Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anybody doing this with 4001 or 4003 style basses? The tight string spacing on the 4003/5 was a turn-off for some (or so I've read, never seen a 4003/5 in the Wild), wondered if anybody strings their bass this way. Since the scale is 33.25", wondering if the B string would feel too floppy unless it was a heavy-guage string. Other than replacing the nut and re-filing the bridge saddles, any other big concerns to consider?

This works real well on a 4003. I've even done it on a short scale 3000 before, and you'd be really surprised at how good the stock .115 RIC B string sounded on a 30" scale.

iirc,there's less tension on a BEAD setup than the standard EADG,so any Rick bass should actually handle it pretty well. I have done that with a NonFender J bass,as well as a neck through Peavey Dyna with great results. The main thing is you "might" need a new nut to accommodate the string changes.

woodyng wrote:iirc,there's less tension on a BEAD setup than the standard EADG,so any Rick bass should actually handle it pretty well.

Typically this has been the case, but I use Kalium balanced tension strings with a .130 B string I think, and the tension on these strings is just about the same as their standard set of .106's for a four string bass.

I do BEAD on the 4003 with wonderful results.

Yep, i string all my Basses BEAD.
I had a 4003s5, beautiful Bass but string spacing was a little tight.
Guages I use 60, 80, 100 and 125.
Tension seems perfect to me.
I had to install a hipshot bridge on my 08 to get the intonation right but my Snowglo was pretty much spot on.
Try it, you'll have to get a file to the nut though.

I did that on my JG to try out the range, and help decide whether I'd like a 5 stringer in the house.It stayed that way a couple of months, and the neck didn't complain.