Hey y'all, I'm new to the forum and am trying to find some information on what pickup I should be looking for. I have a 1972 Jetglo 4001, and the previous owner replaced the bridge pickup with a Bill Lawrence mini humbucker..... OK. The Bill Lawrence was screwed to the bass plate, and I don't know if it is original or not- the shape is right, but it's hard black plastic. Looks the the 2 holes where the original coil would have been are the right spacing. I would love to find a pickup as original to the bass as possible. I was given a dead coil by another friend, and was told it came out of an early 70's, but it has screw magnets, and I think that is too early for my '72.
Any input or pictures are much appreciated. Hey from NC !!
Chip Coleman
PS Need a case as well.
Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
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rickaddict
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Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
Welcome!
I think yours would have come from RIC with a black bobbin pickup with slot-head screws and a skinny magnet on an aluminum base plate. Stick around and others more knowledgeable will probably post comments and photos of theirs. What month was yours made? What are the first two letters of your serial number?
I think yours would have come from RIC with a black bobbin pickup with slot-head screws and a skinny magnet on an aluminum base plate. Stick around and others more knowledgeable will probably post comments and photos of theirs. What month was yours made? What are the first two letters of your serial number?
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atomic_punk
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Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
Maybe Sergio can be of assistance here? (It seems you call his name and he shows up!)
Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
You bet he does! 
Hey Chip. Can you post, or e-mail me, a couple pics of this "dead coil"? Alternatively, can you describe it?
Hey Chip. Can you post, or e-mail me, a couple pics of this "dead coil"? Alternatively, can you describe it?
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jwr2
Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
The original pickup in that bass would have been a single coil high gain with the slot head screws and the aluminum baseplate. The high gains were only made that way for about a year or 2. Also that pickup would be wound to about 7 or 8k ohms and it would have the .0047 bass cut capacitor, and that bass would come with 250k ohm volume controls and 500k ohm tone controls.
The closest thing That Rickenbacker currently makes to that pickup is the 4003 11k ohm single coil high gain pickup. That would give that bass more of a Rickenbacker sound that the mini humbucker.
Back in the 70s a lot of people replaced Ric pickups to get more bass response. All they would really have to do is simply remove the .0047 capacitor to get more low end.
The closest thing That Rickenbacker currently makes to that pickup is the 4003 11k ohm single coil high gain pickup. That would give that bass more of a Rickenbacker sound that the mini humbucker.
Back in the 70s a lot of people replaced Ric pickups to get more bass response. All they would really have to do is simply remove the .0047 capacitor to get more low end.
Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
I keep thinking about how much angst was caused back then by not knowing about the value of 1" of wire....jwr2 wrote:Back in the 70s a lot of people replaced Ric pickups to get more bass response. All they would really have to do is simply remove the .0047 capacitor to get more low end.
Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
4001 basses had screw pole bridge high-gain pickups from maybe late 1968/early 1969 till mid 1973. First-version ones (discontinued sometime in '72?) had round slot head screws for polepieces, second-version ones flat slot head screws. What month of 1972 is your 4001, Chip?
I'd say the treble-pass capacitor is what made Rick basses pretty unique in the '60s and '70s.
They wouldn't have done that well on looks alone, as contentious as that may sound. 
Currently my only Rick bass is the November 1970 21 fret 4001 most of you are familiar with. As great as it looks, I would hurriedly part company with it if suddenly - by some kind of bad magic or whatever teehee - the only kind of tone available from it should be that of a modern 4003.
Check you later. Peace. 
I'd say the treble-pass capacitor is what made Rick basses pretty unique in the '60s and '70s.
They wouldn't have done that well on looks alone, as contentious as that may sound. Currently my only Rick bass is the November 1970 21 fret 4001 most of you are familiar with. As great as it looks, I would hurriedly part company with it if suddenly - by some kind of bad magic or whatever teehee - the only kind of tone available from it should be that of a modern 4003.
Check you later. Peace. Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
Sergio, I was not totally disparaging the capacitor - where would Prog Rock have been without the cap?! 
I'm just saying there were a lot of Rick pickup swapouts done in the 70s/80s by bassists that were not happy with or tired of the more trebley sound. As the music got more aggressive, especially late 70s/early 80s, a more forward sound was needed, and even RIC responded with hotter high gains.
I'm just saying there were a lot of Rick pickup swapouts done in the 70s/80s by bassists that were not happy with or tired of the more trebley sound. As the music got more aggressive, especially late 70s/early 80s, a more forward sound was needed, and even RIC responded with hotter high gains.
Re: Question about 1972 4001 bridge pickup
Hey all! Sorry to be late in replying, and thanks for all the input. I have the pics posted here;
www.members.aol.com/or120/rickcoil.jpg.
[img]www.members.aol.com/or120/rickcoil.jpg.
[/img]
The 4001 is LI, September of 1972. All the pots are 22nd week of 1972.
I wasn't into Rick basses in my earlier days because of the cap, and I didn't know (earlier days being early-mid 70's). Didn't like Marshalls either, too bright, and that was a cap problem. I bought a 1972 P Bass in 1973, and that was it for me (well, except for the Dan Armstrong plexi bass I got in 1973.... Geezer played one so what was I going to do?) I got a 4001 a short while later when I got into Yes, but sold it like a dummy. Switched off to guitar in the late 70's, SG's and Orange amps ever since. My only Rick guitar is a 1966 330/12 in fireglo, but it's a winner.
Thanks again for the input. I own a guitar store in NC, and the only fun I have these days is anything older,which is what got me started with a storefront in 1985. We don't see as much as we used to.
Y'all are great. Take care!
Chip
www.members.aol.com/or120/rickcoil.jpg.
[img]www.members.aol.com/or120/rickcoil.jpg.
[/img]
The 4001 is LI, September of 1972. All the pots are 22nd week of 1972.
I wasn't into Rick basses in my earlier days because of the cap, and I didn't know (earlier days being early-mid 70's). Didn't like Marshalls either, too bright, and that was a cap problem. I bought a 1972 P Bass in 1973, and that was it for me (well, except for the Dan Armstrong plexi bass I got in 1973.... Geezer played one so what was I going to do?) I got a 4001 a short while later when I got into Yes, but sold it like a dummy. Switched off to guitar in the late 70's, SG's and Orange amps ever since. My only Rick guitar is a 1966 330/12 in fireglo, but it's a winner.
Thanks again for the input. I own a guitar store in NC, and the only fun I have these days is anything older,which is what got me started with a storefront in 1985. We don't see as much as we used to.
Y'all are great. Take care!
Chip