Yet another 4004 (shocking)

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:17 pm

My new '98 4004 Laredo arrived today.....YIPEEEE! It's in excellent condition with only a few minor (very minor) dings and some light discoloring on the headstock edges from a guitar hanger. I love the maple fretboard. It's the first time I've seen a finished maple fretboard BTW and I like it much.

I'm ordering an ABM piezo bridge for it and have been trading emails with John East about making a custom harness since I need some sort of buffer to balance the passive stock p/u's with the piezo bridge system. It will give me the ability to blend any combo of the three p/u's and also to run it in passive mode without the piezo. It will only be a slight enlargement to the rear control section and drilling the mini toggle for a 3rd pot like the VVT mod. His preamps sound killer on jazz basses so I'd expect the Ric to sound even better......having the ability to go passive is a HUGE plus as well.

ajish4 · Post by **ajish4** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:25 pm

Congratulations Brian,

NOW you're talking...ever since hearing Jdog's 380L, I fell in love with the Piezo bridge and wondered how it work on a bass.

You know, the more I look at these things, the more tempted I get. I like the p/u spacing on this bass. Very cool bass indeed! Sweet maple neck too!

PLEASE keep us posted on the progress and how it works out.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:31 pm

LOVE it, Brian! Think the Piezo setup could be ready for MARF?

Tony, my 2005 Laredo would be right up your alley - the neck is SO thin.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:37 pm

I should be getting a price sometime today/tomorrow for the harness. Mr. East has been a pleasure to deal with so far. I'll do a step by step when it goes under the drill/dremel.

About a year ago I played a Dingwall with a custom piezo system and a J-Retro preamp and was blown away by the tone. I've had thoughts of putting a similar setup in a 4004 on the back burner ever since.

If this 4004 wasn't in such nice shape and in a rare color (for a 4004 at least) it would be getting the headstock lengthened for 8 tuning keys and getting routed/filled for three p/u's like the LK....so this "surgery" is relatively minor.

I hope it will be done by MARF but the wiring harness is custom made (in the UK) and I have yet to check to see if anyone actually has the piezo ABM bridge in stock.....plus a day or two for install. So it may be tight.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:44 pm

Nice going, Brian! Your account of the modification pending will be good reading.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:50 pm

So the maple neck is fully varnished? That's pretty cool - I played an older EBMM Stingray yesterday that was like that too, very nice.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:52 pm

Yes John....fully varnished. I was expecting it to be "naked" like my ex-Ci and Cii.

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:22 pm

Brian, you'll recall my '97 Fireglo Laredo has the fully varnished maple fretboard as well. A thing of beauty!

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:32 pm

Paul, I remember playing your's (loved it) but at the time the fretboard being finished to stick in my mind. I think I played your's before I got my Ci so it must not have struck me as different like it did today when I got mine.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:35 pm

You gotta go black trim on that bass ...

s4001 · Post by **s4001** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:45 pm

I was thinking of going Redneck with it.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:45 pm

Congrats, Brian, very nice!

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:09 pm

git 'er done!

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:01 pm

I don't have any extra black hardware at the moment so it's staying chrome. With this color combo I actually like the look of the chrome.

No Redneck in it's future either.....in the unlikely event that it gets any refinish work it would be a complete refinish in non-yellowing white which would look great, IMO, with the maple fretboard......and chrome hardware, three p/u's AND piezo, and 8 strings.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:09 pm

Keep 'er stock, Brian. She looks great.