A week ago actually.... I always wanted a Rickenbacker 4003 and finally had the chance to pick one up on Reverb for a great price. Being a big Motorhead and Rsuh fan as can be seen in my username, I saw the Ric for sale and contemplated selling some gear to fund it and I'm glad I did. It was built in July of 2015 and I got it brand new. I plan on having it setup by my local tech and using some DR Hi Beams and having the pickup cover removed. So far, it sounds great through my Ampegs. I have really been obsessed with the tones I get when I play through my '66 Ampeg B15.
The finish and craftsmanship is spot on and I especially like fuzz and dirty tones from the bridge pickup. I find it one of the best basses to use with effects and tube overdrive. The neck pickup may need to be raised so the volume can be at unity, but it's a great bass and I have no regrets. the last picture is from the other night when I took a size comparison picture of the 4003 and my custom bass for another forum. I'm a fan of natural wood grain basses as can be seen in the pics. I'll post a thread about my other custom bass when I can rescue some better pics off my old pc.
Here is the new 4003:
