There’s a funny thing about instruments. Sometimes the one that’s technically better for you isn’t the one your heart chooses. I’m a bass player and I love basses. Over the years I’ve owned a few, played plenty more, and admired even more from afar at music shops, in magazines, and in music videos. But there was always one bass sitting up on a pedestal in my mind: the Rickenbacker 4001, or 4003.
Decades ago I wanted a Rickenbacker 4001 – I borrowed a mate’s for a gig and loved it! But the price was simply too high and the super thin necks with two truss rods were prone to twisting if not maintained properly. As the necks are integrated into the body that would mean a useless bass. Plus, there were lots of Japanese copies around and lots of people fell for them – an equally expensive mistake. That said I owned a Jetglow copy knowingly and wish I had kept it as they are now collectable!
Anyway, before anyone starts getting too partisan, let me say this upfront: expensive instruments do not magically make you a better musician. If your technique is poor, a $5,000 bass will faithfully reproduce every sloppy note in crystal-clear detail. In the hands of a brilliant player, a cheaper instrument can sound absolutely phenomenal.
Which brings me to my two basses (well actually I have 3 but the old white Washburn is knackered and gathering dust). One is a Dean bass that cost around $700. The other is a 2016 Rickenbacker 4003, which cost about six times as much. Logic says I should be reaching for the Dean every single day. It’s lighter, faster, and honestly much easier to play. The neck is thinner, feels great, and it does exactly what you want it to do with very little effort.
The Rickenbacker on the other hand? It’s a heavy lump of wood. Beautiful, glorious, iconic wood… but still very heavy. And yet, every time I plug it in, I instantly remember why I wanted one for so many years. There’s just something about the sound. It growls in a way that makes me smile. It has this character that sits perfectly in the kind of music I love making. Some instruments feel functional. Others feel alive. Oh … and it looks stunning.
That doesn’t mean it’s objectively “better.” In fact, there are players out there who could probably make the Dean sound almost identical with the right fingers, technique, pedals, amps, and studio magic. A lot of tone really does come from the player and their setup.
But instruments are emotional things too and bring out emotions. Sometimes we buy gear because it inspires us, sometimes because we’ve dreamed about it for decades and finally reached a point in life where we can justify it. That’s part of it too. It took me a lifetime before I could afford a Rickenbacker and honestly, before I could even convince myself I deserved one.
Musicians do that a lot. We put these strange conditions on ourselves. “I’m not good enough yet.” “I haven’t earned it.” “I’ll buy one when I reach this level.” But time was slipping away and all the big bills were paid in life so I had to finally get one.
The funny thing is, despite owning the Rickenbacker, I still keep the Dean sitting in the studio corner. I see it every time I walk in and every time I leave. Occasionally I’ll pick it up and remember just how ridiculously playable it is. It’s genuinely a fantastic bass and in many ways the sensible choice. But I’ve never been entirely sensible. Also my days of selling basses and regretting it are behind me.
At the end of the day, the Rickenbacker won me over because of how it makes me feel when I hear it and how it looks. The design has hardly changed in 70 years. It’s like a favourite classic car or bike. All my most inspirational bass players play (or played) one – top of the list is Paul Gray from The Damned.
A bit crazy? Probably. But musicians aren’t always chasing practicality – we’re a romantic bunch at heart.
