Redpill me on the 4001/4003

I just want one because of FLCL

>>68286561
it's a true patrician bass, along with hofner

>>68286583
OP here. I'm craving an electric bass as a way of getting back into playing, and I don't want to buy a piece of crap. That said, I also have exactly zero interest in getting a Fender since their basses just seem so boringly decent and I'd rather spend the cash on something with a little flair.

Are there any other good alternatives out there?

>>68286636
anon on the fen der bass

>>68286722
What?

>>68286561
I want one. I want one badly and I don't even play bass.

>>68286561
>Is it just another overpriced, over-hyped meme instrument
hate to break it to you but yes. They're fucking quirky instruments. The company is known for having spotty quality control, and horrible costumer service. The bridge pickup cover is annoying and to take it off you have to pull out the electronics and when its off it leaves a huge hole surrounding the pickup. On some of the basses the bridge will lift up because its a shitty design that cant handle the tension; sometimes you get bubbling on the finish and it starts peeling off. The bass has two truss rods which are a fucking pain to adjust, and you can fuck up the bass if you do it wrong; some techs dont even know how to do it.
If you have ANY problems with the bass, rickenbacker will be of no help. their warranty is 1 year from the build date, not the date you buy it, and theyre a pain to deal with.

I think they sound good but they are a bit trebly, and i've read that they dont sound too good recorded.

If you want something good, sturdy and versatile buy a Jazz bass. or a music man if you want a brighter more powerful sound.

For what its worth, i like rics, they're really unique basses. Im trying to decide between that or a jazz bass for my next bass, but after researching rics, they sound like a fucking pain. ive played a few at guitar center though and i really liked them. your best bet is to buy a used one thats at least 10 years old; If it doesnt have any of the issues with the neck, finish, or bridge its probably sturdy at that point.

If you're willing to spend that much just get a Warwick OP. It's basically got a warmer version of the same sound. The only downside if they don't look AS cool, though they're still pretty basses imo.

>>68286583
>playing on a shitty ass grandpa bass.
nah son, i'll pass.

>>68286561
play one, for the love of all things holy before you buy one. I too had rick lust for awhile until I realized how much I hated their necks and pickup guards. The pickup guard you can atleast unscrew and take off, but be warned, these basses have THICCC necks.

>>68286636
>fender boringly decent
what the fuck are you expecting to get out of a bass, fireworks and confetti? The instrument doesn't matter, what matters is its player. I'm going to be totally honest man, I don't want to come off as a condescending dick because I'd prefer to nurture your interest in getting into music, but do you have any idea what goes into picking out a new bass? are you new to this? just go and play a bunch of basses, regardless of brand make or model and pick whats right for YOU.

>>68286561
Owned a 4003 and was my main bass for about 2 years, and most the stuff >>68287738 said is pretty spot on from what I've heard and a few I knew first hand. That said, they do have a complete unique tone (I was more fond of the 4003, not a fan of the 4001 tone as much) and if the build quality was good, I'd say they are worth about $1500 or so, but not $2000 like a lot of stores will sell them for.
I sold mine for just a bit under what I paid for it to get some different gear that I thought would be better for me, but I would say try one out in a store if you can, it's a thing where you might like it or might not once you try it in person and you should try it alongside some other bassist to kinda compare what aspects you like and don't like about it

>>68287978
I'm coming from the classical musical world (viola/upright bass) where paying (well) upwards of ten grand for an instrument with the right "personality" is seen as being totally worth it. It's not just about whether your instrument sounds good, but about how much personality it's sound has and how unique/well-executed it's construction was. Fender instruments, to me, seem a bit like buying a Yamaha string or wind instrument. Reliably great, but completely devoid of personality.

>>68287934
I've got gigantic hands, so thicc necks are a huge plus for me

>>68286636
Fender kind of has the market cornered on sub $1000 basses on quality/value ratio with the hecho en mexico standard/deluxe models. Above $1000 there are lots of good options from several brands. Rickenbacker definitely makes a fantastic bass but they don't do cheap.

Yup, don't buy a Stick-in-your-backer, it's overhyped meme trash. Save up for a j-bass, you'll have a better time and you won't be plagued with issues.

>>68288014
How was it for recording dude?

The main thing pulling me towards a jazz is they sound so fucking good in the mix when you record them....and that those double truss rods in the ric sorta scare me for when i wanna switch between flats and rounds

I agree, $1500 is a good price for one; you can usually find them around that price on sale or if you buy used; they hold their value really fucking well too.

>>68286561
i want one, but not for roundwound prog bright tone, but to put flats on it and use the mutes and sit down and record glorious deep basslines like Hey Bulldog and Baby You're A Richman, Paperback Writer, etc...
thatd being said as i like having money and what ive heard from owners like >>68287738 i'd rather get that one Peavey Bass thats like a T60 or T40 or something but i heard it has botha good rick kinda tone but is also versatile for other bass sounds

>>68288074
what music/genre are you planning on playing? i personally have very little knowledge in the classical music world, but i'd be inclined to say that $ does not always = quality when it comes to more (for lack of a better word) contemporary instruments. If you're looking to spend a lot of money for a good bass, I'd recommend checking out Pedulla, if you're looking for an oddity, but not wanting to totally break your bank, check out something like the Goya Panther, it's rare, unique, and pretty gnarly.

>>68288121
It recorded decently well, I found for most reasons I was more of a P bass guy, and part of that was how they record and fit with a band as opposed to how a Ric sits in the mix. It had that classic Ric growl to it but something seemed off, and where it lacked a certain quality a P bass didn't but that was just me. That said I'd still recommend trying one but not jumping super often between rounds and flats, which I find to be a thing just not to do in general

I've had a rick bass for 7 years and it's awesome. Never had any problems with it. One of the best decisions I made in my life was buying one of these basses. They aren't the easiest basses to get to know at first, but with a little patients you can get some of the best bass tones out there with one.

They work well for rock/indie/metal. Not so good for funk R&B stuff. Though, people have made it work for that kind of music.

One of the best basses you can throw dirt pedals on. This is why the doom and metal dudes love these things.

If you get one I recommend getting a 4003 since the necks are built a bit more sturdy. The neck profile on them verys year to year so you will want to try one in person. Mine is a 2010 so the neck is pretty thin like a all the 4001s I've played. The newer ones I've played have thicker necks like a Pbass.

The main difference between the 4001 and 4003 models is the dual truss rods and the electronics. 4001s have lower output pickups (7-8k output) vs the higher output of the 4003 ( 11-12k). The 4001 also has a cap on the treble pickup that acts as a high pass filter sucking out some of the lows. It's recomended that you remove this. Also volume and tone pots are different. 4001 is 250k vol and 500k tone. 4003 is 350 all round. If your looking to the vintage tone down you can start by swapping the pots and if your really nuts can have your pickups rewound to a lower output.

To get a good tone you will need to mess will the volume knobs of both pickups until you find a good blend of both that you like. This is why most fender guys don't like these basses. They usually don't sound that great with both pickups cranked at max.

You will also wanna run your amp with a bit more gain and work the treble and bass knobs harder.

You can also play around with the Rick-O-Sound feature that splits the pickups to different amps.

Really great instruments overall. Don't let anyone tell you they are crap.

>>68288284
>tfw mr. rickenbacker himself is shilling on a mongolian cheese making board

what an honor

>>68288243
cool thanks. Its a struggle. I like that theyre unique and i really want one but i cant afford to own more than one high end instrument, and if im gonna spend that much it makes sense to own something more practical.

but one day i'll def own one; theyre too fucking cool

>>68288150
Just about anything. I'm drawn to the strong, bass-led sounds of bands like 70s yes, Regatta de Blanc-era Police, Morphine, Future Islands, etc. Hell, I even love me some 90s distortion.

I just want an instrument with some "personality" to its sound and what I've heard of the Rick's tone reminds me of the imperfect high timbrality that my viola had. It wasn't perfect, but it had a sound all its own, which I absolutely loved.

>>68288614
This was/is OP BTW

>They work well for rock/indie/metal. Not so good for funk R&B stuff. Though, people have made it work for that kind of music.

>One of the best basses you can throw dirt pedals on. This is why the doom and metal dudes love these things.

This is also a huge part of their appeal to me. Those singing treble tones sound like they'd cut through the sludge like a knife and sound utterly fantastic in the process.

>>68288325
plz elaborate

They are a meme, but a relatively old meme and they have survived worse.
Rickenbacker is still a good company and haven't sold out completely in over 50 years of service.
But, you aren't buying it for the tone, which is easily imitable, and you aren't even buying it for Rick-o-sound because there are fucking A/B boxes for that these days. You are buying it to make a statement. What value that statement has to you is you and yours alone. Hopefully it has nothing to do with anime or Michael Cera or Yes, and I mean it on that last note. Chris Squire only played the Rick because it was the nature of prog to be experimental. Same reason why they were making shit like the Gibson EDS-1275. I love the thing, I would pick it up in a second, would not buy it for myself.