Rickenbacker 4003 Bass (Used)
- Write a Review
- Product #513600
The classic Rickenbacker bass!
The Rickenbacker 4003 Bass is famous for its ringing sustain, treble punch, and solid underlying bottom end. It's also famous for its distinctive, elegantly curved body shape, accentuated by a subtle strip of binding, deluxe triangular fretboard inlays, stereo output, neck-thru-body construction, double truss rods, and high output single-coil pickups with wide response range and brilliant clarity. The Vintage Tone Selector activates a capacitor in the treble pickup circuit to emphasize the high end. Pressed in, you get the familiar 4003 sound, pull it out to add bite and crispness.
Features
- Elegantly curved body shape
- Stereo output
- Neck-thru-body construction
- Double truss rods
- High-output single-coil pickups
- Vintage Tone Selector boosts high-end
- Deluxe triangular fret inlays
Make this classic boomer part of your arsenal today.
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 249 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
86%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Fun to play (13)
- Good tone (13)
- Good pick up (12)
- Solid electronics (12)
- Good feel (10)
Cons
Best Uses
- Practicing (13)
- Recording (13)
- Rock concerts (12)
- Jamming (11)
- Small venues (10)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (12), Professional musician (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Hands Down My Favorite Bass 4003
Like I said, this is my favorite bass. I love this bass so much that I'm contemplating on buying another in Mapleglo. It's given me more motivation to practice and become a better musician...Read complete review
Like I said, this is my favorite bass. I love this bass so much that I'm contemplating on buying another in Mapleglo. It's given me more motivation to practice and become a better musician, so that alone was worth the investment. Compliments and quality aside, it is a rather expensive instrument and while the price and inavailability, add to the allure and reputation of a Ric, it sucks not everyone can own this bass. However, this bass is worth every dollar you put into it. Other than a Fender VI, I'm not sure I'll play another bass again. Love it.
By far my favorite bass I've ever owned (2011 Rickenbacker 4003 Jetglo). Up until this purchase I owned a Mexican J, an American standard J, and an SG bass. I was blown away when I first heard the sound, enough so that I actually sold my J bass and SG bass so I could buy it. Great ric pick ups, three way selector, bass volume, treble volume, with corresponding tone knobs. The new 4003's have a push pull selector on the treble tone knob, that variates between a standard and "vintage Ric" sound. Definitely capable of creating an array of sound, it's no Gretsch White Falcon bass with all those knobs and what not, but the tone is to die for. Classic Ric sound, nothing like it.
Beautifully made. As expensive as Rics are, it's definitely worth the money. Where as Gibson and Fender have moved production overseas and forgotten about quality (production errors, shoddy construction, cheap labor/materials on non-American models), Rickenbacker sticks to its original values and makes a real quality instrument. Beautiful wood, inlays, and finish. I've gotten hundreds of compliments on the Jetglo (mostly from non-musicians) so I figure it looks pretty bad ass. Expensive, but definitely worth the price.
Expensive, but worth it. Made in America, and with good maintenance and care it will hold its price. Comes with a newer hardshell case, I love the look of the vintage silver and blue Ric cases, but I have a feeling the case it comes in might be a bit more durable. A Rickenbacker is a great investment, and while I try not to think about money when looking for a prospective guitar/instrument, I'm certain it will hold it's price over the years (at least in comparison to more mass produced models).
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
It's a Rick, no doubt, but over-valued.
I own two 4003's, one a 1999, and the other, a 2009. Both sound great, and have the unmistakeable Rickebacker tone. The 1999 model is a bit more authentic in appearance ...Read complete review
I own two 4003's, one a 1999, and the other, a 2009. Both sound great, and have the unmistakeable Rickebacker tone. The 1999 model is a bit more authentic in appearance and sound, however, but the 2009 is a little hotter, and has a slightly more slender neck. Both have some build-quality issues. Both suffer from occassional static, and jack connection problems, as well as pickup switch issues (I soldered both of mine to center the switch on both to eliminate this). The Rick logo on 1999 was bowed from factory, and the 2009 has a defective bridge. The 1999 aged fast, which looks ok, but the finish can't deal with the rigors of gigging for more than 10 years. The 2009 looks to have some corner-cutting, very noticeably in the inlays that now go to the edge of the fret-board, possibly because they're easier to seamlessly cut. I'll be honest in that I would not buy a Rickenbacker 4003 for safe-keeping or as a collector's item. Both of mine feel very cheaply produced, or with lack of QA and craftsmanship. I believe the only redeeming quality standard is in the neck and how well it maintains shape for the life of the bass, how light they are, and how well they maintain tone. Otherwise, they're quite over-priced in my opinion, and the ONLY reason I would buy another is to ensure I keep the tone that I use. Rickenbacker is still resting on its laurels, and don't seem concerned enough with quality of the instrument vs. price.
Reviews
Reviewed by 249 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-10
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Craftmanship Is Perfect
- Easy to play
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Perfect finish
- Solid Electronics
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- School Bands
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
Midnight Blue 4003
Jan 13 build date
I own 5 other basses:
* Fender American P Bass
* Fender American Jazz Bass
* G&L JB2
* Gibson RD Bass
* Custom walnut Jazz bass
I added the Rick to my collection last week and absolutly love the sound. I thought I would never find a better sounding bass than my custom Jazz Bass but this new Rick sounds and plays better. I paired it with a Ampeg SVT-CL 4-10 cab and it sounds great!
So far I have kept the Rick strings it came with but am thinking about trying a set of balanced Circle-K strings.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
- See Below
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
First off, this is a truly excellent and unique bass. I highly recommend it. However, do not, I repeat DO NOT buy one from Musician's Friend. Their entire stock is old, from circa May 2011, and literally EVERY Jetglo (black) model they have is defective, with paint chipping and cracking around the tailpiece. I cannot speak for the other colors' paint quality, but they are definitely all at least 2 years old. I was sent THREE Jetglo 4003's, one after another, all of which shared the same defect. Customer service was lazy and apathetic. Finally, since the basses are so old, Rick's one-year fit and finish warranty is null and void. There's a reason these basses are so hard to come by everywhere else on the Internet. I suggest you wait it out and buy your 4003 from someone who cares.
Pros
- Cool To Have
- Fun To Play
- Its A Rick
- Over Priced
Cons
- Inconsistent Neck Profile
- Over priced
- Poor Quality Craftsmanship
Best Uses
- Collectible Only
- Just To Show Off
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
when I first played this bass I was vary happy:) but this bass scares me! every time I play it I'm afraid that I'll break it.and if you do good luck finding replacement parts(for example the pick up). another thing is don't just judge it based on reviews and videos, because the profile of this bass is vary weird. so try to find one that you can play.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- School Bands
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
I tried not to like this bass for a long time because it was expensive and I knew I could get rid of it quick if I needed to. But man it plays and feels great! I love the Ric strings that came on it. The tone is just nasty in a good way. The playability, look, and feel are very nice. It just flat out rules! You may not want to use it for every style of music but its great for most.
My only gripe is that on the fretboard inside the gloss finish there are a couple of flecks of something(like binding shavings maybe).
I just don't think that should even be possible for an instrument that costs this much. But they are hand made and I guess that is the nature of this beast. I had a choice between three of them in different colors and they all had little things like this.
It wasn't a deal breaker for me I bought it anyway in the fireglo color. I have no regrets and in my opinion it is the only bass that sounds the way it does. So buy it! New or used you will be happy that you did!
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
- The Sound Is Everything
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Great Rock N Roll Bass
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
Great clarity , super sustain , great balance when strapped on , craftmenship is second to none !
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
- Stunning Looks
Cons
- Inconsistent Neck Profile
- Poor Customer Service
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- School Bands
- Small Venues
- Works Everywhere Anywhere
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
rickenbackers are an aquired taste, great craftsmanship, value holds bar none.sound fantastic to me! my only beefs are personal,its almost impossible to penetrate the thick wall of their customer service. the neck profile is too big for me,while they did flatten the neck profile in the past year or so, they beefed up the sides of the neck,making it the same in turn as before. not for small hands or people with any hand issues. WISH they had a year to year neck profile chart
Pros
- Classic
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
- expensive
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
I really couldn't be happier with this Ric. The neck is more slender and the fret board slightly wider than the '87 Jazz Special I've been playing. The action was perfect, right out of the box, and it plays like butter, all the way up the neck. It sounds terrific, great sustain, and is, contrary to reputation, easily as versatile as my Jazz. The push/pull knob (which I use a lot) and the Ric-o-Sound (which I have yet to use at all!) are welcome additions. The pickups are maybe not quite as hot as the Jazz, by about 10%, but it hasn't been any sort of issue for me. I suppose if you are playing with everything at 11 it might cause trouble, but if you are at 11 all the time it is time for a new rig anyway, right?
It's surprisingly light for a big bass and has a balance to it that is not apparent until you spend some time with it. You can hold it with one finger under the upper bout.
Comes with Schaller strap locks installed, so get your strap ready for it. They'll work with an unmodified strap but the nuts are smaller than the regular strap nut, so you are asking for trouble. You are spending that kind of money on a bass that will last you the rest of your life, drop 20 clams on the strap locks.
Finally, it isn't the most important thing but this bass is just beautiful - classic, distinctive lines, and a killer gloss finish. There's a whole world full of ugly, indifferent looking basses and the 4003 really stands out as a distinctive, classic look.
Highly recommended.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- GREAT sound
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
I love this Bass!! I gigged with it on New Years Eve 2012 and had so many compliments on its looks and sound. I have Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, Musicman Sterling HH 5 string and Stingray HH Slo Special and I tell you for certain that there isn't anything like the Rickenbacker 4003, it has the great looks, feel and that Rickenbacker growl!!. If you are looking to add to your bass collection you can't leave out the Rick 4003. You wont regret it!
Pros
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
This bass looks amazing, and sounds amazing too. Great low end growl. The problem is it's not a comfortable instrument to play...*at all*. The fretboard is too narrow for my liking, and I don't like the lacquer used to cover it.
The biggest problem though I find its just flat out uncomfortable to play because of the sharp edges on the front of the guitar. after playing my 4003 for a couple hours my hand feels way more cramped vs. my precision basses with their rounded edges.
I wanted to *love* this bass (i own 4 rickenbackers), but i only like it. Really, how an instrument feels in the hands of the player is so subjective. My gripes about the 4003 may not be an issue at all to someone else. Bottom line, try it before you buy it, if possible.
I don't regret buying it, because I do play it occasionally and it looks beautiful, but if my house was burning down, i'd be grabbing a P bass before my 4003.
Pros
- Fun To Play
- Good Feel
- Good Pick Up
- Good Tone
- Solid Electronics
Cons
Best Uses
- Jamming
- Practicing
- Recording
- Rock Concerts
- School Bands
- Small Venues
Comments about Rickenbacker 4003 Bass:
This is the genuine article. Not a copy, knockoff or reasonable facsimile. The materals and craftmanship used in creating this instrument are definitely first rate. The hardshell case included with this instrument is one of the best I've ever seen. This tells me that the people at Rickenbacker want this bass to live a long, happy, productive life. The fretboard is very wide at the nut. The neck itself has a very shallow "D" shaped profile. This took a little getting used to at first, but now that I've been playing it for a while, I'm really starting to like it. This particular configuration really frees up the fingers and allows for very precise fretting. One feature that I was not aware of when I purchased this bass, is that the tone control on the bridge pickup consists of a push/pull pot which allows for a vintage/modern sound option. While I personally prefer the modern sound of the bass, it's nice to know I can choose the vintage sound if desired. This is a great bass and I highly recommend it.
