Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

jdogric12 wrote: Have you ever tried rolling the neck tone and volume down to about 8 or 9? It's one of those things that once I discovered, I can't go back to all-dimed.

I'm always amazed at what a difference dialing back the neck pickup as you describe makes, it really opens up the tone.
There's not a lot of room in the control cavity, that said, I've always wondered what an "active" 4001-4003 would sound like.

This is because with both volumes controls at the same level in a 2 pickup guitar/bass, there is a phase cancellation in the midrange. Drop either volume a little and it will go away. Adding a .01uF capacitor to either circuit will eliminate this effect at full volume.

aceonbass wrote:This is because with both volumes controls at the same level in a 2 pickup guitar/bass, there is a phase cancellation in the midrange. Drop either volume a little and it will go away. Adding a .01uF capacitor to either circuit will eliminate this effect at full volume.

Does this also explain why I like taking the middle pickup volume on my 370/12RME1 down to about 9? Same issue?

aceonbass wrote:

Isaac wrote:Band practice yesterday. I was playing my 78 4001 BG. It has Bartolini pickups. I have thought before that they could be brighter, and comparing it to an active Ibanez one of the guitarists brought made that clear. I'm thinking it needs 500K volume pots.

I would also add to that a change in tone caps from .047uF to .022uF.

I shall consider it.

Not much to dislike about my 2000 model 4003JG.

Maybe I would like to fit a Hipshot Xtender. But it really isn't a big deal to tune down and up - they really are great tuners as they are. My other bass has an Xtender and I make use of that when I play it. More than half the time I keep the Ric in drop D anyway.

Sometimes I feel like the lower open strings are not quite as solid as I would like. My other bass has a brass nut and I always liked them. So I am toying with installing one. I know the counter arguments. Having fitted a brass nut to previous basses, I like it. Easy enough to revert if I don't.

Maybe I feel like my 4003 is lacking a bit of openness and brilliance, given the standard 300-something K pots. I could go for a 500K harness, but then I don't want to really deviate the bass from what it is - I wouldn't want to lose the mojo it has. I already installed the push-pull cap mod with official Ric parts and a Sprague paper-oil cap from Dane a long time ago I think. I am happy with running DR Lo-Riders. There's more than enough treble.

Part of me wants to try a Bartolini mute compartment pickup. The rest of me is not really rushing to make that happen, so I figure I shouldn't.

Another part of me wants to fit a toaster (1/2" spacing) and HS. This may gain some things, but it would then lose what I love about it. So I guess that means I have to buy another Ric. Shucks.

Benjamin wrote:Not much to dislike about my 2000 model 4003JG.

... So I guess that means I have to buy another Ric. Shucks.

Well, if you must, you must! There ARE worse things in life, I guess. like, maybe, having to buy two more..... I feel your pain!

ram wrote:

Benjamin wrote:Not much to dislike about my 2000 model 4003JG.

... So I guess that means I have to buy another Ric. Shucks.

Well, if you must, you must! There ARE worse things in life, I guess. like, maybe, having to buy two more..... I feel your pain!

True indeed. Like thinking I would like to try flats, even though I don't particularly like flats, because flats on a Ric are definitely something. But if I try flats, then I won't have the sound of rounds any more. I would then have to buy a V63/C64 or something.

jdogric12 wrote:

Korladis wrote:My 4001.... uh, I mainly don't like that it doesn't sound quite as mean as my 4003S. But it still sounds great. I guess full width inlays would look cooler? I dunno, I like the way it looks.

My 4003S... it's lighter than the 4001, so it doesn't balance quite as well (the 4001 is 11lbs. and has a small headstock). I didn't like the fact that being plain black, it visually blends into my mostly black shirts on stage. Fixing that by getting it refinished, actually.

The one thing I guess I don't like is that my Rickenbackers have tone knobs. I don't use tone knobs (except for the push/pull functionality) and would prefer if they weren't there and I just had a switch to engage the cap instead.

Have you ever tried rolling the neck tone and volume down to about 8 or 9? It's one of those things that once I discovered, I can't go back to all-dimed.

No, I'm weird in that both pickups on is the least used setting for me. I usually just use one pickup or the other. Neck for quiet, bridge for loud.

Benjamin wrote:...Like thinking I would like to try flats, even though I don't particularly like flats, because flats on a Ric are definitely something. But if I try flats, then I won't have the sound of rounds any more. I would then have to buy a V63/C64 or something.

And, the problem with that is?

Played a gig Friday night. First one in nearly a year. I played my 1978 4001 BG, with Bartolini pickups. I mentioned it earlier in the thread.

I have to say, it sounded great. I ran into my Bugera Veyron amp, then direct into the board. Hearing the bass mainly through the monitors, I didn't feel any lack of high end. I'm still planning on trying 500K volume pots, though!