Part 4 Rickenbacker 4003 Bass Guitar (Chinese Copy): Setup & Final Thoughts... is it worth it?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Part 4: I ordered this Rickenbacker style 4003 bass guitar from China - it arrived in about 3 weeks in one piece (thankfully). It is has a solid Walnut body with Maple thru neck construction. Maple fingerboard with shark fin fingerboard inlays... honestly, this bass looks great! A close inspection revealed some flaws and build issues but I am sure they can be resolved easily enough over the course of a few videos.
This video will focus on setting it up properly and giving my final thoughts and opinion about the bass. I hope you enjoy the video!
-Steve
Manotick StringWorks
Ottawa, Ontario
sroymsw@gmail.com
#rickenbacker #bass #guitar #4003 #chickenbacker #ricky #replica #fake #chinese #copy
Having owned a real Ric decades ago, some friends bought me this Chickenbacker for a birthday present. Aside from the looks, it’s in no way like a real Ric but… it’s still a decent bass. I’ve played it for 3 years now and have had no problems with it at all. What I liked about Rics was the look, and this copy has that. The rest of it is serviceable. What else do you want? Whatever nit picky complaints about the tone not being exactly like the original, disappears in the band mix. The fact that it’s about 2 thousand bucks cheaper than the real thing is just icing on the cake
I agree
@@ManotickGuitarTech Hate sounding link the grumpy guy but I recall buying a Ric back on the late 70s from the local Sam Ash and I believe it was in the $700 - $800 range. Same with my Les Paul Standard. I kind of feel for kids in that 17-ish age range as... how are they going to afford these now 2K plus guitars on their own?
Also back then, off brand copies like Carlo Robelli (I think this was a Sam Ash store brand?) were sort of looked down on. I hope today brands like Firefly are helping to break this perception. Even these Ali Express copies are an option we just didn't have back then.
Thanks for making these Rickenbacker videos.
You can get real Ric pickups for like $250 for a set.
… don’t forget that skill doesn’t magically appear when you buy a quality instrument.
An instrument is, after all, just a tool of the trade, and its ability, creativity, and musicianship supersedes whatever is in the players hands. A Chickenbacker in skilled hands sounds better than a real Rickenbacker in hands not as skilled
I bought that bass last week. I just recognized it. It sounds really good. Thanks Steve, you did a very good work on it!
Awesome, Mario- I hope you enjoy it for a long time!
Doesn't sound like a Rickenbacker at all though, it just sounds like a bass lol
Bro,thank you for doing this video, on this bass. I am right there with you. I to have just purchased a Chinese 4003. And I am in the process of doing everything that you have done to yours. Thank you again. For the wealth of information.
I am glad you have enjoyed the videos. I hope you have subscribed to my channel?
Thanks for sharing Liverpool UK 🎸👍🇬🇧
Great video series...Any chance of a link to the Seller you bought this bass from?
Who did you buy it from on Ali Express. I am very interested in one
A seller on DH Gate
I guess the fake Rickenbackers are mispronounced too. Hahaha. It's backer not bocker.
You say tomato, I say tomaato...lol
Well it’s how the company pronounces it so there’s that.
@@ralphadamato- Yeah, but they're Merkin, so what the heck do they know... 😁
@@ManotickGuitarTech- I see what you did there in your reply to Ralph, a🍅... 🤭
At last, someone that is not so negative about these basses. Any push-pull switch to shift to 4001 electronics? The dude who ordered a flat satin finish walnut one came out nice. For me, the Rick’s 34” scale is too long. A heavy bass, no thanks, expensive. The Ricks have great tone. I now play an Ibanez Mikro short scale bass. I love it. Not too expensive, great tone. Put on some La Bella flat wounds for comfort. Light weight. Gig bag. I hate hard shell cases that bang against your legs and give black and blue marks. Also, the 1960s hasps and latches always get broken. A soft shell case is not as expensive and comfortable. Airline use? Get the most expensive Gator hardshell case with TSA locks.
I've owned a Chickenbacker bass for almost four years now, it's a natural maple finish and also a neck-through like the real Ric. It's given me a hard time for a while, but with some adjustments it plays and sounds good. I have a few things in mind to eventually do, like rewire it like a Ric and look into shaving the neck hump down so I can reach higher frets easier and possibly having it painted burgundy, among other stuff. Cost me about $350, and I am quite happy with it.
There's a video on here where someone rewires one true to the original and it made 0 difference in the sound unfortunately
Hi do you have the user/store you bought it from?
I bought it on DHGate... lots available on there
I've watched the previous three vids on this bass.
but, a friend of mine just brought me his Rickenfaker bass (with a Magical Mystery Tour finish) to set up. it certainly LOOKS nice, but it has several issues!
the biggest thing (other than the A and D strings do not match the radius, is that I can't lower the action at all - even when everything is as low as it possibly can get. I don't know if I can shim the bridge or not. it's also missing two of the hex screws (nearest the bridge).
If this bass was 100 dollars less, I'd consider buying one for myself - but, I may wait on it.
It's refreshing to watch a luthier work that isn't a guitar snob. Excellent.
Play what you like, like what you play!
Personally I thought your setup numbers We're a little high Period Maybe you'd like high action I don't know But I always shoot for 21 thousands At the first fret And about 13 000 at the seventh fret with the Capo on the first Holding down the string at the end of the neck 564s for the E string but genuinely G strings getting down to about three and I get a good clean plane instrument with those numbers Period now you know everything varies a little bit Depending on what kind of instrument you're playing with Uh that's usually my starting off point
Judging by the video, the Chinese did a neat job, the bass is beautiful, and the sound is very dense. I recently studied your videos very carefully, I was going to order a copy from the Chinese too, I even made up a detailed technical task, we almost agreed. And here not far from me in the neighboring region (I live in Russia) it appears on sale in the Greco RB700 1981. Of course, China was canceled, I took Japan) And this is an excellent bass, I replaced the tone potentiometers in it from 250 to 500 k, the sound is in no way inferior to Rick. Well, the design is timeless and competitive.
Very thorough and engaging video collection. I am totally interested in getting the rickenbacker bass look without spending over two grand. Why not!
Great video I have sent an email to the address above with a question about dealing with HY Guitar via AliExpress.
I just LOVE the colour of the fingerboard...!
Excellent video been thinking of picking one of these up in the metallic red color.
For the price, it is a no-brainer
So I have a question ?? Are all fender parts interchangeable ? Like could I put a MX P-Bass neck on a squire ? or Jazz bass. Just wondering if the spec's are the same or close enough.
The more recent models of Fenders and Squiers do share some parts and specs, but not all... I always check dimensions first before ordering replacement parts.
Hello. I sent you an email about a Parlor guitar a couple of days ago. It may have gone into your junk folder as there are pictures attached.
I will have a look
@@ManotickGuitarTech Thank you. Sorry, wasn’t sure how else to get ahold of you.
This was a fun series to watch! Thanks for the great lesson. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on one of these and this helped me think about what all I'd need to do.
Wanted to mention I actually puffed up my breath and was ready to blow on the screen right at the 11:17 mark when you were filing the nut! So funny!! Caught myself and made sure no one else in the family was looking.
Lol
Awesome video where did you buy them? Do you have the link? Keep it up rock on
Dhgate...
Thanks rock on happy new year @@ManotickGuitarTech
Thanks!@@kenvorland
Thanks for doing this, mine is on the way!
I like the 70's Vibe walnut P-bass but don't really care for the block inlays.
Hell shark fin inlays are the shit. Nice change from rectangular blocks but everyone has their preferences
Very helpful series, thanks so much! I recently got one and, while I must've gotten lucky with the bridge being aligned, the rear pickup and mount are slanted like yours - plus, the front pickup is at an almost 10 degree slant! I suspect the culprit is the pickguard - they must use that as a reference and - when it's off - the errors just cascade. Sorry if someone asked this before but where did you get that cool string height gauge? That looks so much more practical than squinting my aging eyes to read 64ths on a ruler or dark blobs on an action gauge! Thanks again.
Thanks for watching and I hope you have subbed to my channel? I make the string height gauges- you can buy them on my website www.manotickstringworks.com
@@ManotickGuitarTech Thanks, my order's in!
Awesome!@@frank19142
Hello! What is that tool you are using to measure the strings from the neck?
It is a gauge I made in 64ths of an inch - easier and faster than using a ruler (eyes are getting old) 😁
What pickups does it have? They sound very nice!
The cheap Chinese ones that it came with
@@ManotickGuitarTech I think they sound better than my original Rick!!
could be!@@miltonmagik
The stereo output jack doesn’t work like, it isn’t stereo? Or like it’s a dummy output
It’s mono like the other one.
If I were to get a copy would I be able to replace the hardware with genuine Rickenbacker pickups ?
Not always - you really do have to check the specs and measure twice
I don't think so, these copy basses have wider string spacing.
@@kaonashi9582 That can be easily corrected. If you're replacing the pickups, you're gonna replace the bridge. They're all garbage lol. Do the spacing and intonation while you're at it. Boom.
@@WilDBeestMF Neck is too wide, that would feel pretty weird imo
@@kaonashi9582 Lol all of your complaints are fixable.
A Chickenbacker!
Cluck Cluck
i doot lice it . . .
Круто! 👍
Very good to see one of these Chickenbackers presented sensibly, you're obviously a very good tech.
A couple things on these clones (and sometimes Rics!) drives me mad:
1) The strings are not distributed and spaced evenly across the neck. I would consider installing a new nut (the grooves are not cut properly to begin with) and altering the string spacing at the bridge by grinding the ends of the wee grooved saddle rods that the strings rest on and sliding them into a better position. The short ends could be shimmed with small washers or something like. Or cut new saddle rods from bar stock.
2) People do complain about the sound differing from a real Ric, which is true. Different pickups can help. Retrovibe does some very convincing and relatively inexpensive pickups. With adjustable pole-pieces at the correct spacing, something the new clone-makers never seem to manage.
How did you find the fretwork on this bass, generally?
I normally do a complete fret job on basses like this, but if the frets are loose or not pressed in properly they have to come out.
Overall, the build quality was pretty good - they always need work when you get them but that is part of the fun, in my opinion.
Q buen video!!!!
Yo le hice exactamente los mismo a mi rick-chino pero le cambié las pastillas por unas seymour duncan y el cambio fuel brutal
15:50: Wie lautet denn der Markenname dieses Basses?
Kleine Empfehlung an "Manotick": Dein Lachen wirkt arrogant! Laß es besser sein... Überheblichkeit sollte in einem Produktvideo keinen Platz haben.
I'm not hearing what you mean, but I would also advise against telling someone how to present.
If you don't enjoy it, you are not forced to watch.
I think his self-conscious chuckle is delightful. It's like Dr Hibbert from The Simpsons without the malice. 😁
Still angry about losing the war eh