Ric4003 build

[flateric]

Herre's some shots from my current build project - a replica Rickenbacker 4003 bass.
The neck-thru is a maple/walnut/maple sandwich. The body is mahogany with a maple cap. It will be finished in black with white bindiong. Here the Maple cap has been glued onto the mahogany wings, planed to thickness and edges sanded smooth.
The maple cap will be routed for the binding later once the wings and neck-thru have been joined together.


Here's a quick mock-up to show the body and neck together.

Next it's time to start carving and shaping the neck.

[ccso8462]

Looks like it's going to be a beauty, flat. Keep us posted as it progresses.

[andy]

That looks impressive already- if it comes up to the finish of the last bass you posted, thats going to be drool-worthy.

Rickenbacker basses fall into the same category as Gretch guitars for me- very distinctive, rarely copied well, much too expensive for my budget, and something which will remain an unattainable object of desire for many years to come. And that brings them up even higher in my esteem, I think! Long live the power of daydreams.

Are you thinking of using 'Toaster Top' pickups (my favourite) or the modern high output ones?

[flateric]

Thanks for all the comments! I'm hanging out for some proper US ricky vintage pups but it's getting a real pain finding any. Ric have such a long waiting list and all the retail and internet outlets (of which there are very few ric parts dealers) are all not getting the supplies they order from the factory. This will be the hardest part of the project - sourcing the authentic pickeps.

[flateric]

Here the thru-neck block has been planed and sanded level, fretboard position and nut marked on, and truss rod channel routed. (Yes I know, rod is wrong way up here but the blue colour makes for a better pic ). On either side of the truss rod channel I've routed a 6mm channel to take the carbon fibre reinforcing rods. Hopefully this will mean I can carve the neck down nice and thin and still retain good stability.

[flateric]

Finally got some time to get back to the bass build today. Here the lower wing has been sanded smooth, binding channel routed and binding glued and trimmed flush. MArked on the routing area for the ctrl cavity.

Work started on shaping the neck/headstock; a real apin without access to a bandsaw. Annoying Miscalculation with the jigsaw in cutting the headstock to thickness means its now a little thinner than i would like before final sanding, and there's a bit of an ugly gouge out the back. Maybe I can glue on a 2mm laminate to get back up to thinckness before drilling for the tuners.

[flateric]

Made some good progress on the neck carving this evening. Sadly doesn't really show up well in the photo.

It's immensely pleasing to see a slim neck carve slowly emerging from a thick slab of wood.
Getting this done is a massive milestone in the guitar build. Once it's done, it's time to attach the fretboard and glue the wings.
Then she'll really begin to take shape.
Ric Pups arrived today, courtesy Rosetti London. Now waiting for the bridge pup mount ring and cover to arrive, which had to be sourced US-side.

Watched a 4003 bridge mount and cover soar to a ridiculous price recently on ebay. HORROR!
Been searching for a jackplate narrow enough for the slim ric body. Yet another non-standard item with all the UK parts shops selling only the Les Paul and Epiphone generic types, which are too wide. Luckily I have a friend who is a master of metalwork and has promised to fashion me a nice little chrome piece to fit the body.

[flateric]

Wiring up the pickguard.

Nothing fancy in the end. 500k pots, 0.047uF caps, no extra 'bright'(bass cut) cap or push-pull, output will go to a single mono jack.

[andy]

A sensible solution to an often wildly-wired problem!

I guess I'm showing my true guitar geek-dom by being quite so keen to follow this project of yours! But it is one cool choice of bass to copy...

[newey]

Flateric-

A killer project!

If we had (informal) awards for the best build of the year, your Rick bass gets my vote.

Of course, it's only February. But you've set the bar pretty high already . . .

I may get the courage to carve my own neck in another lifetime (or three)

[flateric]

Moving on nicely. Finished profiling the neck. Wings jointed and glued on. Neck block planed flat and flush with wings. Top wing routed and binding fixed.
Next job: Rout for pickup cavities and stick on the fretboard.

[flateric]

Black really does it for me.
Here's the first primer/undercoat. Back stays au natural.

[flateric]

Been loading on the Rustins Plastic Coating. Body about 80% finished now.
Neck pup cavity routed. Here's a quick progress shot.

[ashcatlt]

Okay, so I can expect it to arrive around the end of the month? That'll work great since our due date is 03/04, and I'll have 2 full weeks to get to know my new baby...

...and the kid.

[Runewalker]

I bow to you Flat. An artist and a craftsman. In awe.

[sumgai]

Rune,

I bow to you Flat. An artist and a craftsman. In awe.

Yeah, but you can tell he's an Englishman - no reverance for maple. I mean, come on, he painted that beautiful grain pattern with black, fercryinoutloud! He might as well have used Luan, it would have held the paint just as well.


AARRRGGGHHHH!



sumgai

[newey]

Sumgai-

I had the same reaction when I saw Flat was painting it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right to do so.

Ferrari makes its cars in several colors. But if you're buying one, it has to be red.

Rickenbackers are likewise available in several colors, but if you're building one, it has to be black with a white guard.

Put a natural finish on it, and the knowledgeable bass player in the front row thinks "nice Rick copy"; everyone else just sees a cool-looking bass. Paint it black, and even the drunk in the last row says "Rickenbacker!".

Besides, he left the back and sides natural to show off his handiwork to the girls.

[sumgai]

newey,

......
Rickenbackers are likewise available in several colors, but if you're building one, it has to be black with a white guard.

That was my point exactly! If it's gotta be black (whether it's to satisfy a drunk or otherwise), then the underlying wood doesn't have to be maple!

Besides, he left the back and sides natural to show off his handiwork to the girls.

Dare I say it...... the girls around my vicinity are shown a different kind of handiwork. Although I must admit, there is often some wood involved! ;D



sumgai

[Runewalker]

But SG...

What about black LPs with carved maple tops?

Not all maple has a distiguished grain, and some is quite pedestrian. Since this is neck through and the wings are of a mundane grain pattern, and of different colors, painting the top makes perfect sense.

I really like neck through construction, and laminated necks are stronger than single piece wood stock. But the stripes that approach yields always looks a little off to me, so paint unifies the bod top.

The ones that completely escape logic to me are bolt on bodies that are produced to look like they have a neck=through construction. Completely bogus.

That aside, this is an amazing project.

[crazymanandy]

I have to agree with Rune. I'd much prefer an opaque finish on this one, especially considering the neck-through design. The grain isn't really blowing me away anyway.

CMA

[flateric]

+1 rune. It's a ricky - it HAS to be predominantly maple. if it was a nice figured maple it would have got a nice trans stain/lacquer, but this was average boring vanilla maple and this build is homage to my childhood guitar hero, geddy Lee, so it really has to be black, see?

[sumgai]

Oh, well, if'n it's Geddy Lee, that's story of a different color!




(Oh Gawd, I can't believe I said that! )




Maybe I'm overplaying this a bit, but to me, maple is supreme - there ain't no such thing a bad maple grain. But then again, I'm the guy who's still wondering why nobody's make a neck out of hickory!




sumgai

[lpf3]

Firstly, I too bow to you Flat, that ric is beautiful and I wish I was as good a luthier as you. But as Mr. Harvey would say, Heres the rest of the story. Ive been refinishing an Ibanez Artstar that was black, kinda worried that the wood underneath would be ugly or somethin. After all that sanding....... You guessed it, Maple. Am I the only one who finds this funny? ;D Well today, fully aware that I was restoring balance to the universe , I sprayed the first couple of coats of clear on it & can bareley contain myself ! Talk about a curvaceous blonde ! So dont worry too much about that black paint - it ll be ok Your work is awesome dude -lpf3

[sumgai]

Let he who restores Karma, receive Karma (points). ;D

[flateric]

Nearly there...
Not happy about the finish but I think it's the best I'm going to get within the limitatins of my equipment, ability and patience.

[flateric]

Here she is wired up and strung up for the first time. Not a great pic; you can see the black finish needs more work. the neck could do with another lb of wood off the back and the action needs sorting.

However, first quick checks thru the practice amp are very promising; great tone variance from neck and bridge pickups, that deep fruity ric bass tone is there in abundance, I just have to make her a bit more pleasing in the hands.
I decided to leave the back and the headstock au naturel. The neck will still need tru-oiling but I've got quite a bit of work left to do slimming it down a bit. I'm confident the authentic ric tone is bursting to get out, once I get a nice slim neck and a good fret levelling what she lacks in cosmetic refinements she will make up for in tone and feel

[andy]

Looks pretty smart to me...

[flateric]

She's all finished - painted the headstock, levelled the frets, slimmed down the neck and a nice low action. Sounds far better than I could have imagined, very pleased with the outcome!

[sumgai]

♭eric,

The check is in the mail!



sumgai

[jorg]

That thing is beautiful! I'll take one also. . . ;D