Replacing the Mute with a Pickup? Sounds Interesting.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 9:42 am

Back in 1986 I made a pickup specifically designed to be installed in the mute compartment of the 4001 bridge/tailpiece assembly. I tried it out on a friend's 4003 bass. I remember it sounded quite interesting but had very low output, which is not surprising considering its position and my then not so finely honed pickup-making technique. I removed it from my friend's 4003 and forgot about it. Until now. I'm going to try and revive the concept. I've read somewhere that there is such a pickup available from a known pickup manufacturer, which proves that it works if properly designed and built.
I intend to install it on my 1976 4001, which is fit for such a minor modification since I've changed some things on it over the years - the tuners, the pickups and the original Burgundy finish which was in such bad condition that I had the bass refinished in white in late 1994 (and it has stayed white to this day!)
As soon as I make and install the pickup I'll advise.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 3:03 pm

Bartolini has offered one for years, but I've never actually seen or heard it.

gaboik · Post by **gaboik** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 7:26 pm

I had one in my 75 4001. It was useless. The sound was very thin, almost like a strat type sound. It also had a harmonic type ring when played between the treble pickup and the bridge.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 7:40 pm

Don't know what I'd do without the mute. Very important to my sound.
Nigel

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 11:18 pm

Charlie,
Your report about putting a narrow PU in the mute spot is much the same as others Ii've heard
from.It Seems like it could be a good idea, but reality says otherwise.Don't try this at home kids!!

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 12:06 am

Hmm... We'll see. I expect to break the news to you in about two weeks' time.

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Fri Oct 11, 2002 3:19 pm

Hey! I know what might work! Take either one of the pick-ups from an old Gibson EB-3 shortscale bass and install IT in the area Sergio is talking about! Yowza! ~LOL~

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 3:43 am

Surely you mean ONE of the two coils of a Gibson EB-3 bridge pickup? Nah, it has to be a suitably sized bobbin & coil. More news by the end of the month.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 3:39 pm

Right, and that's the problem. I don't see how you can get enough output to make it sound like a bass pickup, considering the space limitation. But maybe you can work some magic.

weemac · Post by **weemac** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 1:18 am

I currently have a bartolini 6xv installed in the mute of my 4003. it is a stacked humcanceling design with medium output. Before I unwound the pickups on the 4003 I used the bart to put in some top end to the sound.
It also has a high dc resistance 12kohm and when mixed with the 12kohm treble pickup it started a bit of an impeadance war and it sounded kinda honky and strangled (yes it was in correct phase)
These pickups can work, The trick is to rewire the stereo outputs so that output one is the normal sound of the bass in mono operation and the second output runs the mute pickup only. It sounds best through a cleanish guitar amp. Mix that with the sound of the rest of the bass through your favorite bass amp and you get a full rich sound with the added super transients.
If you can not find a bartolini 6xv you could get a tele neck pickup and modify the mounting points. (the 6xv coil dimentions are the same as the tele's) Or perhaps try one of those hot rail tele replacement pickups.
The original mute pad never worked very well on my 4003 and I have another ric to "mute" if I wish.

eddier · Post by **eddier** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 12:40 pm

Gentlemen:
It sounds like there is some interesting experiments going on. That got me thinking about the Laguna guitar and I was wondering. Has anyone tried to put piezo pickups on their 4001/4003 bridge?

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 12:59 pm

Actually, no. But then that would not be so much of a er... challenge, would it? I feel that designing and making an electromagnetic pickup specifically meant to fit the Rick bass bridge mute compartment is. And Dave4004, you bet I can work some magic. I promise you all to fully report on my forthcoming arcane creation soon. Stay in tune.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 9:58 am

Pickup ready. I've decided to install it on my recently acquired 1980 Burgundyglo 4001. The result is totally convincing. I'll gladly share the specs of my pickup should anyone be interested. More news soon.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 3:20 pm

There's a 'fretless' (i.e., de-fretted) Azureglo 4001 on eBay that has a Bartolini in the bridge:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=915197402

To quote from the ad: "...This modification was very popular in the late 70's/early 80's and adds brightness and attitude..."; I guess "bright" and "tinny" might be the same tonal coloration to different sets of ears. I'm sure Sérgio's pickup is more like what such a pickup should be.

eddier · Post by **eddier** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 6:50 pm

Sergio is your bridge mute pickup in phase with the other pickups? Just curious because I was thinking about making a bridge mute pu out of phase to get humbucking sounds with the bridge & neck pu's.