JG 4004 Laredo arrives/project starts......

bottom4 · Post by **bottom4** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:59 am

So am I Mark and Peter...!

henny · Post by **henny** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 10:48 am

Hehe, Andy the missing link. Howdy.

edski · Post by **edski** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:01 am

I agree with the contention that the chrome hardware looks better on a 4004 than the gold...I also wonder if the walnut in the body wings deepen the Cii's tone a bit much. Personally I love the tone my 4004L gets.

The stock electronics...well, I can see how some might prefer the VVT; for me I find the way I usually play I can get plenty of variation in the tone just the way it is.

Plus, with the 4004 I have 3 separate 2 PU basses with very different tonal controls: the 1975 4001 (VVTT, selector switch), the fretless J Bass (VVT) and the Laredo (VT, selector switch).

I suppose, based on that line of reasoning, a P bass *should* be next. Hehehe

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:25 pm

the Cheyenne is warmer than the Laredo because of the walnut ... and the CI is warmer than the CII ...

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:21 am

Henny, was that the problem you had with the Cii sound, too dark?

henny · Post by **henny** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:56 am

Dark? No.

An EB3 is dark, but it's still punchy and muddy, you can hear the envelope of the note.

The Cii was too "parpy" - just no bass yet no treble, in-all a duff-sounding instrument.

I even took it to Sound Control (our equivalent of GC) as I have a few friends who work there. I was trying to get a trade deal for a beautiful 78' Jazz Bass, (I was so anti-Ric at the time)... they fell for the looks, but they said it sounded rubbish, no characteristic humbucker thud, thus they wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole.

I'll never own another 4004.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 3:21 am

Mark - yeah ive always wondered what those RIC humbuckers are like. MY singers 360 guitar (a 99 model) sounded AWFUL with the hi gains. very muffled and muddy. way too much bass - amp EQ couldnt sort it out so we switched the bridge pickup to a new toaster and now its cured. His fender Jag sounded so much better, now they are about equal.

So i cant imagine a RIC guitar with the humbuckers, must sound horrid!

henny · Post by **henny** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 3:36 am

I thought about swapping out the HB1s for a Toaster in the neck position, then a 4003 neck hi-gain in the bridge position... But I simply couldn't be fussed. I kept it all intact (as it was new at the time, a 2004 model) and sold it on.

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 4:16 am

I have the HB-1's in my Dakota...I think it's a decent sounding guitar...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 6:25 am

I tried the high gain and toaster on the 4004L ... if you do that you really have to put in 250k ohm pots ... it will be brighter than a 4003 because of the lower mass of the 4004 body weight ... and my 4004 basses have the maple fret board which makes them brighter as well ... the 11k ohm high gain bridge and 7.4 ohm toaster neck will give the 4004 a 70s 4001 sound a real aggressive treble single coil bite ... after many many experiments I came to the conclusion that the hb1 pickup is perfect for the 4004 bass ... with a volume, volume, tone setup ...

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:20 pm

I love the sound of the humbuckers on my basses and my doubleneck, BUT the EQ needs to be right to take advantage of the sound.

edski · Post by **edski** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:28 pm

Dane Wilder says:

I love the sound of the humbuckers on my basses and my doubleneck, BUT the EQ needs to be right to take advantage of the sound.

I presume that the double neck is a guitar/bass? I'd agree whole-heartedly about the need for good EQ'ing with the guitar...on bass I have been nothing but pleased with my Laredo.

Maybe it has to do with not searching for a "sound"...I'm just happy with what I get.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:24 pm

I used my new 4004L at my gig on Saturday night and I was quite pleased with the tone. I thought the E string sounded a tad muddy but I'm sure it is a string issue and not the bass. Comparing the tone to my Ci and LK (which have roughly the same characteristics) I'd say the Laredo has a slightly more pronounced treble bite. It seemed to me to be easier to get an "angry" growl out of it than out of my others........goes back to the treble leanings I guess.

Playability is fantastic as well so it's a keeper (well at least it is if/until my needs change)

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:32 pm

the lighter weight of the 4004 basses leads to a really clear sound on the A D G strings ... but the E and in my case B do have less definition ... it is not bad ... but it is a trade off ... no bass does everything ... to get a good set of certain characteristics you lose some other characteristics ... so the 4003 and 4003 are different animals ... the Laredo has a colder treble bite due to the maple wings ... my 4004l 4-2-5 has 2 1000k ohm volume pots and one 1000k ohm tone pot and it has a real 60s capacitor installed treble bite ... especially with distortion ...

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/93-4004L-5.htm

ken_swearingen · Post by **ken_swearingen** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:02 pm

"so the 4003 and 4003 are different animals ..."
They sure do look like the same animal Jeff.LOL