Rickenbacker Introduces 4003S and 4003SW Basses

Rickenbacker launched a pair of new takes on their classic 4003 bass this year with the 4003S and 4003SW. The new models take the current 4003 and 4003W basses and give them a vintage aesthetic made popular by the ’60s 4001S bass.

“People wanted the look of the 4001S without the binding and with dot inlays. It’s the classic look, that Chris Squire look,” Rickenbacker’s Brendan Duff explained. “The 4003S is pretty much a 4003 without the binding, you’ve got a single mono input, and you’ve got dot inlays. Then you’ve got the 4003SW which is the same thing but comes with the walnut body wood and maple neck and fingerboard that we introduced last year.”

Rickenbacker 4003s Bass

The 4003S is built with a maple body, maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard. Rickenbacker builds the 4003SW with a walnut body and a maple fretboard, which the company says gives it a warmer bass tone. Other common features include two single coil pickups, Schaller Deluxe tuners, and RIC bridges.

Rickenbacker 4003sw Bass

Both the Rickenbacker 4003S and 4003SW are available now with an MSRP of $1,899.

Rickenbacker 4003S Bass Specs:

Body Type:Solid
No. Frets:20
Scale Length:84.5 cm (33 1/4″)
Neck Width at Nut:42.9 mm (1 11/16″)
Neck Width at 12th Fret:54.0 mm (2 1/8″)
Crown Radius:25.4 cm (10″)
Body Wood:Maple
Neck Wood:Maple
Fingerboard Wood:Rosewood
Weight:4.1 kg (9.0 lbs.)
Overall Length:113.8 cm (44 13/16″)
Overall Width:34.3 cm (13 1/2″)
Overall Depth:31.8 mm (1 1/4″)
Neck Binding:No
Fret Marker Style:Dot
Tailpiece:RIC
Bridge:RIC
Neck Type:Through body
No. of Pickups:2
Type of Pickups:Single Coil
Output Type:Mono
Machine Heads:Schaller Deluxe

Rickenbacker 4003SW Bass Specs:

Body Type:Solid
No. Frets:20
Scale Length:84.5 cm (33 1/4″)
Neck Width at Nut:42.9 mm (1 11/16″)
Neck Width at 12th Fret:54.0 mm (2 1/8″)
Crown Radius:25.4 cm (10″)
Body Wood:Walnut
Neck Wood:Maple
Fingerboard Wood:Maple
Weight:4.1 kg (9.0 lbs.)
Overall Length:113.8 cm (44 13/16″)
Overall Width:34.3 cm (13 1/2″)
Overall Depth:31.8 mm (1 1/4″)
Neck Binding:No
Fret Marker Style:Dot
Tailpiece:RIC
Bridge:RIC
Neck Type:Through body
No. of Pickups:2
Type of Pickups:Single Coil
Output Type:Mono
Machine Heads:Schaller Deluxe

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Share your thoughts

  1. Jon Sparrow

    Maybe Rickenbacker should try innovation rather than suing people and retailers to force exclusivity.

  2. Dan Jones

    1 make a budget model
    2 rerelease it 40 odd years later
    3 ????
    4 profit

    Is this what the world of musical instruments has come to?

  3. Justin Shirley

    I’m curious to hear that walnut bodied bass through a variety of amps. The amps being the SVT the Marshall super bass Jmp and the Fender 200watt bassman.

  4. Joris

    To play a Rick is a choice that you make. I always liked the sound, so please keep on making these good bass guitars.