Vintage Ric basses

System_Failure

New member
Hey i was wondering if people who own 4003 or 4001 rickenbacker basses from the 70-80's could tell me what exactly they sound like, i'm considering buying a 4003 from the early 80's but as i'm left handed there's no way in hell i'll be able to try one of em out before i buy. Thanks for reading!
 
Listen to the bass on "Revolver", "Rubber Soul", "Sgt. Pepper" and "Magical Mystery Tour". Then come back here and ask your question again.

:cool:
 
Buy the darn thing, it's worth every penny. I'm still kicking myself for selling an absolute mint late sixties Rick 12 string for $300 just cause I only paid $180 for it. This was over 20 years and I'm not quite as stupid now.
 
I've got one...(a 4001). Love it to death.. rotosound strings make it sound like a piano....although they may be hard on the frets.
 
I've got a mid 70's 4001 stereo bass and LOVE it. If you can get your hands on some early YES albums (Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs ) you can hear one in action. I put GHS Contact Core strings on it and like mixmkr says, it sounds like a piano. VERY cool.
 
rickenbacker basses are just plain awesome.
very solid.
i would recommend trying both the 4001 and 4003 models out first, the necks are different thicknesses...even if you cant play it with the lefty thing, you can still feel it out....
i prefer the 4001. my friend has an 82 4003 and the neck seems thicker, i believe to accomodate heavier strings, plays very different than my 4001.

hixmix knows, mccartney is crazy on the ric!
 
I used to have a 4001, but I dont know how to play bass so I sold it. Stupid thing to do.

made a profit off of it though.

Early Rush Geddy used a ric.
 
I got me one of them 4001 bad boys.

This is my one and only, and I like it like that!!

Mine be black and white, man she's beautifull!!

GT
 
Track,

That's the one!! I see you took off the pickup cover, everyone does.

I think this may be the best bass ever made.

It's got me under it's spell!!

GT
 
Total Agreement

I agree with everyone here. Rickenbacker make a quality product both guitars and bass. I own a 360 fireglow 6-string, and a 1974 4001 bass (blond). I love both. They are both my favourite instruments, and they sound killer in the studio. I suggest it to anybody who is at all curious with rickenbacker to pick one up (if the wallet allows) there will be no regrets. Do other ricki owners feel the same?
 
I have two basses, a mid-60s Ric 4001 and a new Fender fretless Jazz Bass. I have tried a lot of other basses and can't find anything that compares to the Ric. The only reason to own the fretless is for the special occassions where the fretless makes sense like trying to get the slide without the fretbuzz.

Other than that, the 4001 is IMHO the best bass ever made, as long as you take off the irritating metal pickup cover that goes over the strings.
 
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