Rickenbacker 4003S W

Yes, it's an iconic bass

I've been looking for a bass for some time now - it had to be a good instrument, as I was only going to have one. I've done my research and the Ric came always on top.

The sound is instantly recognizable - nobody who knows a thing or two about basses would never say it's a Fender or a Gibson, regardless the pick-up setting. However, when you go "vintage", this thing growls - and I, as weird as it may sound, I also love the "cracking" sound it makes when you fret across the fingerboard.

The looks - just wow! This is definitely subjective, but it's such a beautiful instrument to look at (both natural and sunburst versions).

It's slim - a real pleasure to hold and play, particularly this model, with rounded body.

As far as playability, the neck feels really good, not chunky but solid. The only issue however, and I'm sorry I have to mention this, are the frets themselves with sharp edges... I can't believe that Rickenbacker wouldn't put just a little bit more effort into polishing the frets nicely.

Overall it's a great instrument - highly enjoyable.

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Like it's sister the 4003 a superb piece of kit.

What a Bass

I own 3 Ricks

4001 74' and 4003 10'

and this one 4003SW

This is the most balanced bass i've ever played

It feels like playing a P bass.

Classic Rick sound

Very good bass guitar, if you like this Ric sound of course! Very punchy sound, with the classic trebly Ric sound while delivering plenty of low end. The neck is quite thick, but it felt very comfortable to me. This is definitely a special instrument.

My only complain would be the setup: the bass came not properly intonated (which is absolutely no issue to me) and it took me 2 hours to set it up properly due to the "special" bridge design. I would hope Rickenbacker could a bit modify this bridge design to ease adjustments. But once the bass is properly setup, it's a dream to play!