I own a 4003, was taught how to maintain it, do the adjustments myself, once or twice a year and it plays like a dream. I understand there are a lot of rick snobs out there, and anti rick snobs too. I went through a zillion basses and the rick worked for me, I play in four drastically different styles of bands and mine does it all. I didn't go by brand name, or whatever, it's what felt right and sounded right in my hands. I put mine through its paces and it's never let me down. I am a picker, and the prefer the horseshoe cover. I had them put on other basses ive owned. I know some rick snobs only talk about colour, and collectability, but I am an actual gigging musician. And anti rick snobs say they aren't a working instrument. Going on six years of constant gigging and rehearsing, the rick takes whatever I throw at it.
Hey Adam the neck on my 4003 has almost no bow at all and I got severe fret buzz if The truss rods were adjusted for a slight bow would that help with the fret buzz? If so how would I adjust the truss rods?
@@Darryl6636@adambell3809 C’mon Adam, let’s start 2024 as we mean to go on, ay fella? Let this be the year the knowledge is shared.. Please give Darryl some hints and tips on how to handle that pesky dual trussrod bamboozler! 🥳🎸
As the owner of a '73 4001 which I bought new that year, I have to tell you I laughed till I cried at your commentary. Absolutely dead right on. (But I still love her. I guess love is blind.)
Sir I love Rickenbackers too but Dave has a point they're great studio basses and all but my God I will never bring my Rickenbacker outside the studio because it's in pristine condition and it's from 1978
Me too! I fell in love with the growl and the looks of the Rick bass when I was a 13 year old Motörhead fan. But this video (and a couple more of Dave’s!) brought my attention to so many issues that tick boxes on my ‘things I hate on guitars and basses list’ that I’m thankful I never bought one. Cheers Dave, and Happy New Year all! 🥳
This is still my all time favorite RU-vid video. I played bass for many years but no longer owned one. I had played rics in the past and liked them so in 2015 when I decided to buy another bass. I thought I’d buy a ric. So I started researching them. Thank God I found Dave and watched this video. I bought a Jazz and 2 G&L basses since then.
@@artrogers3985 I'm keeping it to sell when Rickenbacker goes (inevitably) bankrupt. I'm sure one of these Rick fan-boys will pay me a huge sum for it then.
@@TenFalconsMusic I hope it pays off for you but I think there’s gonna be a lot of them floating around. Do you know something about Rickenbacker going out of business? I would think that John Lennon’s ric would keep interest up for many years. Cheers
Yes I was thinking of buying one also, but spending that much money was too much for me. So instead I went and bought a 5 string Steinberger spirit for a forth of the price of a rick. But even though I didn't buy a rick, I still think they are excellent basses.
Last week I swapped a 2016 Fender Elite Jazz for a 2017 Ric 4003s. Biggest mistake I ever made. The Ric is a bag of shit in comparison to the Elite. It’s not until you live with it for a week before you realise you’ve made a huge error.
I love Ric Basses. And if you like to tinker, Rics are actually fun. The new Ric 4003's have been updated with better truss rods, pickups and finishes. That F'n tailpiece still sucks but Hipshot makes a great replacement. Screw that goofy Ric mute and shove some foam under the strings ala James Jameson.
First off, I'm not one of those Rick snobs who only plays in the basement and talks only about colour...I use my rick for everything. Built like a tank, haven't had to do much for maintenance-nothing major-I play and gig it constantly-hardly goes out of tune-everything from blues, jazz, folk to death metal, it's capable of everything. Maybe you got a bad one? Only time I need to do anything to it is to give the truss rods a crank twice a year when the weather changes (I'm in Ottawa, ontario Canada) After constant beatings, both live and studio, it hasn't let me down yet. I chose it not for the name, but because I liked the sound and feel. It's a 2007. Cheers.
I've owned 4 Ricks in my life, and loved every single one of 'em. And the only string I ever broke was a brand new Rotosound on a P-bass. Never used Rotosound since. Give me Ernie Ball any day.
The mental image of a younger Dave doing a Pete Townsend with his Rick on a steel dumpster is priceless! Keep up the good work and God bless the memory of Leo Fender.
Just food for thought...my '74 4001, that I've owned since 1998, has never broken one string. And until recent years, I had been using the stock bridge. As for the pickup output, I never had a problem keeping up with the rest of the band, and I didn't use the special Ric-O-Sound splitter. The bass is actually louder than my Nordstrand-equipped Jazz Bass. Sure, there are some lemons out there, I just think the good ones deserve representation too.
i bought a 4001 in 1980. Same reasons as many, squire, McCartney, and Lee. at the time i was heavy into Rush so i ordered a black 4001 from the factory. i was floored that the serial number is 2112!!!! i still have her. very unique sound, but it stays at home for studio use only.
Seen about 100 of this guy's videos so far - this tickled me most. I wonder if he knows how funny he is, as the quips he makes in his everyday life with people around him probably don't go over the same as to the rest of us hearing perfectly balanced bathos Nice Ricky ornament. Wanted one once - and it would have gone up in value. Interesting to hear how ropey they are
He's from central Ontario north of Toronto - It's a fairly regional accent often confused as a fully Canadian accent as it was made famous by Bob and Doug McKenzie (Moranis and Dave Thomas) of Second City on the Great White North sketches in the 80's
If you listen to the way this guy talk's, you can tell why he is breaking the strings :) I bought mt first Ric in the 70's and bought 2 more later, but never broken a string. They have all been on the road, and never had any problem with any of them.
Dave, Rickenbacker’s are quirky instruments that have a unique sound. Years ago I had a 4001 bass that had virtually no output...compared to my Fender P-Bass. To get my old 4001 up to par, I used an Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 to boost the signal. It worked. More recently, I purchased a new 4003 bass which has more power and a very full sound (unlike the 4001s thin sound). My 4003 only works with Rickenbacker gauge strings .045, .055, .075, .105- so I’m limited to where I can buy strings. But I love the sound so much, it’s okay. I wish you would have had a happier experience with your 4001. I do understand your frustration when an instrument lets you down on a gig. My best to you and thanks for making us laugh and smile!
Dave - You're right about the bad output on the Rick, that's why I routed out the wood and installed a Dimarzio Jazz Bass pickup and added a Badass bridge. Made a big difference. Soon afterwards I realized that the Fender Jazz bass is the only bass you need to own.
... oh, I forgot to add..... my 4001 stays in tune literally for weeks at a time. Seriously! Lowest action of ANY bass I have ever played too. This old thing is incredible! I would sell my right nut (ok, I admit, its the smaller of the two) before I sold this thing.
From the Rickenbacker FAQ page (and possible explanation for why older Rics had low output, esp. on treble pickups)... "What is the difference between a 4001 and a 4003? "... the 4001 was wired with a capacitor on the treble pickup, which cut all the low-end sound out of the signal. In the 4003, this design feature was dropped. "...The .0047mf cap (not to be confused with the .047mf cap on the tone pots) was added in between the treble pickup and its volume pot. It essentially cut all the low frequencies out of the signal. This was a feature of nearly all Rickenbacker guitars and basses throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and was removed from the circuit starting about 1984. "The advantage was a crisp, chimey treble pickup (particularly effective on the 12 strings). The disadvantage was somewhat of a loss of output from the pickup. "The exact location of this cap in the circuit can be seen on this Rickenbacker guitar schematic: www.rickenbacker.com/pdf/19502.pdf "It is a simple enough modification wherein it can be tried out and then put back to stock if the output is too lacking, or perhaps a switch can be made which brings the cap in and out. "
Why would anyone ever take their Rickenbacker to a luthier who openly displays such a dislike for them?. You just know you're going to get a better job done from a guy who appreciates what he's working on.
I remember when you could buy a used rick for 350 to 450 all day long.i don't remember when I made the switch to fender but I never looked back.i have over 13 fenders now.i love them.each one has its own sound
Owned a 4001 since 1978, never had any of these issues. Only complain is the bridge design vs intonation which I can put up with it because of the amazing snappy sound. Dave you are such a drama queen man!
As far with Ricks, The bridge, Do like like Geddy Lee did, Put a Badass bridge and those Schaller tuning pegs on them. Notice he didn't use the original bridge on his Ricks!
Absolutely. They can be set up to be awesome players. I don't know why people think the pickup output is low, might be a hair low. The DC resistance of these pickups is in the ball park with the DC resistance of other single coil pickups for 4 sting basses. I know the pickup you can't see is usually (much) too far from the string and the adjuster doesn't lock and it can and does drift over time. Stronger springs (hardware store) really help and so does one drop of rubber cement.
*The Rickenbacker Bass N E E D S* > > > *1*. Just one Two-Way Truss Rod w/two Graphite Reinforcements. *2*. Humbuckers/NO covers. *3*. Stainless Steel Frets. *4*. Hipshot Hardware. *5*. Volute. *6*. Twenty-Four Frets. *7.* Move the switch.
Rifle Twist the special 4003AC signature model has a one trussrod system, and an improved bridge to boot. Also they made a one off 4030 model which had 24 frets. If they could combine these features into a new bass, that would be game changing
Hey man, Rickenbackers are some of the most amazing basses I've ever played. Just defending what I love. Sorry if you can't respect that, just didn't appreciate seeing someone go out of their way to put them down.
I'm with Dave. Fender basses are workhorses and ubiquitous. You don't see many bass players playing Ricks and there is a reason for it. I find their basses are more on looks and less on playability.
we have a 1974 4001S that has been used by 2 generations of hard rock/metal bass players in our family. It has been used in over 3,000 performances for all types of music. The neck never moves from performance to performance while touring, unlike some other brands. Other than changing strings, haven't had to do much to it in nearly 40 years. The output signal might be a bit weedy but match it to a decent amp & wattage and you get a sound unmatched by anything else. If you can get a Rick..buy it.
Even as a Rickenbacker owner, I find this video extremely funny. Your so called rant was hysterical. I'll keep my bass, haven't broken any strings *yet*, but I do agree that the string mutes are a joke, and that the pickups are VERY quiet.
I got a 16' ric bass. I think they buffed out some of the kinks. The output is definitely improved, it's clear from their push-pull "vintage" set up now which I'll probably never use. The playing location is a preference thing, I have been playing it non-stop and I haven't been able to hit the selector switch by accident. I don't think the hand rest is in the way, even fenders have them, not a big deal. I've got a 62' reissue JB, I think the controls on that make more sense, but it's not like I can't get a loud range of tones on the ric. Maybe it's something for the older models which from watching your video years ago made me weary. The ric-o-sound just seems like a novelty that I'll never use. I don't setup up my basses by myself so I can't say if the truss rod issue is a big deal or not, maybe give an update on the issues for the newer guitars.
I own a a '73 4001 and a '99 4003. Your comments definitely apply to the 4001: awful frets, low output pickups, etc. But the 4003 has been a fantastic workhorse for me for over a decade. I played at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL for years and toured the U.S. and Europe a few times with a number of groups. The 4003 has been a dream. Totally different animal, in my experience.
I've had no problems with my Rickenbacker. It was made October 1978 and I purchased it in 1980. You're right I hated the strings on it and changed them. I use GHS Boomers Light Gauge Roundwounds. To me they sound the best for the Rickenbacker. Never broke a string on it either. (only time I did break a string is because the Bass slipped from my hand and my fingers caught it by the G String....oops...) Otherwise, never had anything bad to say about the Bass and I still use it to this day....I love the Bass and I think that the feel of the neck is great. Also I have a Gibson Grabber, Dan Armstrong (Plexi) and a Carlo Robelli 8 string. All the basses have the GHS Boomers Lights....
Exactly wrong. I lived in Illinois and Indiana at the time. And had left it in sub zero weather in the van overnight many, many times. Really stupid idea I know. Even still never had a problem with it.
This is funny being a Rick 4003 owner myself. Dave's prose here is rather amusing. I have found that Ricks do have an issue with long term maintenance. The contacts of the input jacks wear out, the ridiculous pickup selector fails because a rubber band is tying the contacts together so, when that oxidizes and breaks... and that dreaded truss rod(s). One has to loosen the A and D strings to adjust them, re-tune them and repeat and repeat until one gets the neck tension right. It's headstock and neck heavy so, some effort is made to keep the neck upwards. And it's fricken heavy overall. Oh yeah, almost forgot it's just about as uncomfortable to play standing up since the front side is not contoured for comfort with one's arm across the top of the body; Mostly an issue for pick players. I agree with the video author it's more of a studio instrument. On the plus side, Rick bases have a unique tight, punchy and low mid range sound like no other.
It isn't a unique tone. Build a bass with a pickup at the virtual 24th and 36th fret positions and you will get 90% of the Rick tone right there. Build the bass out of maple and give it a 31 inch scale length and you will be even closer. Stainless steel bridge saddles and you will be right on the tone.
If anyone is ever planning on ordering a custom guitar -- I highly recommend you ask for these two things -- first, make sure the truss rod adjustment is in some easy to access place, that you can get to without taking the strings off. I prefer them to be at the last fret, with a spoke nut kind of thing (think Ernie Ball Music Man). Second -- neck stabilizers. KTS Titanium rods are great; Ibanez uses them a lot -- but I think Suhr / Charvel etc. use Graphite rods instead...whatever, just make sure there is SOMETHING inside that neck besides the truss rod to prevent it from changing shape. Get those two things and you will be a happy musician on the road; trust me. Having to mess around with your truss rod mid-tour is never ever a good thing. The neck stabilizers keep the neck as stable as possible; so you can go to whatever climate or whatever humidity and they will do their best to make sure you won't have to fuck with the truss rod -- but in the rare case that you do have to, having the truss rod adjustment be someplace that's accessible with the strings still on at full tension (tuned to how you normally tune), will make it bearable.
Hahaha, I bought my ‘75 new, 1000’s of gigs. They are a labor of love. 2 refret jobs and almost in need of another. I have p and j basses but my Ric has an incredible feeling that Fender can’t match.
Gigged a 4001 for years no probs. I DID have a Yamaha Attitude 5 that kept breaking strings though. I was into using Superwounds and it turned out that the V slot in the bridge saddles was too narrow for the hex-core to reach the bottom. Filed the bottom of the slots to a round shape and no more snapping...
Yep, my Ric sent my Fender J bass packing as well. Most people are afraid of the top-end Rics are capable of, and most people are ignorant about the new trussrods and think all of them are as difficult as the older models. My 4003 has a low-mid punch that rivals a P bass, yet it has awesome glassy highs a Fender can't touch.
Never had any problems from my 1976. 4001 rickenbacker still plays like a dream and stays in tune I don’t know what he is talking about he should have fix the bass if he could instead of shooting his mouth as a customer I would’ve been disappointed
I have 2 Rickenbackers and they both had pickups wound by Rick Turner who used to work at alembic I told him "I want to keep that amazing Rickenbacker tone but I want more output" and he said "no problem" so I now have 2 loud ass Rickenbackers that even the sound guy tells me they're too loud
The bassist AND guitarist in my old band used Rickenbacker instruments, the tuning consistency on them was woeful. They literally had to retune after every song, sometimes mid-song. And before anyone shouts "strung wrong!", the guitarist used to work for a reputable guitar builder so he knew how to set up instruments.
What I honest to God don't get is as big as Rickenbacker is, why these design flaws were ever corrected. How much retooling could it possible cost to make that neck with ONE truss rod and move that switch out of the way?
just for those who watch this and stray away from getting a Ric. I got mine when i was 15 and played it till I was 24 and "retired" it because i gigged with it so much the the paint started coming off of it and the only problem i had was a bad jack once and needed to adjust the truss rods from winter to summer climates, other wise i love it and still play it all the time and the out put on mine is the same as my warwick thumb with electronic pick ups. but opinions are opinions
i played a ricky for about 3 years and i loved it never had a any problems even with tuning or breaking strings the one i played was and i’m sure it still is red beautiful bass never had any issues
I laughed out loud at the comments as I too have a stickinthebacker...I waited 20 years to get one..they say never meet your heroes...wish I hadn't ..mines been in its case for 4 years now..My jazz bass blows it away in every single department.. ooo hang on I'm getting angry again...lmao...quality video..thanks
@@Minnevan interesting maybe, but that thin sound, absurd design and shocking build quality are a massive turn off for those that aren't Ric cheerleaders.
Paul got his Ric during the Hollywood Bowl concert in 1964. It was shown to him in February, but Paul was not interested. The fact that no one at RIC had noticed that Paul was left handed had a lot to do with it too. The Ric was also heavier than his light-weight Hofner which may have added to his reluctance to accept the bass. In Bass Player magazine, a couple of years back, Paul explained that he didn't accept the offer until it was presented to him for free. "I'm anybody's for a free guitar"
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff Whatever... here are some simple links that proves my point, though I saw him live in Canada not too long ago ripping on the Ricken. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--DzfpiZiIlY.html www.talkbass.com/attachments/rush-colour274-jpg.1459735/
Good few tips here for people who are having difficulties with rics: 1. Aim for a cliff burton setup (not the pickup setup, that will cause malfunctions) Basically, get light guage strings. You could replace the bridge if you want. 2. Get a thumb rest for any players who pluck with their fingers.
I have a 97 4003. Everybody has their own views about this bass. Mine is, the best bass I have used. I have had none of the problems that was talked about here.
I play extended range instruments quite a bit, and was possibly one of the first groups of musicians you pissed off making fun of the Agile 8-string you were setting up. I probably clicked because I owned one at the time! Regardless, amongst the snark you provide quite a log of helpful information. That said, I've owned and sold two of these Rickebackers, a 4001 and a 4003. Couldn't get along with either one. It baffles me that they wouldn't put a real bridge on the damn things for over SIXTY freaking years. Finally, the last couple of model years they put a solid bridge on. They still have that STUPID pickup cover right where you want to strike the strings, and it leaves a GAPING HOLE if you remove it, that you have to purchase or fabricate a bezel to cover. Lastly, the NASTY, NASTY lacquered fingerboard. WHY?!?!?!?!?!? It's freaking rosewood, oil it and be done, ya morons. Apparently since CA regulated how much lacquer they could legally spray, some of the new ones are going out bare. Still not gonna buy one. Plasticky gimmicky instruments for cultists. YES, they look cool and sound cool. They don't play well, and have MANY flaws. UGH.
I've got a 2006 Rickenbacker 4003 bass. I'm absolutely in love with it and I've really been able to capture a lot of tones I couldn't with my jazz bass/pbass. I tour with it, and I can agree with how funky some of the technical stuff can be. Nevertheless, it's a killer bass. Never had a problem with outputs or output volume as you mentioned. Dave, you're more than welcome to hate on them, you're super knowledgeable. I'm not here to troll your videos, I'm happy with Rickenbacker's products.
I am surprised to hear you talk about the Rickenbacker that way. Admittedly, I do not know much about the instrument, except for that fact that I am a huge Rush fan, and I love the sound Geddy got out of it all those early years. I was almost heart broken when he switched to Fender Jazz... almost. I never pictured these instruments as a cheap guitar.
Just had my '77 Fireglo re-set-up, the pups were dead, got them replaced with Bartolinis. Holy shit does that make a difference, same high end twang that Rics are renouned for but with truck loads of mid and bottom, balls of steel. This is what a Ric should sound like. You can still tell it's a Ric, but like you're playing through a huge tube amp.
@juakinote Howdy. Geddy was actually playing a Jazz before the Ric. He switched to the Jazz several albums in when Rush used a new producer/engineer ("Caveman" is his nickname, I forget his name) wanted to change his sound and go the Jazz + Ampeg tube sound in the mix. I forget which album, here are more details as well: it was the first time they didn't have their regular engineer do the album. I think bass players just want to try something else after awhile.
Totally agree with ya Dave, i have tried multiple Ricks and they were all equally disappointing and shitty.. They sound kinda cool but the playability is almost nonexistent, not very well made either. Keep up the good work man, love your vids!
Hi dave, I own a Rickenbacker 4003 and I like the way it sounds and plays. The one thing I don't like is the goddamn warped neck thing. It doesn't matter what I do adjustment wise! It stays warped! Thanks for your videos! They are hilarious!
Mike Rutherford met you halfway in the 70's, when he had his Rickenbacker bass sawed up - so it could be glued together with a sawed Rickenbacker 12-string for his first custom double-necks. Those things looked and sounded awesome. After a few years he switched to using custom double-necks made from the ground up. And then when Rickenbacker came out with a special factory version...they switched the necks around! Mike's was 12-string on top, bass on bottom, and the Ric people reversed it.
I've owned several over the years. Have 2 4003 models now. My '81 4001 did snap strings, but usually it took 6 month to a year of playing on a set of strings before one popped. They are their own animal. You either love them or hate them. If you love their sound (with underpowered pickups) and their look, it's hard not to drool over them.
this guy's so crabby, i love it. he definately supports the reputation that Rick's have a wonky history with people at least to the touring musician. Two of my biggest idols on bass, Scott Reeder from Kyuss and Geddy Lee from Rush, ended up switching to other more "working class" type guitars. Reeder used an Ibanez ATK . thats the only bass that even REMOTELY sounds like a Rick. And Geddy will always be Geddy no matter what bass he's playing, but damn it, theres no bass that sounds close to a rick.
Hey Dave this is one of your finest. It's so good to hear someone with all your experience and passion for the instrument tell it how it is. Rickenbackers look great but if they screw your strings they screw with your head too and who needs that? Keep up the great work and thanks for your honesty and great delivery!
I would pay anything to have been able to see that show and the aftermath in the back alley where you smash that Rick to bits. I love how you've got to keep stopping to take a few breaths before getting to resentful lol, you crack me up dude.
The problem with the 4001 was that the truss rods couldnt handle roundwound strings. Im really sorry you had a poor experience but if you choose to lift your vendetta towards them I would hope you try a 4003. I love mine with every ounce of my being and it sounds like angels came down from heaven and caressed my amp.
1. he doesn't like change and just wanted to keep it around. 2. hes an awesome bassist, him playing most basses would sound good, especially through the amps he runs through. 3. he probably got it for looks, and is one of the FEW who likes the stock rick tone. even rickenbacker doesnt like the stock rick tone. everyone and their mother changed the original rick electronics around and most of the people who did, ended up switching manufacturers. 4. he has pro techs set up his instruments for him.
Really funny review and story, I "liked" this one even though I'm a long term Rickenbacker (4003) owner and have never had any problems with it, but hey, this is still a very entertaining video, thanks mate!
he one he used with Deep Purple and the one used to record Machine Head had -two- J pickups on it, slanted at an angle. It -still- sounded like a Rick. There was never a "feeble" pickup issue on Rick basses. Early basses had a capacitor in the circuit for the neck pickup which cut the bottom making that pickup weaker sounding.at some point they removed the capacitor. What they did some years back was put the capacitor back in, but made it so it could be switched in and out.
Dave love ur videos. Does the Hipshot Rickenbacker Bridge make things better? I started to get bridge lift and switched out my 4001C64 bridge. It was the second one that started to bend up. I do love my 3 basses Hofner 64' Beatle Bass 1999 American Standard Jazz Bass 2005 Rickenbacker 4001C64 Bass
