Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I got the white on white 4003 today. IMO definatly a refin. Plenty of paint under the truss cover. My question is that isn't the neck on a 4003 supposed to be laquered? If so, it was stripped on this one.

I'm probably going to return it.

Hey Marc,
How about the screw hole pattern under the treble pickup surround? There would be 8 holes in total if the bass' original treble PU was repalaced with the Horseshoe.

I'd love to see a picture of those holes if you could post one.

By the way, does she have body binding?

There's definately binding that was painted over. I've already repacked it to return it. Am I right about the fingerboard?

Yes Marc, the Model 4003 has a lacquered fingerboard. Apparently, all that is white is not heavenly.

OOH I'm sorry to hear that. It looked so nice.

I called the store, they had no problem with the return.The thing that bothers me most is that is such an obvious refin and sanded fingerboard, how could you advertise it as special order?

The other thing is that it seems the 4003 is not for me. I'm going to continue my search for a 4000
or some kind of project.

Marc: Can you explain why the 4003 isn't for you?

Wow, they sure made it look good in the pics. I'd have picked up on it myself Marc, going by the info you had at the time.

Well, Pete, maybe it's just that one, but, the neck felt like a baseball bat. It wasn't comfortable. Also, the workmanship doesn't even come close to the v63 and the price difference isn't that great.

Just my opinion.

Funny thing was, I love that horseshoe so much, I was tempted to keep it just for that.

Marc,
Necks since the mid-'90s have been wide and chunky.
Would be nice if they were a little narrower and thinner.

Does anyone know why RIC makes chunky necks to go with the modern truss rod system? Wouldn't the stronger modern truss rod system allow for thinner necks? The neck of my '86 Shadow has the modern system but is narrower and thinner than the post-mid '90s ones. The Shadow neck is slim and healthy...

Did the necks get thicker in the mid 90's? My 91 is similar to the late 70's 4001's i have tried on many occasions. Its narrow and comfortable but not as thin as my 73 was.

I guess my new 4003 BG (2002) will have a bigger neck, which im actually liking the sound of!

Last month, I checked out a March '94 4003 FG that I had recorded for one song 10 years ago when she had just been purchased by the bassist hired for that session. (Been a long time baby!) She had exactly the same narrow neck and beefy body like my Shadow.

The neck thickness of my Shadow is something between those of my '98 and '72. Owen you'll know what I'm talking about when you get your '02 4003 BG. The chunky neck should make your BG sound a little fatter and less bright than your '91, unplugged.

The early nineties necks are thinner and a little narrower, my 95 4003 has a great neck, thin, just like a late 70's 4001. My 2000 4003 is a little thicker, but you get used to it quickly, I do like the early 90's necks better though.

The neck on my '87 4003jg is a littler slimmer than the one on my '73 4001fg. Maybe the person running the sander the day my 4003 was built was in one of those "moods". You know, like that scene in Caddy Shack where the preacher tells that ethnical joke and that guy is behind him sharpening the spikes of the preacher's golf shoes. Sparks galore. Anyway, I really like the neck on my 4003, but it still does not compare to the one on my 4000.

Always interesting, the neck issues and preferences on Ric basses. To me it is THE issue on which basses do it for me. The 60,s basses for me are ahead of anything else, but then I grew up learning on one. I think what you learn on is a factor too. My 73 FL I played a couple of weeks ago felt a lot thicker and adjustment was needed. Played a 2002 4003 a few months ago and that neck was club like. Nowhere near as user friendly compared to the 60,s. I think the your neck issue preference may be affected by your playing style too. I have a fairly unorthodox playing style and love being up in the second octave with the little pinky working overtime. My finger span bridges between the 7 and 12th frets, 12th and 20th ( not often..), thumb in the mid to lower part of the neck, a style which lends itself to a narrow neck. On a thicker neck that process gets a lot harder...