Hello,
Tomorrow, I'll be a new member of the wordlwide RIC club (Paris, France, here) ;)
After 15 years of guitar playing, and borrowing basses from friends to record, I'll finally get my own and of course, I chose the 4003 RIC (fireglo).
I just need some little piece of advice : I'll buy it brand new, and i just want to know what accessories are supplied apart from the bass itself and the case ? Strap ? Tools for setup ?
Also, what about the setup for new basses by RIC, is it just Tune-and-play or will it need a complete neck setup ? Do I have to check some particular things ?

Thank you a lot for your answer and apologize for my possible mistakes in english.

Well, IMHO you chose the absolute best color for a bass to come in.

This bass comes with No tools for adjustment, or straps 8-(

The only adjustment mine required was to raise the bridge just a little on the E side, and a slight adjustment to the treble pup heigth.

Congradulations on choosing the finest instrument in the world and I wish you many many years of enjoyment with it.

Thank you a lot.
BTW it's a pity it doesn't even come with the essential tools for bridge and truss setup :(

Can I change the strap buttons by schaller strap locks without damaging it ?
it still comes in 45-105 strings ?

The strap buttons that come on it work with Schaller's so you're good to go there.

You're right on the strings

My 4003MG bought this past February had the allen key to fit the bridge height adjusters in the white envelope with the case keys. And all you need for the truss nuts is a 1/4" nut driver tool.

The RIC strap locks use a 10-32 (10-24??) size screw IIRC and when I put Dunlop locks on, I had to get appropriate length screws, grind down the head to fit into the Dunlop button head, and then just screw them into the holes already there. The Dunlops come with a lot smaller diameter wood screw and would never work. Not sure what the Schaller locks come with. Good luck, as I realize the hardware you get in France would be metric.

Great bass choice, though the color is a bit off!! :D Just kidding!!

Ok, I found this post elsewhere:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/guitars/ ... on-36.html

That should make it a lot easier! The ones on the bass will work with the Schallers!

Great, thank you both
I want to be tomorrow NOW !

The vast majority of people never use the tools so it would be a waste to supply them and have the cost of the instrument raised accordingly for everyone. Besides, they are commonly available tools.

You may also wish to examine the owners manual:

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/manual.pdf

It comes with Schaller type strap buttons but they can easily be removed, if that's what you are asking.Yes

yeah i saw that the strap buttons were schaller type, that's just what i need.
about the tools, hum, i don't completely agree with you but i understand your point.

see you all tomorrow with my 4003 :)

Fender, there are no tools required for the pickup height adjustments or to raise/lower the action. Simply screws and knobs. As far as the set-up at the time received, I've seen stories that run the entire gamut. Some people say they pulled it out of the case and the set-up was perfect. Others wound up taking it to a good tech because they couldn't seem to get it right.

When mine came, my E string was MUCH more subdued than the others. But like some of the other guys, I tweaked it and it's okay now. I wound up raising the pickups on the E string side, and lowering my action a bit. The pickups have a bit of an "uphill climb" toward the E, but it sounds much better now. I suspect that since yours is coming to Paris, you'll need to tweak it a bit, even though they're set up before leaving the factory. If you have any problems, let us know. There are some guys on here with tremendous tech skills themselves who can walk you through a lot of things. Good luck, and welcome!

Most players always lose the single allen wrench needed to adjust the bridge that some guitar manufactuters supply. You're better off to buy one of those hinged all in one sets. Like JH said, many players won't adjust their instruments because they really don't know how. You can buy at tool to Home Depot or other hardware stores to adjust the truss rods.

_________________
Throw that piece of firewood where it belongs and get yourself a Rickenbacker!