Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, Matte Black

Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, Matte Black Overview

The Rickenbacker 4003 features a truly iconic look and sound that is as relevant today as it has ever been. There’s nothing else quite like a Rickenbacker bass!

Vintage Vibe - Modern Build

This is a premium, pro-grade instrument and its spec shows it. Featuring a high-quality maple body/neck, Caribbean rosewood fretboard (which features those classic sharktooth inlays) and Schaller Deluxe tuners, the 4003 is a beautifully-made and rock-solid machine. The neck-through and double-cutaway construction provide unrestricted access to the higher frets, perfect for those Joy Division-style basslines.

Versatile Tone Options

The 4003 boasts impressive electronics, with a dual single-coil configuration. Each pickup has a very distinct sound, which can then be blended using the 3-way selector switch and independent volume/tone knobs. The neck pup has oodles of full, rich warmth whilst the bridge packs plenty of bite and definition.

There’s also a Vintage mode, which is activated by a push-pull knob, that imparts the sound of a pre-1984 Rickenbacker. When engaged, the Vintage mode transforms the 4003’s tonal character by adding extra treble and clarity to the bridge. This gives you a wealth of additional tones, giving finger-oriented players increased presence and allowing pickers to cut through a mix.

Flexible Stereo Output

The Rickenbacker 4003’s ace-in-the-hole is its dual outputs, which allow you to route each pickup to a seperate chain. There’s a lot of scope for creativity with this configuration - we enjoy running the neck into a clean amp and the bridge into a spitting fuzz with an octaver… pure sonic goodness!

If you’re looking for a bass with bags of character, you can’t go wrong with 4003. The list of famous Ricky-toting bassists is pretty diverse, including legends such as Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton, Lemmy, John Entwistle, Rick James, Roger Waters and Paul McCartney. This demonstrates how versatile the 4003 is, it’s a bass that can go from prog to funk to rock with ease.

Overview by Rickenbacker

The Classic Rickenbacker bass - famous for its ringing sustain, treble punch and solid underlying bass. A subtle strip of binding graces the elegantly curved body and the Rosewood fingerboard. Deluxe triangular inlays and stereo capability are standard features.