4001 Vs 4003

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:16 am

What is the difference in sound (if any) between a 4001 and a 4003? (assuming both are strung with Stainless steel roundwounds)

john_l · Post by **john_l** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:25 am

The 4001 will sound weak and tinny, like it lacks balls, the 4003 will sound like a real bass should. Of course if you replace the .0047 cap in the 4001 with a shunt it will sound a hair better than the 4003. But a lot of early eighties 4003's have the same pickups and wiring as the 4001's, but with improver truss rods; so you'll just have to play a few and see what you like.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:28 am

I have both my '77 4001 and my '02 4003 strung with nickle round wounds and would agree with John, the 4001 does sound a bit thinner. Of course, the neck of the 4001 is quite a bit slimmer, which may be a contributing factor.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:55 am

so does a 4001 (to make things easier , lets say a late 70's one) have tinny sounding pickups than a 4003?

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 1:58 pm

Owen, I just conducted my own laughably unscientific comparison between the two; both had their controls set the same and were played through a Digitech RP14D processor into headphones. I'd better also say that the 4001 has lighter gauge strings and all of the typical late 70's "improvements" including a replacement bridge and a brass nut. The 4003 is stock.

To my untutored ear the 4001 sounds a bit more trebly, picking up a shade more clatter and clank than the 4003, but is a joy to play. The 4003 sounds slightly richer (I think Jeff Rath called the pickups "hotter"), but requires slightly greater effort to play. I almost always pick the 4003 to noodle on. I would not, however, part with either of them.

I don't know if this helps; there are many people in the Forum who are better qualified than I, but I had fun adding my little bit to scientific reasearch. Best of luck to you.

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:27 pm

That capacitor is the biggest difference in the sound, as it is used as a high pass filter, which rolls off the bottom end, hence the thinner sound. Without it, both basses are in a similar range as far as sound goes.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 4:04 pm

The 4001's from the 60's had a thinner neck and toaster and horseshoe pickups with the .047 capaciter that cut the bass response from the bridge pickup. This bass is designed for flat wound low tension strings. Although most of us put round wond strings and they worked fine even though this stressed the neck beyond design specs.

In the 70's the 4001 went through a few changes. The neck was strengthened, it was made out of 3 pieces of wood glue laminated together. The tell tale walnut stripe. The pickups were changed to high gain. The headstock shape was changed. The neck pickup was moved.

In the 80's the 4003 replaced the 4001. The first few years of the 4003 had a 2 piece pickguard, and a body truss rod adjustment. The pickups got hotter in the 80's and the capaciter dissapeared. The 4003 neck got stronger again and in the late 80's the trussrod adjustment went back to the headstock.

In the 90's the 4003 pickups got hotter again and in the late 90's the headstock went back to the 60's shape.

The 60's 4001 had a nice vibe but the modern 4003 from 1990 to present are truly awesome basses. The easy truss rod adjustment, the hot thunderous pickups, the strong neck, the classic design, ...

Anyway that is a simplified overview. I have owned at various times a 1968, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1989, 1990, and 1993 Ric 4000 model basses ... My 2 favorite basses are my 1968 4001 and my 1990 4003s5.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:43 am

My bass is a 1991 4003, it has the most wonderfully full, hot and crunchy sound

ricnbacker · Post by **ricnbacker** » Mon Mar 31, 2003 12:29 pm

my ric is a 2001 4003 classic jet glo.......it has the best tone that i have ever heard!

but the 77 ric is what i first heard when i started playing and thats what made me fall in love with the sound of ric`s