Few instruments, and even fewer electric basses, are as instantly identifiable as a Rickenbacker 4000-series. Compared to the utilitarian Fender Precision Bass, the Rickenbacker 4003 looks positively alien—like the electro-lyre that Spock used to play in the Enterprise mess hall to accompany Uhura. The tone of the bass is all its own, too—deep lows and a punchy midrange, with a shimmery top end that's very un-bass-like. This instrument sounds only like itself, and that's before even considering the Ric-O-Sound pickup splitting feature.

The Rickenbacker 4003 is the current production model of the iconic, two-pickup Ric 4000-series bass, last updated in 2006 to include a pull-pot activated "classic" circuit that changes the overall tone dramatically. Made in the U.S.A., the 4003 features nearly unassailable craftsmanship and, unfortunately, frequent back-order status. That this bass remains in high demand given Rickenbacker's delayed response in ratcheting-up production to match is a testament to the 4003's enduring appeal and customer satisfaction track record.

That said, the Rickenbacker 4003 isn't a perfect instrument, which we'll get into. But for some folks, no other bass will do. Let's examine why.

Armchair Instrument Psychology
Do you remember the first time you saw a Rickenbacker 4000-series bass? I vividly do. Sir Paul McCartney plays one in the live concert footage included in the music video for Silly Love Songs by Wings. I never cared for that song (or that band) but THAT BASS made 16-year-old, VH1-ingesting me watch the video through to the end. And I remember the second time I saw a Ric Bass, too: in the hands of Lemmy Kilmister in concert footage of Motörhead doing Iron Fist circa 1980. Then there was the one played by Royston Langdon of Spacehog in the In The Meantime video (amazing bassline); then Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Cliff Burton. . . I could go on.

If there's a pattern there, it's not one that runs parallel to any one musical genre or playing style. More likely—and I don't mean this pejoratively, mind you—it's about the player's ego. The way I see it, if you're strapping on an instrument as audacious-looking as a Rickenbacker 4000-series bass, you're probably the type that enjoys a little more attention than bassists are typically afforded. Ignoring for a moment all the other, more practical qualities that make this instrument what it is, it can't be denied that looks are figuring heavily when one is contemplating owning a Ric Bass. If that retro-future-modernist-yet-still-timeless design is your thing (and it isn't everybody's), it's just sort of an added bonus when your Ric also sounds good and plays well.

Fig. 1: Please, use a coaster.

The 4003 I reviewed was an exemplar of impeccable execution of the core Rickenbacker design elements. The polished maple body top gleamed like an end table from DWR: Juxtaposed with the chrome hardware, the face of the 4003 is reminiscent of the dash of a '69 Pontiac Firebird fresh off the lot (see Fig. 1). Vintage-styled Schaller Deluxe machine heads leant tuning stability and smooth tuner action while maintaining the bass's retro vibe. The single-ply cream binding was consistent in color and expertly installed around the top edge of the body and up the side of the fretboard. The cut of rosewood used for this bass's fretboard exhibited dramatic, flame-like grain, into which the signature Rickenbacker triangle fretmarkers were (again, flawlessly) inlaid (see Fig. 2). I'm often one to scoff at instrument collectors who buy, say, pre-CBS Telecasters without the intent or even ability to play them, but I'll acquiesce when it comes to the 4003. This bass is a work of art.

Fig. 2: Not your typical slice of rosewood, the fretboard wood-type contributes to the 4003's emphasized string attack.

Anatomy Of A Rickenbacker
Aesthetics aside, there are a number of functional design elements that come together to make a Ric Bass a Ric Bass, and they're all present on the 4003.

Rickenbacker in the 1950s was one of the first electric guitar companies to incorporate neck-through designs into their instruments, and starting in the late ‘60s, all Ric 4000-series basses featured neck-through construction standard (see Fig. 3). In neck-through basses, a single wooden plank provides the anchor to both ends of the vibrating bass strings, from the tuners at the headstock to the tailpiece below the bridge. The idea here is that, without a set-glued or bolt-on neck joint interrupting the resonant body, neck-through basses could produce longer sustain and fuller tones. It's a more expensive production process, but the aforementioned benefits are immediately apparent in the 4003, even before plugging in—pluck an open string and you can feel the entire bass spring to life in your hands. Fret a note and it's like you're completing an acoustic-energy transference circuit. Well-made bolt-on and set-neck instruments can approximate this experience, but to my mind, there's nothing quite like the feel of a true neck-through.

Fig. 3: A look at the rear of the bass clearly reveals the uninterrupted, through-body neck and glued-on body "wings."

While discussing qualities like "feel" may be an exercise in conjecture, neck-through designs do have a few incontrovertible functional advantages, the first being extended fret access. Because no "heel" is necessary and the body "wings" contribute nothing to neck stability, there's nothing to get between the upper-most frets on the 4003 and your fretting hand. And this neck shreds, with the perfect amount of relief right out of the box, and it's made extra-stable thanks to the dual-action truss rod, another signature Ric element. The frets are even and feel fantastic, and the intonation from the factory is great, too. Don't expect to be slapping on this bass, what with the forward-positioned neck pickup and lack of clearance between the strings and the thick, single-ply pickguard, but every other technique—from upper-register chords to drone notes to tapped arpeggios to meat-and-potatoes grooving—is easy and fun to execute on a Rickenbacker 4003.

The Tone Stands Alone
The Ric's two single-coil pickups complement these different playing styles and are the source of that signature Rickenbacker bass sound. Simultaneously transparent and aggressive, it's hard to compare the tone of these pickups to any other bass, yet they work with such a wide range of playing styles. Fast runs are articulate while whole notes blossom and develop. Played with a pick through an SVT and matching 4x10 cab the 4003 is as up-front and assertive as can be—present but never domineering in a full band mix. Played fingerstyle through the same amp, the tone is lush and pillowy, but never gets buried. And these pickups love distortion, retaining both body and bite in the face of massive gain.

The electronics are a blend of the traditional and the radical. There's your basic three-way pickup selector, with separate tone and volume controls for each pickup. The sound never strays far from the root Ric tone, but hey, that's why you buy this bass, right? Pulling up on the treble (i.e. bridge pickup) tone pot engages the "classic" circuit, a capacitor that drops the output somewhat and emphasizes the treble tone (a Ric-playing bassist friend of mine referred to this as the "instant Chris-Squire button"). It's a cool sound, and probably sounds most impressive with flatwound strings, but I'm more of a full-volume roundwound player, so I generally left the classic circuit disengaged.

I did, however, spend quite a bit of time messing around with Ric-O-Sound. While they never say it explicitly on their website or shipped literature, the Ric-O-Sound circuit is a pickup signal splitter—it sends each pickup to its own destination. This means you can setup parallel signal chains for stereo sound or radically bi-amped full spectrum rigs. I tried sending the neck pickup to a TC Electronic RH450 set for deep, clean lows, while I fed the bridge pickup into a Crybaby Wah, then a Whirlwind Gold Box Distortion, and finally into a Laney Lionheart 20-watt, 4x10 guitar combo. This rig was unstoppable. If you want to get an idea of what it sounded like, check out the first Death From Above 1979 album (or watch their live stuff on YouTube).

Fig. 4: The Ric-O-Sound jack (top), next to the Standard output, is a stereo output and requires a non-standard patching cable. I used this Hosa 1/4" male TRS to dual 1/4" TS female insert adaptor.

I do wish the Ric-O-Sound function were easier to make use of. At first glance it looks like you simply plug two standard instrument cables into the pair of output jacks, but in fact the Ric-O-Sound output is a stereo 1/4-inch jack that requires a TRS-to-2xTS (female) pigtail adaptor (see Fig. 4). Not even your standard insert cable will do the trick—you'll have to do some searching and patching. Annoying.

Another complaint about the electronics: when I first plugged in my 4003, I noticed a significant difference in the output of the E-string versus the other strings. Thankfully the bass ships with the requisite hex wrenches for adjusting the pickup pole pieces and bridge height. However, the adjustment process messes with the otherwise fantastic factory setup and, well, just shouldn't be something you need to do with a bass that retails for close to $2,000.

Ponderables
Some traditions will just never disappear, no matter how bizarre or illogical—male circumcision, rooting for the Chicago Cubs, and the bridge mute on Rickenbacker basses (see Fig. 5). Not only does the mute only partially work (it never fully engaged on the low E), but its over-wrought construction makes it harder to mute the strings with your own palm. I don't get it.

Fig. 5: The classic (and utterly unnecessary) Rickenbacker bridge mute mechanism.

Similarly, and to paraphrase the greatest observational comic of the 1990s, what's the deal with the bridge pickup cover? Perhaps it once served a purpose and serviced a demand from players, but as far as I'm concerned it's as vestigial as my appendix (which I also had removed).

If you're interested in removing the pickup cover from your 4003 yourself, please refer to this video. (I don't recommend the same DIY approach to appendectomy.)

My remaining gripes about the 4003 are more subjective. I find it to be slightly neck-heavy when played with a strap. I wish they'd bring back some of the more radical color options. MapleGlo, FireGlo, and JetGlo are just about the most boring colors possible for this bass. Bring back the periwinkle blue, deep solid red, and off-white with black pickguard options, please! And would it kill Rickenbacker to add another fret? The difference between 20 and 21 is massive—to me anyway: I like having that highest E.

There Can Be Only One
Of course, any review of a Rickenbacker bass boils down to one thing: there's no other bass like it. Suffice to say that there are many bassists who've been enchanted by the 4003's looks and tone, and no matter what ill is spoken about it, will always covet a Rickenbacker 4003 of their own. And yes, you may consider me one of them.

Pros: very high build quality. Fast, comfortable neck. Excellent factory setup. One-of-a-kind tone suits wide variety of playing styles and musical genres. Comes with hardshell case. So very pretty
Cons: Output balance issues. Neck-heavy. Slapping not practical. Ric-O-Sound requires non-standard adaptor cable. Pricey.

Owen O'Malley is a musician and composer living in Chicago. He would consider starting a Spacehog cover band with you if you asked nicely.