Chinese Rickenbacker 4003 Bass Copy Review and Demo

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Don't forget to check out the rest of my videos in my CHICKENBACKER MODDING SERIES Playlist ! LINK HERE ! >>> kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYqbZnSfg7Oqfbc

[@michaelsojka3265]

Jakub's House of R

[@searayus1]

I got one and I'm pretty happy with it. First thing I did was send it to a luthier friend of mine (who wasn't crazy about working on a fake) for a complete set up. That helped a thousand percent! Next I switched over to Hipshot tuners. Finally I hate roundwound strings so I changed to flatwound. That's where the extra long neck came into play. After buying and trying 3 sets of flats I ended up using Rotosound flatwound that I had to shorten the silk at the end so they would sit flat in the nut. It's a little more of a treble-y sound that really works great with effect pedals. Overall, for $400 and a one month wait I'm pleased with it as a combination fulltime/backup bass.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Nice , glad it worked out well, and that you got it set up ptoperly I thought flat wounds were ment to be less treble-y ...?

[@searayus1]

Yeah, that's what I thought too.@@jakubshouseofrock7109

[@romatigerpunk]

Rick's with flats and a pick sound so cool, and I hate flats

[@romatigerpunk]

Considering ordering a fake from China, do yall think I should take the risk?

[@erikavery8083]

I'd get one and Mod the schite out of it.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Awesome ! let me know how it goes man !

[@morioh6505]

I wana know too

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Likewise.

[@pilummurialis6490]

Love the Motörhead shirt, I've held 2 real rickenbackers and they are fairly good in weight, but light as well

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thankyou! Love Motorhead ! haha I actually have an unboxing video for this exact shirt on my other 'non music related' channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJKQq6Cqj75sras wow lucky ! I'd love to hold let alone play a real one, this ones got a good weight to it pretty heavy but solid feeling

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Hi! hope you guys enjoyed the video and that it was helpful in helping you decide whether this bass is right for you ! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask ! I'm working on putting together a series following my progress modding this bass, fitting it with genuine Rickenbacker Pickups and fixing some issues this one has out of the box I'm my next video I'll be taking apart this bass and you'll get a good look at what's inside ! so don't forget to like and subscribe and all that jazz if that's something you're interested in seeing.

[@Mission2Transition641]

looking forward to your progress on the upgrades..and how much u spent $$.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks ! I hope it's enjoyable haha, so far the bass it's self cost over $330 AU and the Rickenbacker High Gain pickups cost around $270 AUD and the other random electronics, pots, caps ect.. cost around $15-20 ish AUD so overall just over $600 AU ( about $460 USD) so not cheap but still allot more reasonable than the 2-3 thousand an actual Ric costs... I also spent about 2-3 days of research drawing up an accurate Rickenbacker wiring diagram because the existing ones and schematics were so varied and in accurate some times that i couldn't figure out how to re wire it... so i'l have a video of me going over that up soon

[@jasonfryer4566]

Great review. I bought the "Rockinbetter RG4003", which is distributed by Tokai and probably made in the same Chinese factory as yours. It appears to be pretty much the same bass, the only difference being a flat slab body. The pickups and hardware look the same. I'm pretty happy with it. It appears that we worship at the same altars of Geezer, Geddy and Chris Squire. Keep up the good work.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thankyou so much! nice! I just took a look at some pictures of the Rockinbetter RG4003 and that one looks far closer to the original than this one, the position of the bridge pickup seems better and it dons't have the extra 2 frets. are those set in or through neck basses? wow you noticed ! yes those are my 3 favourite bassists !

[@jasonfryer4566]

they are through necks but the neck heel is much bigger than the one on a real Rick.

[@simonmccreath3425]

Cheers matey. It sounds alot better than I thought it was going to so aye, nice one chappie!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Sounds even better now with the real Rickenbacker pickups!

[@capitolemiproducer]

A real dead give away: A Rickenbacker's bridge pickup is suppose to be butted against the pick guard. The fakes have the bridge pick up less than 2 inches from the bridge

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

that's true, though it depends on the RIckenbacker as I've heard some have longer pick guards and others have shorter ones, but the copies definitely have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge

[@n84434]

I subscribed to see the progress on this one... I purchased a 4003 copy a month ago which looks identical to yours. Same truss rod cover and cheap pick guard, but I have dual inputs like the 4003. They both produce the same sound, no Ric-O-Sound here.... There are Ric volume/tone knobs on eBay and I paid about 12 USD for them delivered. Mine has loads of hum coming off it, which I have to figure out. I did install Roto-Sound strings on mine which helped with the sound quality.Cheers!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks for subscribing! I hope the series is interesting/helpful! really? lucky! I've looked for Rickenbacker tone/vol knobs on ebay, and including shipping the cheapest set of 4 i can find is at least twice that... nice, Roto sounds are great strings, also insanely expensive haha but worth it if you need an edge in your tone for recording Goodluck figuring out the hum, chances are it's probably electrical interference in your aria, my basses/guitars hum when they're near a laptop or phone.... or your might have a grounding issue, i'd check and make sure all the wires are well connected and grounded, and that the basses cavity is well shielded.... hmm, maybe your basses bridge isn't properly grounded sounds like both your jacks are just 2 plain mono ones, rick-o-sound is actually fairly complicated and requires a very spacial mono jack to work. I've been thinking of modding it in on my bass, but chances are i'm not going to use it much, and it's both relatively expensive and tricky to install.. but if you'd like to fix yours up, I've recently uploaded a video on Rickenbacker wiring that explains it fairly well as well as links to wiring diagrams i've drawn up on how to do it. Goodluck!

[@hellboundrubber4448]

Get some little black dice and make them into Volume knobs, or anything else that's cooler than what Rickenbacker uses. Use a file to fix remaining fret buzz. EVH's guit wasn't really a Strat, and Slash's wasn't really a Gibson. But Gibson made a Sig Model! If you can play better than someone who actually has a Rickey then what? Right?

[@Tungstenum666]

Thanx for taking your time in reviewing that bass, man! One question: would you recommend changing the pickups... or do they sound pretty good?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for watching! To be honest, even hough I did end up swapping the pickups for actual Rick pickups, the stock ones were actually really good so it's not needed at all to get a great sound from one of these, what's more important is a good setup ect...

[@Dr.ZoidbergPhD]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 are they active pickups or passive?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@Dr.ZoidbergPhD Hi Dr Zoidberg, big fan of your work by the way... both the stock Chinese pickups and the genuine Rick ones are passive

[@DragonRecords1]

After viewing your video's and after looking at Rickenbacker's forum which has many complaints about their basses, and their disregard for quality and customer satisfaction, I decided to purchase a Chinese Rickenbacker. Who wants to pay $2000 for a bass that looks like shit? From bad ORANGE PEEL PAINT(in 3 places on the face of the body) to SHODDY FRET WORK (rough and sharp fret work up and down both edges). And the list goes on!!! Nobody I know will pay for shit. I love my new Rickenbacker Bass!!!!! And I think that the contour top looks very elegant!! Thank you!

[@dansimsss]

What I always like about the Rickenbacker is it's sometime almost sound like a guitar, thank's to the prog group Renaissance to make me discover this brand. Unfortunately I never had the money to bye one.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I agree ! I hope you can one day! Same, even if I did have the money for it , it's still way above the price I would pay for any instrument.. I think modding one of these is a good option for getting something similar at a reasonable price point too

[@ColettaHughes]

Dig the YES licks and that's the main reason I want a Rickenbacker. I play lead guitar and keyboards but have never really played bass because the sound I want cost so much money. However, this may be a nice entry for me into the bass world. Thanks for the cool demo. :)

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Yes is the best ! thankyou! (sorry for the supper late reply haha)

[@SillyGooseTV]

Was there any issues with neck dive? Also, how is the weight on it? Ive been debating for years on getting one, and a big turn off is when a bass is "too light"

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

If it was a question of simply wanting a semblance of the look, the feel and the sound of this bass without desperately needing an authentic made-in-the-USA Rickenbacker, I probably would already have this model by now. The ironic part about how you start slapping just after the 30:00 mark is that, your tone adjustment almost makes it sound like the Hoffner violin base.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

It is a pretty good bass if what your after is the look , its also great for modding.. I'm actually ordering another one to my specifications so it will be far more accurate and play better hopefully Haha really dose it ?

[@Mat_Gomez23]

I’ve been planning on getting one and planning to mod it to make it my personal 4001!

[@trill6699]

thank you so much im going to plan to order one now I always wanted a Rickenbacker bass because cliff burton used a red rickenbacker and hes my favorite bassist so thank you

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

awesome ! hope you get a good one !

[@thefuneralparade]

Hell ya man.CLIFF BURTON rules...

[@davidfox7983]

Great review Have been thinking long and hard for a long time on buying one

[@hellboundrubber4448]

I was just looking at the newer 2021's. They're really cool! Check em out. It's how i found your channel. It's shocking it actually says "Rickenbacker". Now i know why i could never see the Headstock in the pics they show on Ali B. Most co's wouldn't take the chance. Instead they're called somethin like Rickenbaker! I like those copy names. You should mod you're plate to Chickenbacker!

[@alastairwilliams2174]

awesome demo i really wish i could have a real one but the clone seems pretty interesting

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

same, yes they're pretty cool, actually if you look around on AliExpress they're making even more accurate clones ! neck through and the correct amount of frets... ect.. I recently ordered another one, and got it specially customised to be as close as possible to the real thing, it's still being made but when it arrives i'm going to do another review of it.

[@HorizontallyVertical]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 Any news on the new one you ordered? I've been thinking about getting that version instead of the regular one you see with 22 frets. Thanks for the videos!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@HorizontallyVertical mine's still being made... unfortunately there was a delay because of the chinese new years holiday they had recently, but i'll be sure to do a full update on it as soon as I can

[@andyhinds542]

If only Rickenbacker would have their own budget range then there'd be no need for these illegal copies. I have a Chibanez John Petrucci signature from DH Gate and it's actually quite good, except that it could do with a proper setup to make it more playable. However, I do love the tone of this Chickenbacker and feel very tempted to order one.

[@silencedones4421]

This is what has kept Rickenbacker known to be a Ric. They stayed true to their goal and didn't chase after lessoning their reason of existence.

[@CosmicPowerCP]

"Um..."

[@joebodynobody764]

In 1993 I bought a 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 from Daddy's Junky Music for $600. Sold it a couple years later for $300. (I know, bad decision.) In all honesty, I hated that bass. I've never missed it.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Wow I'm jealous! From what I hear people either love em' or hate em' haha! I'm curios what about it you didn't like?

[@Mission2Transition641]

I bought one last year in natural color. I just thought the NECK was overly HUGE.HUGE....I traded it....since my Sub Sterling bass neck was more comfortable. Do you find the neck super thick? are real RIC's like that?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

yeah it has a wide neck something closer to a p bass, I play a jazz bass mostly and they have a very thin neck but this one felt fine to play, maybe just because I have big hands haha, I do find this neck feels longer than my jazz bass i think a real Rick has a similar but slightly thinner neck at the nut, i'm not really sure, I've never held a real one

[@robertbentley4646]

RICKY DEAN yes,I've played real Ric's, they do have a wider and thicker neck.

[@lothar34]

This sounds exactly what i'm looking for- I hate the real Ric sounds and skinny necks, but love the shape. Is this from Dcustom? Looking for a reputable seller

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Mine's from Ali Express, I've got a link to the exact seller I bought it from in the description of the video, basically any seller with allot of feedback/reviews should be safe.

[@robertbentley4646]

Jakub's House of ROCK real Ric's are only 20 frets. These here are 22

[@aedanhickey5264]

Hey, your link is unavailable, is that the 40-inch bass? That what they are selling on aliexpress

[@MyCovertNarcissism]

Thanks for making this video really appreciate it, will definitely get one I think. One question, with the free delivery, did you get hit with any import customs charges or was it totally free ?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks man! HAHA yeah I wish there were more videos like this when I was looking to buy mine. nope the shipping was free, took ages but it got here safely and with no additional costs

[@castlehill6717]

Damn a better mic would make your channel 9000% more professional. Great vid anyhow.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for checking out the video ! good tip, but I have looked into it, I have some decent Audio Technica mics that I use for recording guitars and vocals.. I've messed around with trying to use them for recording audio for videos, but setting it up and getting everything in sync is just a pain... As someone with not to much free time on my hands and who dose this youtube thing as just a casual hobby I decided to stick with the audio I get from my webcam.. haha plus it goes with my channel's lo-fie aesthetic :)

[@Brenners2010]

Hi, this is a very informative video. Just wondering was it Aliexpress or DHGate that you used to purchase the Chinese Rickenbacker? Thanks

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks ! I got mine from AliExpress, though i wouldn't be surprised if it was the same manufactures on both sites

[@Brenners2010]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 Thanks for the reply. Did you have to pay customs fees when ordering it from China? Were the fees substantial? Cheers

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@Brenners2010 no worries I don't think I did, no. That said, your country might have different regulations on that kind of thing....

[@TheSuperNhox]

Nice video man, too broke for a genuine Rick and was wondering if the chinese one were worth their price. Good demo too

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks man ! haha me too Yeah I'd say they are for sure, lovin' mine. They're even making them now with neck through versions like the real thing The only thing that might be a bit off is the fretwork but at worse you have to keep your action fairly high or get the frets done... mine's not that bad but i'm planning on trying it myself in the future if i get the tools, but even with the cost of getting it done it'd still be really worth it!

[@TheSuperNhox]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 Thanks ! Now I'm really considering one now ahah. As for setup goes, my MIM Fender Jazz needed one too so... 0_0

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@TheSuperNhox haha hope you get a good one if you do go for it !

[@TheSuperNhox]

Jakub's House of ROCK Hope so too x)

[@GuajoloteGonzales]

I could buy one and add it a mudbucker.

[@ITTAPUPU12]

I know what your gonna do

[@GuajoloteGonzales]

@@ITTAPUPU12 Oh yeah! But maybe later, as now i have an Squier VM Precision Telebass with a mudbucker and sounds awesome!

[@icallhimgerald6463]

Nice video, and also cool hair

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thank you so much !

[@lt.reubenrozeyt5716]

Is it everything you'd hope it be?

[@sickofitall1253]

I got the left handed 5 string blue and white. It looks good from a distance but up close you can see a lot of flaws. Flaws in the finish, measurements, wiring. The cover for my truss rod hole was not flush with the nut. It's the little details that are lacking. It's a pretty shity bass. I put a JBL blade pick up at the bridge section and a razor alumitone for the neck. Looks great and sounds awesome. The size of the frats are a bit rough and scratchy need to be carefully sanded down just a pinch on the edges. The nut is cheap so I popped it off and added a bleach white bone nut. All chrome knobs and chrome 3 way switch. Main gripe though is how heavy the neck is. Balance is way off. I let go of the neck the bass slides all the way down to where it almost hits the ground.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

That's a shame about the flaws Hope it makes up for it in sound

[@tomvoelkening6287]

Who was your seller so I can avoid them? Thanks man.

[@bb.6969]

a small tip, teisco 60's amps use similar knobs without lables

[@bytor991]

my question is, is it worth it, i just bought one because of Geddy Lee of course though its not a usa rick, also thought about buying usa authentic rick pickups, i think it sounds good, but from a real stand point how is it, it will sound different on camera

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I'd say it's worth it, if I hadn't got this the only other option I would have had to have a Rickenbacker would have been to order a DIY kit... depends on who you ask though, some people absolutely love these other hate em' I'm modding out the electronics in this and actually installing genuin Rick pickups, even doing a whole series following my progress with that... we'll see if it sounds any better with em' Hope you enjoy yours ! the sound you're hearing is what i recorded into my interface, the sound from the camera wasn't that good so i muted it out.

[@ADIDINATION]

Did you have any issues with customs when you ordered it?

[@bytor991]

I just ordered mine on March 22nd when do you think it'd arrive in Chicago

[@bytor991]

It's going through EMS

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I had no issues with customs for mine.

[@bepivisintainer2975]

Hi there. Great series of video about the China-backer. I have the same one that I've bought from a Chinese manufacturer . I'm not too happy with the action and I would like to lower it. Is there a way or one has to change the bridge? Needless to say that my one wont go any lower or higher . ta :-)

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for the comment, yeah these things generally need a good set up and yes you can lower the bridge, (assuming yours is the same as mine exactly...) there should be 4 or 5 adjustable screws on the plate under the bridge saddles and that lowers all of them at one... hope you figure it out, it's a strange bridge and it took me a while to work out how to set it up properly too otherwise, i would just recommend replacing it as functionally it's not the best bride....

[@bepivisintainer2975]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 after fiddling about with the bridge and it turns out that is in its lowest setting and it won't go any lower. Bummer.....is there an alternative to the hipshot bridge out there ? I'm based in the EU and that are quite dear with shipping and import ....

[@mrtaylorhelm]

bro, you're a gem. I'm sold. Love your attitude.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thankyou so much :)

[@eviljew8206]

fu

[@richharris2864]

Sounds pretty good. I think I might order one!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Nice ! It dose man, I hope you like yours

[@takitezy7]

4 months later... how did you go?

[@ladokirana5414]

Is it 20fret or 22??

[@enzofariabaixista]

I'm thinking about buying this bass, only I'll regulate it and take the last frets. Is it worth it? I'll buy at Aliexpress

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks for the comment, I'd say it is worth it, i'm really happy with mine, though it has been modified heavily since i got it... I remember it was a pretty groovy bass when I first got it stock. and it is a very beautiful looking instrument, very convincing as a Rickenbacker. I'd recommend adjusting the saddles on the middle A and G strings to fit a thin sheet of metal like from a drink can under them so that they are raised to fit with the profile of the fretboard radius and after you have it for a few months and the wood of the bass is less fresh and more stable, it would be worth giving it a fret levelling/crowning, it totally depends on your bass if you need this though... all the best to you if you do decide to pick one up ! what do you mean by "regulate it and take the last frets"? by the way

[@Midwestoffgrid]

Did you buy the rick logo to put on the neck

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

no it came with the logo already there, allot of people actually remove these since it makes it a counterfeit, but i kept mine on since I like how it looks, and it's my bass and yo only live once haha

[@silver23768]

I'm between a Chinabucker and a Epihphone Thunderbird. What should I choose if I want a bass that I can play for years? I love the sound and design of both (yeah it's a Chinese copy both for me sounds awesome) the only thing that doesn't convince me about the Thunderbird is that the neck is weak and breaks easily and I want to know about the durability of these Copies.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for commenting ! Hard to say really, I have no experiences what so ever with the the Thunderbird, but I know consensus is that Epiphone generally make really good instruments, but as for durability, I see no reason why either wouldn't last a life time if you're not actively abusing them... guitars, and basses in general have very strong necks, so i wouldn't have this be the deciding feature between them... Chickenbackers have a relatively large back angel on the head stock so in theory if you you have it laying flat and you strike the neck from the front that could break the head stock, but the same would be true with the Thunderbird Yeah I agree there's nothing objectively wrong with it being a Chinese copy or liking the sound of one, the stock pickups on it, did sound really cool. Over the course of the series I've found many aspects of the Chickenbacker that could be improved but that's the case with most guitars and by doing so I've gotten a far more unique and interesting instrument because of that Actually the funny thing is, that i like that it's a Chinese copy, because if it were a real one no one would have watched this video... but now my bass is kind of famous in it's own way haha ultimately just go with whichever one you like the best, you can always track down the other one in future, both will last if you take care of them, and you can get the sound of the other one by swapping pickups... the most important thing is to give the instrument a good set up

[@silver23768]

Thanks for replying! Btw is there anyway I can get the link where you bought the Bass?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

No worries , look in the video description for that , I always put in s bunch of relevant links and notes in the video disruptions of my videos, Otherwise just search for basses on Ali Express and you'll find it there , I think the name of the seller I bought mine from is Mr Skulls Guirats or something like that

[@silver23768]

I'm thinking about buying the Blue One it looks really good, btw the deliverys are international?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

nice! the blue one looked awersome, I actually wanted a cream coloured one, but it would have taken an extra month waiting time so they offered me the black one and i took it.. yeah of course the delivery is, i'm in Australia and it was delivered from China...

[@RSTI191]

NIB - cool.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Hell yeah !

[@RSTI191]

People underestimate the power of The Geezer. He was my first influence, a great writer and monster bassist.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I completely agree ! he's awesome !

[@gabrielbrown805]

Are these still available?

[@manuelsalamancagallardo2079]

Hi! Do you think the neck is similar to the original ric?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I'm not the best below person to ask as i've never held a real Rickenbacker, i think someone already answered this question in the comments here though but from what i know i think these have slightly wider necks, but both have pretty bulky necks

[@Marzyth]

all right JACO!

[@morioh6505]

I fucking cracked everytime you said umm...

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Haha ! I'm glad you did :)

[@frankjuster8726]

check out the youtube video by "zero mod" who makes a complete rundown on the differences between a real rick and a "china-backer".very enlightening.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Yeah i've seen his video, good stuff there mine's actually getting pretty close to an actual Rickenbacker, just installed some real Rick High Gain pickups yesterday and it sounds awersome

[@RingwoodLive]

Hope you recut the nut, and added 1/16th shims under the "A" and "D" saddles. the radius of that otherwise nice bridge is wrong for the fingerboard radius. SOME of these come with a MusicMan style bridge which has much more adjustment range to it.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I haven't looked into it, but it's a good thing to think about, so I'll check it out. thanks for the tip ! I have altered the bridge since this video, in my Chickenbacker modding series, though only really to adjust the string spacing, but checking the radius is something i'll defiantly look into

[@RingwoodLive]

All the ones I have seen that have that style bridge have ZERO radius between the saddles which is quite odd...As it is otherwise a really solid well made bridge. The practical effect of that is you cannot get the action set right. If you get correct height on the G and E you will be too low on the D and A, get those right and now you are higher than you want on the G and E ! A 1/16th inch shim under that D and A saddle pretty well corrects the issue. Can make out of any soft sheet metal scrap. Just cut to the same dimensions as the saddle block bottom and you never even know it is there except - better action.

[@RingwoodLive]

Also that silly "extra screw" in the MIDDLE of the bridge block - you have the four corner screws and it can confuse people to try and set the action correctly you need to back off the middle one totally until AFTER you get the other four right.

[@2ninjamoz]

what about the size. i read original is 43" and chinese is 40", is that real?

[@steeltag]

I went to the website and saw them range from 39 to 41" , thats odd

[@js3217]

Hey man, had one question about your Chinabacker: I've noticed on all 4003 CB basses that the edges seem to be slightly radiused as opposed to a real Ric in which the edges are squared off. How does this affect playability for you? Better? No difference?

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for the comment Jeff. I can't say if its better or not because I've never had the pleasure of playing a reall Rickenbacker but I don't think it makes any really difference to playability I'm sure if any a contoured edge would help a little, im curious why they do it though, it can't be to avoid copyright, because they come with a Rickenbacker logo so the curve there wouldn't make a difference anyway , maybe they just like the aesthetics haha I dunno , I've heard it bothers some people but I don't mind it at all its finished well and still looks like the classic shape to me

[@jerrylancaster256]

I wanna get one but my inner Cliff Burton fanboy might force me to buy another

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

You might be on to something, I got this one.. then a year later , now I have another one :)

[@jerrylancaster256]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 I've been looking on made in China.com and I was probably gonna get one from there, be careful there though. If you buy from there only use paypal

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@jerrylancaster256 Thanks for the tip, I didn't even know about that site :) Hope you get a good one !

[@TheSuperNhox]

Also did you have any problem with the shipping? Never ordered something this size from china and that's what's worrying me

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I had no problems at all... took ages but so dose everything from china , but it was packed well in a styrofoam box and arrived safely

[@ondrasekpokorny9]

link?

[@zakhudson]

Can I get the sellers info if I message you? Really really want one. Thank you!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I think it was a store called Mr Skulls guitar store on Ali Express or something like that... I'd just brows on there and look at the written reviews because there are a lot of sellers and they keep changing...

[@bassistplayer826]

Also you forgot about the gloss fret board

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

oh did I, I definitely have brought it up in future videos though :) thanks for checking out the video

[@WarlockBassplaying]

The neck pickup sounded fine...but nothing like a real rick.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

yeah that neck pickup was killer !

[@spacesloth6496]

Well put new or better. Pick upps innit. Active , music man humbuckers. Or other You have cool power house sounding bass i would modd the hell out of make iT. A good power bass. 🤩🤩🤩😎😎🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@donstewart368]

The sale or purchase of a fake or counterfeit Rickenbacker guitar or bass is illegal in the USA and most major markets

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I know man... Luckily I live on the other side of the planet hAha :) I have heard that if you live in the US you can ask the seller to send it with the truss rod cover removed and hidden in an envelope separaitly so that customs dosnt confiscate it or anything like that , I shout they'd catch you regardless ..

[@collinm9469]

What're you gonna do? Call the cops? Lmao

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@collinm9469 haha :) amen brother !

[@OrvilleRickenbacker]

Spoken like someone who works for rickenbacker lol

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@OrvilleRickenbacker yes in deed haha !

[@daveharris514]

Great sound!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thankyou !

[@thefuneralparade]

I mite get me one and call it the "chickenfucker"

[@miata350]

The intro is kind of annoying but at least it's somewhat short.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Dude don't be talkin' shit about my intro, it's literally the best part of this whole video haha! I'm proud of it :) I recorded the music and made the logo and edited it all myself.

[@johneland8225]

I implore you for God's sake save your money and buy the real deal, played one of these at a guitar show and it was total garbage

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

the real ones are SO over priced though... if you can afford it and think it's worth it than sure. but these copies are getting better and better, I've since got a much nicer neck through variant, and with a few mods they can be excellent basses !

[@johneland8225]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 The one I tried was truly terrible! It was not made from anything they claimed it was made of, believe me I know why people want these, I have a real one so know how expensive they are! But I still think its worth it to save up and get one but I'm not judging anyone for wanting a chinabacker cause I understand the argument.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

@@johneland8225 fair point, these types of bootleg instruments can be pretty hit or miss because there's no formal QC control , so I believe you that it was truly terrible I'd love to have an authentic one, i'm curious where you're from? because I've gathered from other comments that in the US getting these Chickenbackers is kinda pointless because apparently genuine Ricks show up on the second hand market starting from around the $1000 mark, where as here in Australia we have literally no Rickenbackers on the market, so we have to import them, and at minimum they cost between $2-3000 or more

[@johneland8225]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 I'm from the UK, you are quite right about prices in the US you can get them very cheap, here in the UK I have not seen one for under £1400, new ones here vary in price depending where you buy one, up to £300 difference! so it pays to do your homework and shop around, now if you want a really good copy you could always try and find an Ibanez one, had one years ago and it was excellent, or consider a Tokai Rockinbetter, I did get to try one of those and they are not bad at all, just wasn't sure about the bridge on it! but a really nice sound.

[@Anthony-df4bs]

Don't you look at it like a waste of 300 dollars? You couldve bought a used Fender Jazz/Precision bass for that price.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Haha maybe a used Squire one at best for that price... Anyway I've already got a fantastic Jazz bass. No man not at all, I love this bass! I've always wanted a Rickenbacker bass , and specially with the mods I've installed, now I have something that looks and sounds practically like the really thing for under a quarter of the price of a real one (mods included) Not only that but this bass has been the star attraction on my KZbin channel and lots of fun to work on, and it sounds awersome

[@cOr3t3ecks]

Get a Fender P bass. Has almost the same tone.frettless

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

nah man, a Squire P-Bass with frets! I mean is it even a "P" bass if it's fretless... the P literally stands for Precision bass, which it was named for being the first bass with frets for precision in it's notes... and i couldn't play a fretless bass to save my life ! haha and I'd go for a Squire over an actual Fender based on bang for your buck any day ! but honestly I like this one a little more, I've modded it with those genuine Rick pickups and it sounds amazing !

[@cOr3t3ecks]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 I was thinking of the Tony Franklin P bass. But check out this guy on a fretless. kzbin.info/www/bejne/epvTppesipKNiKM

[@cOr3t3ecks]

@@jakubshouseofrock7109 I also am biased toward the Rickenbacker cause of those damned Canadians. heheheh

[@Novalarke]

Also - the bridge is crap. Buy a hipshot.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

yeah I'm planning to replace it in the future when i can afford it, I want to be able to adjust the string spacing to have the neck pickups poll pieces (which has now been replaced the genuine Rick pickup) line up properly with the strings.

[@Novalarke]

Hipshot makes replacement Ricky bridges. A friend of mine had to replace his ricky's bridge, and he always hated the Ricky bridge anyway, so he figured he'd splurge and get the Hipshot. Best thing he ever did for his Ricky - it has much better sustain now. The Hipshot Ricky bridge is built to Ricky standards and string spacing, so bingo: problem solved.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thanks for the recommendation! I've looked into those and may very well may do that in the future, but at this point I've pored enough resources into this bass for the moment haha. Besides for the moment, with a few hand tools, I've managed to DIY modify the bridge to work perfectly and have the correct string spacing for the pickups. I'll upload a video detailing that in the near future.

[@jimrenfroe]

Yes! Couldn't keep the small round eraser shaped pieces that hold the strings in place on the saddles to stay. The one on the E string kept falling out while playing. I soldered it temporarily and used loctite on the rest but the Hipshot was the answer

[@genevamariapesci7342]

You get what you pay for!Maybe someday,you can get the real deal!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

true, I really hope so! , though I've just tested this bass with some real Rickenbacker High Gain bass pickups and wow it sounds just like the real deal! , so maybe with a hundred or so put into replacing some hardware like the bridge, as well as taking some time out to adjust the neck, maybe level the frets, this thing could be worth more than what i payed for :)

[@RingwoodLive]

Can never sound really "correct" as the position of the bridge pickup is wrong. Too close to the bridge. BUT that does not mean that you cannot get great sounds of course.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

that's very true! both points.. I think the bridge pickup placement is one of this basses downsides for that reason, but on the other hand, I like to think of it as something unique about this ones look and sound.

[@RingwoodLive]

There are suppliers of these basses who will correct many of the inadequacies out of the box - But it is a special order. Costs about $150 more but you get correct scale, (33 1/4 real Ric scale not 34 inch Fender scale)a neck-through not glued in, correct pickup location. They also tend to use that Music Man bridge copy which may look strange but is far more adjustable.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

yes, I have seen some more accurate ones floating around which seem pretty cool, though in future if i did want a more accurate one I'd love to try out one of the DIY kits, or even attempt the build from scratch, which has always been something I've wanted to do, but have not had the luxury of decent working space or tools to do so...

[@chriskappert1365]

The real Ricky is made by people who ern a decent salary , they wanna live just like you . That Chinese worker is kept poor ........😮

[@js3217]

It would have been a lot more helpful if you played the thing like a bass instead of a guitar.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Thanks for the comment man, sorry you didn't find it as helpfull, though, I'm not entirely sure what you mean... I played it like I play bass is all.. Maybe its because my main influences tend to have the bass in the forefront of the song allot, you know Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Lemmy of Motorhead... That kinda thing Or if you're talking about me playing with a pick half the time, well that's becouse, and I don't know why, but when I see a Rick bass in particular I just get the vibe that it suits pick playing Anyway let me know what you meant I'm curious to find out and I hope you still found it somewhat helpful ! That's what this videos for, as when I was researching picking one up myself there were hardly any good demos / reviews out there so I made this one

[@js3217]

Sorry, I didn't finish watching to the end.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Haha all good man

[@eviljew8206]

Stop flapping your gums...

[@eviljew8206]

shame on you...

[@urboideath_6662]

Its trash, u can probably come close to an actual Rickenbacker but it won't have that genuine sound. That bass is built unique that causes that sound. From the body shape to the length affects the sound in a slightly major way

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

haha they also come with a "unique" price tag... I wasn't expecting it to "be" a Rickenbacker, or anywhere near that quality... but i love this bass and it's far from trash! I've done a few follow up videos detailing various mods i've done to this thing to bring it closer to an actual Rick bass, I highly recommend checking out my most recent one, where I've installed genuine Rickenbacker High Gain pickups! I've modded it much more since then and am still in the process of posting further videos detailing that, but as it is now, i've completely changed the pickups and electronics to match that of a real Rick, modded the string spacing on the bridge to line up with the pickups, changed the tone knobs to look more like a Ricks, sanded the pick guard edges and i'm currently in the process of levelling the frets. When I'm done I'll have something, realistically very close in both look and sound to an actual Rickenbacker bass for a fraction of the price!

[@laurasteele8636]

Andres Torres some of us cannot afford to pay rickenbaker's insane prices! here in the states? a ric bass like that goes for between 3 and 4 grand!

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

I completely agree! the unfortunate thing is that while i''ve no doubt that they're wonderfully made basses, Rickenbacker completely hold a monopoly on their product witch on the one hand is helping them stay in business... but it also means only a very small percentage of the bass playing community will never get the chance to hold one of their bases... let alone own one, as for the most part musicians don't have thousands of spare dollars lying around to throw at overpriced instruments, when you can get professional quality from a few hundred dollars with a slightly modified and more importantly well set up Squire or something like that.. That said I've always wanted a Rickenbacker, and since they aren't partnered with any Chinese of Korean manufacturers there are realistically no other options for me than ordering a copy bass or a kit, and modifying it to Rickenbacker specs myself. which if you'll follow my Rickenbacker modding series you'll see has been working out really well and at very small percentage of the cost of buying an actual Rick...

[@joefranco1567]

Good review I agree with you and hope to see your final project complete. As long as someone is not trying to pass it off as original or trying to sell it to someone as a original Rickenbacker what is the big deal. So many people get uptight about this I have Pre Ernie Ball Stingray basses and see many fakes out there who cares its not my money if it makes you happy build or buy what you want. A 3k bass isnt going to make you play any better than a cheap replica if you do not know who to use it.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

thank you! ! yes I completely agree man! I'm aiming to have my next video about it up within the week with that one, it's going really well, all wiring has now been changed, so Its now partially exactly what's in a real Rickenbacker. unfortunately the fretwork still needs to be levelled before it can a truly great instrument, but i will do that and cover it in a video too Yeah I feel that life is short and if some one wants a guitar or bass which whatever brand or logo or style they want and they can get it from China than that's total fine, but absolutely the moment you try to con people by selling it as the real thing than that's a problem and not ok... allot of people talk about companies loosing revenue ect.. from copies being made by other companies, but that's a whole another issue... personally i see it as not the responsibility of the buyer to worry about that stuff, a company is a large money making machine for all intensive purposes... and for the most part musicians are not wealthy, they're people playing music and expressing themselves, and if they're paying for a copy they're still paying the makers of that instrument, i don't believe in nationalism, so i don't see a difference with supporting guitar makers in one company over another, whether that be a local brand ( i live in Australia) one from the US or one from China... long story short, i get where people are coming from when they dislike counterfeits ect... but it's not the customers business to support the companies, it's the companies business to keep itself running, and having competition only helps people not having to pay $3000 for an instrument because one company has a monopoly on the design... anyway sorry if that dragged on or got too political, having done this series has had me thinking about this stuff allot and interacting with allot of overtly brand loyal people ("brand bunnies" as Will Gelvin cales them)... and i'm not really about brand loyalty, though i can still like certain brands, short of paying for what i buy, i don't owe them anything haha... absolutely, no bass or guitar is going to make you play better, but a good instrument can make a good player sound better or look cooler haha thanks for the comment man

[@Novalarke]

Here's an idea: when you're going to shoot a video TURN OFF YOUR PHONE.

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

HAHA good idea but, nah, I like to live life dangerously! ,,, besides that phone has long since been put out of it's misery

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

while I do genuinely appreciate your sentiment man, that's a bit harsh haha!

[@produciendomusica_OK]

Play the bass!!! Stop talking

[@jakubshouseofrock7109]

Nah, I do what I want my playing's that great anyway... Haha