Rickenbacker 4003SW Walnut Electric Bass Natural

Don't get me wrong. I love Rickenbacker. The sound of this bass is amazing. Workmanship impeccable. I've wanted one for a long time but due to their availability (or lack thereof), was never able to test-drive one. Well, I finally just broke down and bo't one. GC made me a great deal on one. I was really excited when it arrived. I did a detailed setup and put some T-I flats on her. GAWD! She sounds beautiful! But... I just could not get used to the thick neck. I played it daily for about 2 months really trying to love this bass. It just wasn't happening. It may be a bit of overstatement but "clunky" is about the best term I can come up with to describe its playing characteristics to me. It was a tough choice but she just had to go back. We couldn't make it work. So I have rededicated myself to my Fender P's and J's and never looking back.

I bought this bass gently used, just under a year old. It had been PLEK'd and smoothed, intonation was perfect. That's a good thing because the bridge pieces look like they would be hard to adjust with the strings on. It has the perfect sound for the jam band I play in, not so much for the blues where my 44-60 really shines. Every once in a while you'll find a bass that has a neck that's perfect for ultra-low action without buzzing, this is the one. I don't know if all of them are capable of this but this one is great right out of the case.

It's a Rickenbacker; it's self explanatory when it comes to sound and workmanship. To me, the sound that comes from this bass is like no other I've ever got my hands on or heard. I bought the 4003SW so the wood grain throughout neck and body is absolutely beautiful. This by far was the best investment in a Bass Guitar 🎸 I ever made. I waited a while for the right price to come along and GC delivered.

Bass is absolutely a joy to play as any Ric is. Setup was good out of the box. Just lowered the bridge to my liking and raised the poles for the E a bit. Finish is beautiful. My first bass was a 4001 and this lives up to my memory's and exceeds them.

Absolutely gorgeous!.the tone is amazing. I saw some reviews telling it sounded "brighter" than the maple model, but I think that this SW sound warmer (Ric company also say this in their website). Perfect out of the box. I love the string action exactly as I have received them, easy to play. Ligh weight. I can't wait to play it in a live performance (next in a few weeks). I have a Fender Jazz and an Ibáñez fretless portamento, but this Ric has its own place among them. Maybe my new favorite (let me use it for a while). I'm in love with this bass. The case have a great quality (heavy for my taste).everything 5 stars (and much more than only five). I'm working to understand the tone controls. But let me say that the modern tone with both pickups is unic, perfect tone there. I want to play all day long.

Great guitar! Set-up sucks and GC packing was not great. Otherwise, for me this is the ONLY Rick to buy but to each his/her own. Great GC pricing!