Rickenbacker 4003 USA | 2001 | Desert Gold
For sale at Sun-Sounds Music Shop in the heart of Sliema, Malta; an exceptional 2001 Rickenbacker 4003 bass in the highly sought-after Desert Gold finish. Rickenbacker's official Color of the Year (COY) for 2001! This limited-edition finish was only available for orders in 2001 (with some builds spilling into early 2002), making it one of the rarer and most collectible non-standard colors in modern Rickenbacker history.
Desert Gold is a stunning, subtle metallic brownish-gold that looks almost like a creamy Mapleglo from a distance, but reveals its luxurious smooth metallic sheen up close. It's understated yet eye-catching; a real standout that pairs beautifully with the classic Rickenbacker body shape, checkerboard-like inlays, and that iconic rosewood fingerboard.
This particular 2001 example is in great overall condition for its age (now over 25 years old) and plays like a dream; super easy action, fast neck, and that unmistakable Rickenbacker punchy, ringing tone with plenty of treble bite and solid low-end growl. The classic neck-through construction, stereo/mono outputs, and high-output pickups deliver the legendary sustain and clarity that players love. Cosmetically, it's very clean overall with just two minor and very subtle paint imperfections:
- One tiny, shallow peel on the back of the neck (barely noticeable and not even really feel-able when playing)
- Another small one on the side of the body
These are superficial only; no structural issues, no major dings, and nothing that affects playability or tone. The bass remains a fantastic player-grade and collector-grade instrument.If you're a Rickenbacker fan, a collector chasing those elusive COY finishes, or just want a bass that looks and sounds incredible (and stands out from the usual Mapleglo/Fireglo/Jetglo crowd), this is a rare opportunity right here in Malta!
SPECS
- Body: Solid maple, "cresting wave" shape, bound with white binding
- Neck: Maple (through-body construction for maximum sustain), with walnut reinforcement strips in some examples
- Scale Length: 33.25" (84.5 cm / 33 1/4")
- Fingerboard: Rosewood, bound, with deluxe triangular (triangle) inlays
- Number of Frets: 20
- Nut Width: 1 11/16" (42.9 mm)
- Pickups: 2 Hi-Gain single-coil pickups (neck and bridge)
- Controls: Independent volume and tone for each pickup, plus push/pull pot on the treble tone for vintage/modern voicing options
- Output: Stereo (Rick-O-Sound) and mono (standard) outputs via dual jacks
- Bridge/Tailpiece: Rickenbacker V2 bridge with individual saddle adjustments, RIC tailpiece
- Hardware: Schaller machine heads (tuners), chrome hardware
- Finish: Desert Gold (limited Color of the Year for 2001 – a subtle metallic brownish-gold with smooth sheen)
- Other Features: Famous for ringing sustain, punchy treble bite, and solid low-end growl; designed to handle round-wound strings well with improved dual truss rod system
This 2001 example matches the standard 4003 specs of the period perfectly, with no major changes from the late '90s/early '00s production run. The Desert Gold finish makes it extra special as a rare limited-edition piece!
