Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

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Henke

Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Henke »

Hi! I am seriously considering replacing the pickups on my 4001 with modern 4003 pickups. Do I have to buy the whole bridge pickup assembly? Are the neck and bridge pickups the same pickup, and I could fit a neck pickup in my current bridge pickup assembly?
Henke

Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Henke »

Moderator, can you pls remove this thread? I found the answer and it is ’no they are not the same’
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bassduke49
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by bassduke49 »

We’ll, I’m not the moderator but we can take this opportunity to welcome you to the Forum!
Author: "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass - 50 Years As Rock's Bottom"
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jps
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by jps »

Henke wrote:... I could fit a neck pickup in my current bridge pickup assembly?
We don't know what year/vintage your 4001 is, but you should be able to fit current Rick pickups to your bass. As to installing a neck pickup in the bridge pickup location, again, depending on era, yes you could do so.
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JackTheRipper
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by JackTheRipper »

I installed modern hi-gain pups and wiring harness in my '77 4001 a few years ago. No issues.

--jack
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Kopfjaeger
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Kopfjaeger »

Haven't pot values changed in the last 10-15+ years? Dane? You'll pick up output but I'm not sure what tonal quality you will have with older pots and newer Hi output pups.

Sepp
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Henke

Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Henke »

Thank you for the welcome Paul!

So, the bass is from -77. I actually ordered 4003 higain pickups and hope they’ll arrive tomorrow. Normally I’d be more vintage correct but this is a player and I do have use for pickups with more power. Gonna be interesting to hear how the bass will sound!
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aceonbass
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by aceonbass »

Kopfjaeger wrote:Haven't pot values changed in the last 10-15+ years? Dane? You'll pick up output but I'm not sure what tonal quality you will have with older pots and newer Hi output pups. Sepp
Rick started using 330k pots in everything, that are closer to 280k. The vintage spec pots bring out a brighter tone in any single coil pickup. Didn't I build you a harness and black pickguard for a 4003W a few years ago? What did you think of the tone?
Henke

Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Henke »

I actually ordered new wiring harness with the pickups, as they sold that too. Got the stuff yesterday. Seems like the pots are 250/500 and not 330. I guess I’ll get more treable than 4003 stock.
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aceonbass
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by aceonbass »

Henke wrote: Seems like the pots are 250/500 and not 330. I guess I’ll get more treable than 4003 stock.
RIC has finally changed the pot values on their harnesses?
Henke

Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Henke »

aceonbass wrote:
Henke wrote: Seems like the pots are 250/500 and not 330. I guess I’ll get more treable than 4003 stock.
RIC has finally changed the pot values on their harnesses?
I got the harness from Rickysounds in the UK, who assembled it. Ordered it with the pickups. Ordered without knowing pot values were not 330K. I have installed it all now. Only played through headphones at home so far. I really like it. Just being able to turn on/turn off the vintage cap is great. Plus the added ”power” from the pickups. I love the sound of a stock 4001, but I think this will be so much more useful in my current band. Will be less requests for the p-bass from the others I hope.
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by thisismusicinc »

Looks like ricky sounds make their own harnesses, so the pot values might be different from Rickenbacker's own.
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aceonbass
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by aceonbass »

I looked at the Ricky Sounds site. 165 pounds ($207) for a harness? That's over twice what I charge, and they don't even use the correct CTS pots.
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Korladis
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by Korladis »

That's an insane price.
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ram
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Re: Replacing 4001 pickups with 4003’s

Post by ram »

OUCH!

P.S. I'm a confirmed Dane harness-er type guy!
The only thing we can perceive are our perceptions - George Berkeley
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