Does anyone use the 4003's mute?

westtexasrickenbacker · Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:30 am

Curiousity question, as I've tried turning the adjustment knob and not much happens.

So I basically leave it alone. I can palm mute, but I'd like to try the mute itself.

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:35 am

I used to use it alot. Sometimes it gets out of wack and you have to get in there and adjust it. It does a good job when you have rounds and you want to get instant flatwound sound. Don't mute it too much or it will throw out the tuning.

Cole

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:37 am

I use it quite alot.
The new 4003's string hight tends to be higher
than in the past so you really have to raise the mute .
It helps if you turn both sides in equal increments until
the mute engages.

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:39 am

Hey-
The forum's "Spell check" didn't catch "hight"...

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:41 am

Jeff Rath loves his.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:04 am

he's a big fan of the rick-o-sound too.

with flats.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:25 am

I use it sometimes, you can get a great upright-like decay with it. The mute needs to be thicker on some of the newer basses though especially if you like the neck very straight which raises the bridge a lot.

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:10 pm

If the mute had an instant engage/disengage switch or something, I'd use it all the time, but, as it stands now, turning two knobs several rotations each is too much effort for me to get a sound that I don't use very often.

squirefan01 · Post by **squirefan01** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:37 pm

I spent alot of time to get mine right. My '87 4003 did not have one when I got it, so I ordered all of the parts from Ric and installed it. I could not get it to mute all of the strings equally. I finally took it to a tech who did a very nice job to get it right. Now it's easy to engage/disengage and mutes all strings equally (as long as I tighten the screws equally).

I always wondered if these work properly right out of the factory. Anybody with a brand new 4003 have any comments on that?

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:08 pm

"If the mute had an instant engage/disengage switch or something, I'd use it all the time, but, as it stands now, turning two knobs several rotations each is too much effort for me to get a sound that I don't use very often."

All the more reason to do a Sgt Pepper set.

squirefan01 · Post by **squirefan01** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:10 pm

That's the reason I wanted to get that mute working to begin with! Sgt Pepper!

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:07 am

I tried to use the setup on my 97 4003, which I bought new, and no dice, the screws are too hard to turn. If I need muting I just stuff foam under the strings. The Hipshot on there now makes palm muting a little easier though.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:32 pm

yep I use mine every day ... heheheh ... well not really ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:39 pm

They can be stiff when new or old if never used, with use they loosen up and work pretty well when new. On a couple of my 4001's with old hard rubber I bought new mutes and cut them in half lengthwise and put one piece on top of the other right against the bridge, works well like that.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:51 pm

Sorry Jeff,,, just going for a laugh.