Rickenbacker 4003 Bass Jetglo

I love the Rickenbacker mapleglow bass. It has a beautiful sound and is used by my favorite bass players in music! Including Chris Squier, Paul McCartney, Steve Smith, and Colin Moulding!

Craftsmanship is unbelievable! The absolute best quality out there! Rickenbacker is a work of art!

I played a Ric 4001 for years, and this was meant to replace the one I lost many years ago. The 2022 version of the 4003 has some substantial changes. The bridge has updated saddle adjustments, which was a nice improvement from the old design. However, it was not properly set up when I received it. There was fret buzz pretty much anywhere below the 7th fret. I was able to mostly eliminate that myself by adjustments, but for what I paid I would have expected more of a "plug and play" experience. I was unaware that Ric discontinued putting a finish on their fretboards, so that was a real surprise. I am still trying to decide what I think of that change. Should I ever need a fret job, it is a plus. But the feel is different than the old days. It would have been nice for Musician's Friend to make it clear on their site that the fretboards are different now. I was also able to clearly see where the body was joined through the Jetglo finish, which was surprise as well. My old 4001 did not have that issue even after 40+ years of playing! Tonally, I like what I am getting and think the push/pull addition to the bridge pickup was a good improvement. I know that has been in place for a good while, but I had never played one with the update. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would look for a 2021 or older model to get the finished fretboard. But I am going to give this one some more time to see if it grows on me.

I have coveted this bass for more than 20 years but could never justify the expense for a hobby. Musicians friend gave me a great deal and great service. This instrument exceeds all my expectations. Sounds phenomenal, plays better than I ever imagined a bass could play and is gorgeous to boot. Pictures do not do it justice. Very solid and precise with infinite control over the tone.

Amazing!!!!!!!

I use it for recording and live shows. The bass feels great and plays great. I had to modify the bridge pickup to fit my playing style, but that's on me. The only negative thing I can think of is that it's not a very versatile bass. Its sound can only fit so many niches.