Generic depiction of the instrument model, not the specific item offered on a linked platform.

Bass Guitar

Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

Name: Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)
Brand: Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker · 4003 (1995 - 2011)

Price: 2.720 EUR – 3.562 EUR

Price history

Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

Availability: 2/10 (Very rare)

A production-window example of Rickenbacker's long-running 4003 bass, built during the 1995-2011 era of largely consistent neck-through, dual-single-coil construction.

Where available? Go to the best price – 2.720 EUR About this instrument

About the Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

The 4003 has been Rickenbacker's core bass model since 1979, when it succeeded the 4001 with a maple/walnut-laminate neck-through-body construction, dual truss rods, and the brand's distinctive 'cresting wave' semi-hollow body shape carried over from earlier Rickenbacker basses. Through the 1995-2011 production window covered by this listing, the model's fundamental construction and dual single-coil pickup layout remained consistent with Rickenbacker's long-standing approach; dating within this era is mostly a matter of hardware and finish batch details rather than a fundamental redesign.

It sits alongside the 4003S (a simplified, unbound variant) and the current 4003 (2012-present) in Rickenbacker's ongoing lineup, all sharing the same core neck-through formula that has defined the brand's basses for decades - most famously associated with players like Chris Squire and Lemmy Kilmister.

Where to buy

Reverb 2.720 EUR Best price View details
Reverb 2.909 EUR View details
Reverb 3.562 EUR View details

Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Source: https://reverb.com/item/98256826-rickenbacker-4003-1995-2011-jetglo

Sound character of the Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

The 4003's signature bright, articulate 'clank' comes from its bridge-position horseshoe-style pickup wrapped in a magnetic housing close to the strings, combined with a maple/walnut body - a tighter, punchier low end than a P-Bass with pronounced upper-midrange bite. The separate volume/tone controls per pickup plus a blend knob (and stereo Rick-O-Sound wiring on this era) give it more tonal shaping options than a typical passive 2-pickup bass, but the core identity stays that percussive Rickenbacker attack heard from Chris Squire to Geddy Lee.

Bright Percussive Midrange-forward Resonant

Technical data for the Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

Body	Maple/walnut laminate, neck-through, semi-hollow 'cresting wave'
Pickups	2x single-coil
Truss rods	Dual
Production window	1995-2011
Origin	USA (Santa Ana, CA)

Price history for the Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

Cheapest seen: 2.720 EUR · Most expensive seen: 3.562 EUR

Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

The history of the Rickenbacker 4003 (1995-2011)

Built during the 1995-2011 era of Rickenbacker's continuously produced 4003, this example carries the model's long-standing neck-through, dual-single-coil construction.