Am I Crazy?

[LCAirPasta]

Here's the situation- About 8 months ago I bought a Rickenbacker 4003. Jetglo. SUPER excited, I finally had the bass of my dreams. It's a beautiful instrument! BUT..... I don't love it. I mean, you pay that much for something you should love it more than anything, right? I play my American Jazz more than it and it's really not close- the only time I bring the Rick to a jam session is if I want to flex on non-bass players (it gets a wayyyy bigger reaction than my Jazz). I'm not crazy about the tone, and it's just kind of....weird to play. Not bad, just MUCH different from the Fenders I'm most comfortable on. I totally get it if you love Ricks, and I'm not here to bash them at all! But am I crazy for wanting to sell the Rick for something else(like a P bass)? I've only had it 8 months.... How soon is too soon to give up on an instrument?

 

[Runnerman]

The Rick is a unique sounding/playing instrument and not for everyone. Sounds like maybe you didn't play before buying. In your position, I would have no hesitation trading/selling if you can find the right deal and take any hit on depreciation.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Nope. I think we've all been through something like whether it is Ric or another brand.
I like Rics and they are pretty, but just not for me. I bought one, kept it for less than a year and sold it for the same reasons you cite.

 

[two fingers]

Yeah I hate them in my hands. They look and sound great hanging around others' necks but I literally would not be able to make it through a show on one.

 

[el murdoque]

Sounds to me that you spent crown-jewel-of-the-collection kind of money for a bass that you expected to be just that, but all you got was a bass that's good enough to keep around and play from time to time.
I'd say you should sell it and go looking a bass that becomes the first thing you grab any time you choose a bass.

 

[toddsterbassist]

It happens. I think Ric’s are the coolest basses ever but they aren’t really set up for my right hand technique. So I don’t own one. I’ve bought lots of gear I thought I’d love and didn’t.

 

[Josh Kneisel]

You aren't crazy. I prefer Fender to most everything.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

You might have been happier with a 4004.
I don't dig 4003 models at all, but the 4004 I like.

 

[Kaa]

You are not crazy at all. You bought a pair of shoes that don't fit right. (A poor analogy, I'm sure.)

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I screwed up when I bought my 4004, because I went & tried out a blue one that had faded purple & it felt great & I don't recall it being too heavy.
Well, I didn't like the finish & I could save $500 buying a used one & did just that.

The one that arrived was heavier & had a thicker neck. I liked its sound, but never warmed to playing it for long periods of time. It just wore on my shoulder & my neck to play it.
I might still have that blue/purple one if I'd bought that one instead.

 

[LCAirPasta]

Thanks for the input everyone! Just needed some positive affirmation I suppose

 

[byoung93888]

You're not crazy at all, not every bass works for everyone. If it doesnt fit you and you arent in love with it then you will be better off trading it or selling it. Rics work for me but dont for everybody. I got a 5 string Warwick and loved it but it just doesn't work for me so i will be trading or selling it soon as well.

 

[MonetBass]

Play what you like and what feels and sounds good to you. Nothing wrong with that. TBH I agree with you on the Rics: they look cool, but I don't like how they feel. That's just the way it is.

 

[Paulabass]

I like my Ric just fine. It's another of many, and I play it in rotation with my others, but it doesn't make me jump up and down. It attracts a LOT of attention, if that's your thing.

 

[LCAirPasta]

The Rick is a unique sounding/playing instrument and not for everyone. Sounds like maybe you didn't play before buying. In your position, I would have no hesitation trading/selling if you can find the right deal and take any hit on depreciation.

I didn't play before I bought (stupid, I know). None of the music stores in my area had one in stock, and even though GC has their 30 day or 45 day return policy or whatever it is, I was in denial about the bass. "I just have to get used to it!" A couple of gigs later I was back to my Jazz and the Rick hasn't seen a single gig since live and learn, I guess!

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Just because you paid a lot for the bas doesn't mean you'll automatically love it, plain and simple.

So you are discovering you aren't digging it as much as you thought. No big deal, and the world isn't going to come to an end (well, maybe it will, but not for this reason!) You have two choices. Just sell it at a loss and suck it up to GAS and use it as a learning experience, or just hang onto it because your tastes might change over time and you'll come back to it and fall in love again.

 

[Frampton]

Not at all crazy! I have yet to find a Ric I don't hate.

 

[mdogs]

Luckily for you, Rics don’t lose nearly the value right out of the box that most basses do!

 

[hrodbert696]

My bass heroes play Rics and I think they're the coolest thing in the world and I never found one in a store I liked. Mainly the necks, I'm picky about necks.

 

[Plake]

Well, since we are 19 posts in i'll say it...you are indeed crazy.