Bartolini Pickups Mounting Advice

[loverickbass]

I just picked up a set of Barts, just curious to see what they sound like. They didn't come with screws to mount to the treble pickup plate. And advice on how to do this? What Size screws I need etc?

Cole

[Isaac]

My 1978 4001 Burgundyglo has Bartolini pickups. I really like the sound. To me, they sound a lot like Ric high gains, but with a bit less top end and a bit more bottom. Very solid. I've been thinking about putting 500K pots in to see if that brightens it up, but bhaven't done it, partly because I like it so much as it is. Heck, maybe it already has 500K pots.

[aceonbass]

Isaac.....Your '78 4001 should have 500K tone pots, and 250K volume pots. The tone caps are .047uF. If the Barts are Humbucking, or you just wanna brighten up the tone. 500K volume pots and .022uF tone caps will help. I carry the correct parts in stock. Most replacement pots are taller than the stock CTS pots Rick uses.

[prowla]

Have you got the pickup which goes in the bridge string damper location too?

[Isaac]

Isaac.....Your '78 4001 should have 500K tone pots, and 250K volume pots. The tone caps are .047uF. If the Barts are Humbucking, or you just wanna brighten up the tone. 500K volume pots and .022uF tone caps will help. I carry the correct parts in stock. Most replacement pots are taller than the stock CTS pots Rick uses.

The Barts are humbucking. I measured the volume pots at 227K and 222K, so that's about right for stock pots. I think I would like to try 500K pots in that bass. PM?

Have you got the pickup which goes in the bridge string damper location too?

I do, but I haven't installed it. One of these days...

[aceonbass]

I did a wiring harness for a guy once who had the Bart pickup in the mute cavity. To get the most out of it, I ran it and the bridge pickup through a balance pot, then through the bridge pickup circuitry. He had to drill a hole behind and between his bridge pickup controls, but he said it worked out real well, giving him tones he couldn't get when he ran the Bart parallel with the bridge pickup on the bridge pickup's circuitry.

[prowla]

I did a wiring harness for a guy once who had the Bart pickup in the mute cavity. To get the most out of it, I ran it and the bridge pickup through a balance pot, then through the bridge pickup circuitry. He had to drill a hole behind and between his bridge pickup controls, but he said it worked out real well, giving him tones he couldn't get when he ran the Bart parallel with the bridge pickup on the bridge pickup's circuitry.

I would've thought that a smaller control, like the 5th one on the guitars, would be a way to do it.
Or otherwise a stacked pot.

[Isaac]

I've also read that some people prefer to run the mute compartment pickup with the neck pickup rather than the bridge pickup.

[loverickbass]

Can anyone tell me what screws I need to mount the bridge pickup to the plate?

[aceonbass]

Can anyone tell me what screws I need to mount the bridge pickup to the plate?

I'd use 8-32 screws.

[aceonbass]

I would've thought that a smaller control, like the 5th one on the guitars, would be a way to do it.
Or otherwise a stacked pot.

The Bourns balance pot I used is a smaller control, and a RIC "5th" knob was used. Most people don't like stacked pots, extra switches, etc...on their Ricks since anything that looks obviously non original tends to interrupt the "Rickiness" of their instrument. I tend to agree actually.

[loverickbass]

Can anyone tell me what screws I need to mount the bridge pickup to the plate?

I'd use 8-32 screws.

Are those the same as the pickguard screws?

[Isaac]

I would've thought that a smaller control, like the 5th one on the guitars, would be a way to do it.
Or otherwise a stacked pot.

The Bourns balance pot I used is a smaller control, and a RIC "5th" knob was used. Most people don't like stacked pots, extra switches, etc...on their Ricks since anything that looks obviously non original tends to interrupt the "Rickiness" of their instrument. I tend to agree actually.

I love my Rics, but what I love most about them is the feel of the necks. I love the sound, too, but I also love the sound of lots of other basses. I don't often love the other basses' necks. That's why I'm a dedicated Ric player. So I'm not as wedded to maintaining the essential Rickiness as many others are. That's why my BG 4001 has Barts. Don't blame me. It was that way when I bought it. Same with the 4003 with Alembic electronics. The 4000 with Seymour Duncans? That's on me. But the 4003W is stock, and the 4001 MG almost (I did the RWRP mod on that one).

[prowla]

I would've thought that a smaller control, like the 5th one on the guitars, would be a way to do it.
Or otherwise a stacked pot.

The Bourns balance pot I used is a smaller control, and a RIC "5th" knob was used. Most people don't like stacked pots, extra switches, etc...on their Ricks since anything that looks obviously non original tends to interrupt the "Rickiness" of their instrument. I tend to agree actually.

I love my Rics, but what I love most about them is the feel of the necks. I love the sound, too, but I also love the sound of lots of other basses. I don't often love the other basses' necks. That's why I'm a dedicated Ric player. So I'm not as wedded to maintaining the essential Rickiness as many others are. That's why my BG 4001 has Barts. Don't blame me. It was that way when I bought it. Same with the 4003 with Alembic electronics. The 4000 with Seymour Duncans? That's on me. But the 4003W is stock, and the 4001 MG almost (I did the RWRP mod on that one).

Well, I for one am not blaming you; indeed I've got an SD on a Ric.

[aceonbass]

Can anyone tell me what screws I need to mount the bridge pickup to the plate?

I'd use 8-32 screws.

Are those the same as the pickguard screws?

No. 8-32 screws are a fine thread screw that will require that the pickup base plate be drilled and tapped for attachment. I should clarify that if you have a 4003 with the current base plate that already has holes in it, that 8-32 is the best size. If you have the older undrilled base plate, then 4-40 screws (same size as the neck pickup screws) will work. On my custom 4004 project I ordered an aluminum base plate from Classic Amplification, and had it pre-tapped for 4-40 mounting screws for the HB1's that came with the bass.