HB1 Love

[VRICKY63]

Well ...........after installing toasters on my JEFF RATHED 4004Cii 4-2-5 then deciding to try the HB1s again...........I am convinced these are the pickups for a 4004 . Guess Rickenbacker knew what they were doing. It took me awhile but now I hear all the tones that are in high gains and toasters inside the HBs . This is the only RIC bass I own now and Im keeping it for a long time !

[incubus2432]

The HB1's are one of the main reasons that once I got my 1st 4004 I was, basically, done with 4003's. The last few years with my 4003's I installed Bartolini p/u's because the single coil Ric p/u's just weren't giving me the tone I was after.....it was close but something was still missing. As soon as I got my LK I was hooked on the tone and I started selling off my 4003's.

Now my Laredo has an ACG preamp installed and the HB1's shine through.....just with more subtle variations in tone available.

[VRICKY63]

What is that ACG pre ?

[incubus2432]

It's an active filter based preamp......sort of Wal-like (which is what I was going for). Here's a good description from a vendor.......

http://www.bestbassgear.com/acg-eq-02-two-pu.htm

[sloop_john_b]

The HB's are great pickups. Have considered putting one into my v68 several times!

[woodyng]

didn't john hall do something like that,iirc? an hb1 in a 4001-i WOULD like to hear one in the toaster position,with a horsey to accompany it.......i love the sound of the hb's in my bass.

[qwezirider]

I've toyed with the idea of going back to HB1s or even something else on my 4004 Cii 4-2-5. Just for grins and giggles. I switched to single coil guitar pickups just to get some growl back. But now that I have my 4003 PFB (pretty-freakin'-black), it might be fun to switch it up on the 4004.

Maybe even go back and look at Brian's preamp thread?

[VRICKY63]

What really impressed me (been said on this forum before) was listening to a recording of my bass with our band and hearing that B string growl ! The bottom on the HBs is beautiful

[johnallg]

Dane W. has an HB1 in the bridge position of his 4008CS bass - huge sound.

[cassius987]

What really impressed me (been said on this forum before) was listening to a recording of my bass with our band and hearing that B string growl ! The bottom on the HBs is beautiful

Hm, I had been told that 4004Cii/5's had a really wimpy B. But your is a 4-2-5 conversion? Maybe the narrow string spacing helps... but I'm really glad that worked out for you. I'd like a Ricky 5er, but I'd really want any 5er I owned to be 35'' scale.

How different are the HB1s from 4002 humbuckers? I have heard 4002s in person and on YouTube and daaaaaang, they sound good.

[rickenbrother]

Hm, I had been told that 4004Cii/5's had a really wimpy B.

Excuse me, no wimpy B string here:

[johnallg]

Joshua, remember a lot of the 4002 sound is the pickup locations, more like a Jazz placement. Humbucker-wise, they are very similar in sound.

[VRICKY63]

Joey. That is one BIG neck ! Must have huge tone .

[rickaddict]

I think the only guy qualified to speak on tonal differences between the 4002 pickups (not a true humbucker, but a dual filament pickup with one set of windings for the regular output and one for the low impedance jack, as I think JH wrote here once) and HB-1's is Dave Pascoe. He had a set of HB-1's in his 4002 before he found a pair of 4002 pickups from the RIC outlet and installed those. IIRC, he compared them in a thread here somewhere.

I agree with JA, a big part of the 4002's sound has to do with its pickup placement.

[rickenbrother]

Joey. That is one BIG neck ! Must have huge tone .

Yes, the tone is huge, as well is the output. I'm comfortable playing on that neck I have medium size hands. Though the neck appears wide, the profile is nice and slim.