4004L Laredo, how different than a 4003?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:26 am

I had a gig last night and I had my usual problem ... which two of my basses do I take with me ... So I took these two ...

I no longer have the toaster in the neck of the 4004 ... I played the 4004L5 for 2 sets and the 4003-5 for 1 set ... the 4004L5 is louder and really cuts through the mix ... with the 1000k volume pots it has nore treble bite than the 4003 but the 4003-5 sounds a little warmer ... I can get some Entwistle/Alembic/active sounds out of the 4004L5 ... it is not ny favorite bass but if it really gets the job done with the low B and rewiring ... it looks cool and sounds nice ... so I play again tonight ... what 2 basses do I take??? I am thinking about a 2020-5 or 2030-5 ...

henny · Post by **henny** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 11:52 am

4004 4004 4004 4004 4004 4004.

Get yourself a Cii, too!

heinpete · Post by **heinpete** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:57 am

Hi Jeff!
... again about the 4004 circuit: On the Rick website diagram it shows that the pots are going "short circuit to the ground" (hope you understand that German expression)! Is there a difference when they are really used as resistance to the PUs? That could have made the difference you taked about when wired like J-bass, as there inthe original J-bass wiring the pots do not turn "short circuit to the ground" or did you keep that Rick wiring just with VVT? BTW if I read the diagram right: the easiest way to try the real HB1-sound would be to bypass the volume pot by just taking it off ground. Should I try?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:09 am

I wire my 4004 basses like this ...

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:38 am

With only a single master volume control, you want the signal to be grounded out at the output jack when you turn the volume down all the way, then you are not loading the amps input stage with the pot's resistance, which makes it dead quiet. This can't be done with the JB circuit as then you would short out both pickups even though only one volume control was turned down.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:08 pm

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:15 pm

The white diagram is the way your average jazz bass is wired ... this yellow diagram is how Seymour Duncan instructs people to wire their jazz pickups ... both are the same way that I wire my 4004 basses ...

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:41 pm

The above diagram is correct for two pickup circuits. What I was trying to explain, perhaps not very clearly is that going by the orientation of that diagram, if you were to swap the bottom and middle connections on the volume pots, then when one of them is turned all the way down, it would short the output to ground, thereby cutting off the signal of the pickup that was still fully up.

If you had only one pickup, like a P Bass, then the middle lug should go to the output jack, not the pickup, this way when you turn the volume all the way down it will be dead quiet.

Is that better?

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:30 pm

Crystal

edski · Post by **edski** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:26 am

Jeff...obviously the VVT is a non-reversible mod in that you have to drill out the toggle switch hole. But is there a toggle switch that can be made to fit in and get a 4004 back to the original configuration, if not the original parts?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:47 am

it is reversable ... yes the hole for the toggle is enlarged ... but with some type of locking washer you can put it back the way it was ... you can also use stackable knobs ... but can you get stackable knobs in 500k and 1000k ohms?

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 1:13 pm

Why would you want to reverse it? VVT make a lot of sense on this bass.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:08 pm

I agree ...

edski · Post by **edski** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:55 am

In the initial thought proceess, yes...but...

1) I'm pretty cautious when doing mods on my guitars, especially the really good ones...

2) the alternate mod of the stacked pots might make more sense...

3) I haven't used this bass enough yet to get a good feel if I think it's necessary to make any changes.

I suppose 3) needs a little more explanation. I'm "throwback" as Jeff would say-I use a 4 string, feel no need to go to 5, I don't use effects at all (or much...I might eventually get a chorus or something). And I usually keep my volume and tone pots closed to some extent.

With the humbuckers of the Laredo, I find I'm running the amp at a lower volume, and also the guitar. This allows a certain amount of tonal flexibility, as I can switch to the bridge PU, up the guitar volume, and I have a range of new tones as the PU "opens" up...

So as of now, I have not felt nearly as constrained by having a single volume and tone pot as I initially thought I would. And after only two full band rehearsals, it's tough to jump on any mod plan quite yet.

I just want to know what my options are, best way to do things, yadda yadda yadda. Just in case I find that I might want to make a change later.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:18 pm

Having the ability to make small level differences between the two pickups give quite a bit of tonal variations. The in between sounds add a lot compared to just one or both pickups full on.