Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

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0vid
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Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by 0vid »

Hey

Have a 4001v63 and a 4003. I like the sound of the V63 bridge pickup - it's a bit brighter and has less mid mud, I had a CS too - it had the same pickup in the middle. My 4003 - the pickup has less sparkle and sounds too thick in the mid range - would like to get the v63 sound really from the 4003. Anyone here transplanted the 4001v63 pickup on a 4003?
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jps
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by jps »

That's easily done. Drops right in. Another thing to consider is just having the bridge hi-gain pickup unwound to around 8KΩ.
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aceonbass
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by aceonbass »

Both pickups are about the same 12k Ohms. The problem could well be the way outta spec 330k spec pots in the 4003 tend to kill the upper end clarity of any RIC pickup. If you can measure the pots in your V63, I'll bet they have a higher rating.
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songdog
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by songdog »

What year is the 4003? There have been different versions of the pickup wiring over the years. The 4001 (and maybe early 4003) had a .0047 µF capacitor in series with the bridge pickup, which blocks lower frequencies and gives it a more trebly sound. At some point, that capacitor was eliminated, giving the bridge pickup more power and a deeper, thicker tone. Recent models have a push-pull switch on the tone control that can switch the capacitor in and out to get either tone.

If you have an ohmmeter and a stereo phone plug (sometimes called a TRS, tip-ring-sleeve) plug, you can easily make some measurements at the Rick-O-Sound jack. Insert the plug into the jack, with nothing in the mono jack. Put the selector switch in the center position (both pickups on). Turn both volume controls all the way down. Measure the resistance from each terminal of the plug to ground. This will give the resistance of the volume potentiometers. Turn the volume controls all the way up and measure again. This will give the approximate resistance of the pickup windings; it's approximate because the volume control is in parallel, but it's close enough.

The potentiometers might be anywhere from 150 kΩ to over 350 kΩ. Older basses were supposed to be 250 kΩ and newer ones 330 kΩ, but tolerances on these parts are notoriously loose. Too low a value can really deaden the sound of a pickup. Aceonbass has a lot of expertise on this issue.

As JPS said, the pickup can easily be moved, but if I remember correctly the holes in the bridge pickup surround are in different places (I know that was true when I installed a reissue horseshoe pickup in my 4001). You can move the 4001v63 pickup into the 4003 surround (a reversible modification) or drill new holes (not reversible, but I think they are hidden).

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jps
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by jps »

Yes, the RI HS PU drops right into the existing 4003 surround so no new holes need be drilled into the body unless you want the aesthetics of the vintage style surround (or mount it upside down as Bill mentioned), then no holes need to be drilled that way, either.
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songdog
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by songdog »

jps wrote:... mount it upside down as Bill mentioned ...
Oh, I didn't mean to imply that! :oops: That would look... wrong ... :shock:

I believe there's precedent for RIC putting horseshoes in the more modern surround. There's a '69 4001LH on p. 26 (1st edition) in The Book. Note that the modern surround appears to have been mounted upside down there.
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jps
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by jps »

songdog wrote:...I believe there's precedent for RIC putting horseshoes in the more modern surround...
Yes, there is. This is from a late '60s catalog.
RIC Basses  - '68 Catalog.jpg
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Isaac
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Re: Bass pickups V63 ('96) v 4003 (2012)

Post by Isaac »

aceonbass wrote:Both pickups are about the same 12k Ohms. The problem could well be the way outta spec 330k spec pots in the 4003 tend to kill the upper end clarity of any RIC pickup. If you can measure the pots in your V63, I'll bet they have a higher rating.
That's the direction my thinking was going, too.
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