DOOM RICKENBACKER (2015 4003SW)
After the last couple of months, my latest build/tweak is finally finished.
Last year I snagged a spot on the waitlist to get one of the new 4003s build and I opted for the new walnut look introduces back in 2014. I dug the look oil finish (In lieu of the traditional Rickenbacker heavy lacquer), the absence of binding, the dot inlays, and I have always been a fan of maple fingerboards. It came at the perfect time as I was starting a new doom project and wanted a second Rick to down tune to A# standard. This guy came in the mail a couple of months ago (the dudes at Pick of the Ricks are killer) and I proceeded to perform all kinds of blasphemy on a factory fresh bass. Here is my recipe for how I like my Rickenbacker Basses:
Classic Amplification 70′s Button Top Pickups - Custom set from Brad, who is an absolute GEM of a human being and one of the best custom pup makers around. Special chrome plated button top poles and wound RWRP so they are humbucking when the switch is in the middle.
Hipshot High-Mass Brass Chrome Bridge - I can’t stand the chrome monstrosity that comes stock, It’s a pain in the ass to set the action/intonation andI have never been a fan of the inboard mute. The brass and extra heft of the bridge balances the bass out nicely and makes for a very rich and length sustain.
“Bill-Nash” Recipe electronics - CTS Pots, Sprague Orange Dot Caps, Vintage Cloth Wiring, Switchcraft Jack and Switches. The stock electronics are laughable and I never did like the switchable treble tone circuit. It all felt cheap. I fell in love with the way Nash did his electronics on my Ex-Jazz-Bass and Current-P-Bass. I translated that method over to both my Rickenbackers and couldn’t be happier.
Custom Black Pickguardian Pickguard & Vintage Black Rickenbacker Name Plate/Truss-Rod Cover - Got lucky a couple years back and snagged a black nameplate off eBay. John Hall, CEO of Rickenbacker, is notoriously draconian about his IP so it’s exceedingly rare to purchase a replacement nameplate. Luckily I had the foresight to grab one when it popped up for a reasonable price.
Thomastik-Infeld Power Bass Strings - 34" Long Scale: .068 .080 .107 .119. Heavy and High Output. Together with Brad’s brilliant pickups, this thing ROARS with huge note heft. (The purple cloth is also extra groovy)
Tubeampology Treble Bezel with Thumb rest - I usually play in-between the two pickups but sometimes I want a little more note attack. This lets me play directly over the bridge pickup.
The absence of binding really makes this quite comfortable to play and the light oil finished maple board makes for quick note articulation. I also like that modern Rickenbacker basses have much fatter necks than their vintage counterparts, both my 2011 Maple and 2015 Walnut-S feel more like a P-Bass. I can’t stand the feel Narrow-Nut Thin-Necked instruments and I dig that both my Rickenbackers are neither of those. My good ol’ faithful Maple rick is now in need of some love as it transitions from flat wounds and more of a vintage vibe to being a ripper like this one, it’ll end up being tuned in Drop C#. Once I get it back together i’ll post a picture of them both side by side as they make quite the pair.