Hello

ghs_boomer · Post by **ghs_boomer** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:01 am

I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say hay!
Heres a photo of my "98" 4003
Thanks

ghs_boomer · Post by **ghs_boomer** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:09 am

Post-script,
I'm not the best with a digital camera as you can tell by the "Flash" .
sorry. I plan on replacing the bridge with a BadAssII shortly. I have had nothing but trouble with the bridge's innotation (spelling?) screws.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:09 am

Welcome Mike.
Beware, this site is addictive...

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:21 am

It's 'intonation'.
Welcome aboard, Mike.
Check the thread 'Pictures Of Your Rickenbacker Basses' (54 threads down) for pictures of some of the guys' Rick basses.
That's a great looking 4003 you got. I had never seen a recent 4003 in such a beautiful 'Mapleglo' finish. Do you own other Rick basses?

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:22 am

Mike, I'm well aware of the stock bridges' short comings but replacing it with a Badass bridge is a cosmetically irreversible mod that WILL lower the value of your instrument. Elsewhere on this site there is a section on modifying the bridge to work properly. Using that info along with a few of my own ideas, I've been able to make it easily adjustable and stable.

dead_in_okc · Post by **dead_in_okc** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 11:52 am

Welcome....and I agree...(don't change your bridge)...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:05 pm

The badass bridge will alter the tone as well ... the ric bridge/tailpiece is cumbersome but beautiful ... you have to loosen the strings and remove the bridge and then turn the screws to adjust intonation and then replace it and retension the screws ... and sometimes repeat the process 2 or 3 times ... but once it is set you are done ... I also really hate the mechanical mute and the ric-o-sound "features" ... but the 4003 is such a fine bass in spite of its problems ...

ghs_boomer · Post by **ghs_boomer** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:27 pm

Here is my other Rick a 4001 with checkered binding and "Me" with the classic "i have my eye's closed" look.(photo taken in 1981) When i bought this back in 77, it had a big DeMarzio pickup in the bridge position. Who ever installed it, carved out alot of wood under the pick guard to make the pickup lay in correctly.
I had it totally rewired and put a new Rick bass pickup and pickguard installed.
I still have the bass but it's at my brothers house. (for the past 22 years).

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:57 pm

Welcome to the forum Mike. Hey, do I see full fingerboard width crushed M-O-P inlays in the neck of that bass? Very nice !
I have a BadAss Bridge on one of my Rick basses. It sounds good...but not necessarily better than an original bridge. I bought it like that, but I have the original bridge that I would like to modify it back to original with. unless I do some Jeff Rath type of 5 string mod to it.I hate the way the BadAss bridge looks on a Rick.
I'm sure you can find a solution to intonating the bridge. I've managed to well intonate the bridges of 4001 basses tuned to BEAD.

ghs_boomer · Post by **ghs_boomer** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:06 pm

The problem with my 4003 is when i tried to adjust the intonating screws, i could hardly move them and i completely stripped the "G" string screw.
Also the screws don't fit flush to the bridge and i cant get the bridge to lower. (they get caught on the tail piece. Now, with the "G" string screw removed i can get that part of the bridge to go down to the level that i want.
I might mark the saddles and remove the remaining screws so i can get the rest of the bridge to lower.
I really would appreciate and help in this area.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:22 pm

Mike, I also have trouble raising / lowering the action on the bridge on my 4003S/5 when I first got it. It has black hardware and I think the thickness of the black coating of the tailpiece makes the bridge stick, so have to loosen the strings and manually move it to where I want it and adjust the height screws.
You might need to have the holes for the intonation screws countersunk. The heads of the screws sticking out of the bridge can keep the bridge from properly sitting in the tailpiece and that can keep your intonation from being accurate.
I have an idea for a simple mod to the Rick bass bridge to help intonation, but I would need access to a machine shop to prove my idea will help.

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 4:36 pm

I was going to post a pic and description of my bridge and mods but even after shrinking file size to a lame 35k I was given an error screen telling me it was still too big. I don't have this problem on any other site.

bear · Post by **bear** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 5:21 pm

Dane,

Are you files more than 500 x 500 actual pixel size dimensions?

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 5:26 pm

One of the sizes was below and one was above for a total file size of 35k, below the 36k limit and still it would not work. I've gotten it to work in the past but when it does, the pic looks like it was taken through a shower door.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 6:21 pm

on three of my 4003s5 basses I had to remove the bridge from the tailpiece and sand/grind a few milimeters off so it fit in better ... and I ground a little on the tailpiece as well ... but all three were black trim ... so I assumed that the black trim coating reduced the clearance of the parts fitting together ...