003....even for reasons of pure vanity, I always feel at home with one...and if I was going to get pictured for our webpage or anything else, I always made sure I'd get snapped with an '03!

The 4004's do sound great - the cii in particular is massive.

Would I have another? I don't know. Prices over here are just too much, but I do window-shop at the occasional one. I do love the shape in jetglow. So a 4004cii in jetglow....maybe? But at the expense of a 4003, for me, never.

I've had a couple 4004's and a whole bunch of 4001/3's (as well as a 4002, 4005, and 2030GF).

My 4004's were a 1993 Cheyenne and a 2004(?) Laredo with Dark Star pickups. The DS pickups were cool, but I much prefer the 4001/4003. My 4004's are all gone now. I don't miss them, and I won't own another.

My $.02: Remove your pickup cover on your 4003. They bug me, they bug you, they are easy to remove, and your 4003 will still look great without it.

The more I play my Cii's, the more I just want to play my Cii's!

A 4004 simply doesn't have the defining place or sound, that the 4001/3 has, and, never will.

That's the decider for the vast majority of past, present and future Ric bass owners.