The Box...

[cassius987]

*You mentioned EQ. Let me just say, 4003s have fabulous "natural EQ". The hard rock maple produces a waveform that is scooped. You get a crisp, clean top end, as well as punchy, un-muddied lows when you play. In fact, people often brag on other instruments being more "low" and "thumpy" than Rics. The classic example of this that people use is Geddy on Moving Pictures, pointing out that boomy Tom Sawyer is the J and the quieter Red Barchetta is the Ric... etc... but a lot of this has to do with how it was recorded as well. Check out Signals, all Ric, to see the huge impact of engineering and mastering on a record. In reality the people who say other basses have more lows are usually focusing in on the first or second harmonic to the fundamental which are easier to detect on a recording, much easier through cheap speakers. Ric basses actually have a much better than average ability to produce the true fundamental note in addition to the first harmonic for most low notes. Through a live rig with the standard amount of juice, this means Rics have more than enough low end to push the air you want.

*Ric basses are wired such that the pickups go to the pickup switch, then from the switch to the pots. The switch determines which pickups and pots are going to go to the jacks.

*The Vintage Tone Selector (call it what you will) is a push-pull mini switch on the Treble Tone pot. When activated (by pulling out) a .0047 mfd cap is engaged that cuts off a certain amount of the low frequency from the treble pickup. This "clarifies" it and was originally designed to get a better response from primitive bass speakers. A lot of people complain and say this mode is two quiet but for me it has two awesome uses.
---The first use is to have both pickups at full volume and engage the capacitor. This effectively removes a lot of the cone filtering that normally dampens the sound in this mode and makes the two-pickup response MUCH fuller. This makes for a great "massive" sound that covers pretty much the entire frequency range with aplomb.
---The other thing I do is when I am playing "clean jazz" I will often use the treble pickup only, engage the cap, and boost the volume from my amp a bit to compensate. Now I can do really fast runs in my solos and during fast walking bass numbers like Cherokee or Oleo or various modal Coltrane tunes, and nothing ever muddies up.

*Removing the cover makes no difference but some people will shield the pickup after doing this to compensate. Not everyone thinks it's necessary. I don't have enough experience with it to know as I've never done it myself--well, I did it, but with a Toaster, which needs very little help with shielding.

But with the Vintage Mode engaged, Do YOU (meaning "You" at large)
feel that there is a noticeable or appreciable sonic difference at output?

I have sensitive ears and excellent rigs, and I sorta kinda hear a drop-off of frequency-
Not big deal, EXCEPT if there was said to be a major diff, such as a "Pull-Deep" switch on an amp, or a "bassBoost" such as the tri-tone eq on a G&L, I woul be afraid to satrt thinking that I MAY have a flaw circuit...
So short version-

Is it a BIG or little eq difference, in so many words.

Thanks- Seriously!

It is a very, very big difference to my ears, in output and tone. Volume will drop and bass will be cut, resulting in a less muddy, more articulate sound. To compensate for the difference, boost the output of your amp. You do know you have to pull the knob "outward" right?

[Elnjaybass]

Thank you for that, Josh. & I hope 'Josh" is OK; I once got into it with a Club-Owner who was irate when I called him Mike-
He was "Michael", so lemme know.

EQ- To me; FLAT is the thing- In fact- I prefer to and know accordingly by playing a Bass guitar unamplified initially- I hear it's woods and it's resonance. I did so eg with an ESH bass at NAMM, and LOVED it, as well with a G&L Leo Fender Centennial L2000 which I loved... and Ordered! I know...

Not so with the Rics, as I had never even held either one before, but- DEFINITLEY Not to Worry! They exceeded my wildest expectation 100-fold.
Oh, Have I mentioned I like them???

Now- last night, when I was getting familiar with the 4003- and remember had NEVER played one in 40+ years of playing the bass guitar- I know, wild, huh?
Your comment is important because there was a drastic drop in output with the pull-switch engaged (Yes, i know it's ON when it's out...) this including my having the treble V and T dropped way low, as I was getting a phat sound with the bass- or so experimenting.
Now I of course had pre-read that a cap is engaged, even noted the microfarad (/) value, but still- we're talking RESULT as well as design parameter.
I expected in a sense, the effect to be like the "Ultra-Low" on an Ampeg amp, and not to digress too much, but I KILL with that tone, and I know others do not like it. Oh well.

To the rest of your first part on the 4003 itself, it's obvious to me it's a very special instrument, sonically and design-wise-
And I'm just broaching all that. From the bridge, to the pups, to the controls, to it being a neck-thru- What a great synthesis of...stuff.

The tonewood combo of maple and Bubinga, everything- Jeesh- I moved to my larger studio room this morning, and thru my Ampeg rig- OMG so sweet. So sweet.
Still going back-forth with the controls, rolling off some treble here and there, dialing in enough bass to boom out, and combining it all with the very different "embouchure" for want of a better word needed to lay into the Ric.
This is not a P-Bass; not even a Laredo!

I'm glad that you pointed out the drastic drop in output, I got to that shortly by simply rolling in treble-Scared me for a minute there...
As to the other effect of engaging the knob, I understand your description of importance in terms of overall mix for brevity's sake-
But as long as I can know that it is not a dramatic "active" type boost or cut, I feel better-
I'm sure that I'll get in touch with the finer "finesse" points of sculpting a sound.

And as far as removing the pup cover; naah, I wanna leave it on ! It's OEM, plus as I say, I'm working it insofar as right hand positioning!

Thanks again; noted/appreciated.

[jps]

Yeah, I know I need to hone my communication skills-
(Takes me about 1/2 hour to introduce songs performed on stage...keeps the sets short tho! )

Are you related to Arlo Guthrie?

[Elnjaybass]

"...and you can get ANYTHING you want, at ALICE'S RES-TA-UARANT!"

"Coming' into Los Ange-leees' Bringin' in a couple a' keeeys,
DOn't touch my RIc if you please, Mr. Customs Maa-aan!"

Oh-Oh FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK!
Remain Calm! Me & my Laredo are at 1 w/ the Universe!

Whoa, a SPIDER is on my 4003!



See, now in addition to the usual:

"We're gonna do a song by Shemekia Copeland now, thnis one's called
'Turn the HEAT UP Baby'"

I have to add:

"Ladies & Germs, We're about to do a funky l'il number by Etta James, and on this one, please note the Unusual Bass guitar I'll be utilizing...

It's a Rickenbacker 4004L Laredo, Fretted-four string, and that beautiful finish is called
MAPLEGLO...
...Thank you very much....
"Now I didn't even know about this Bass guitar, I was thinking about a 4003- Hang on, we'll get to that later...
So I checked out the website, and just had a FEELING about this model, bought it, and WHAM!
It rocks!
So I go on the 'net and there's this Forum, see, and it's full of these peeps who've been DIGGING on Rics for years; some of them are really flipped, I mean there's this one guy, he has about 16 of 'em, and another, he's been faithfully waiting about 3 years for his Cheyenne..
Oh, yeah, now the Cheyenne, that has the Walnut...

Hey!! Where is everybody going??!! We're just about to funk it up here, with a version of "Jump! Into my Fire from "Seven-Year Itch" and ...GET BACK HERE, Dammit, I haven't even got to the pickups on the Laredo yet....

Yeah, like that.

[johnallg]

Very entertaining. As to your not hearing much change with the tone selector switch, with the bridge V and T down, you wouldn't as it is in series with that pup and you have it turned off or way down. Also with your more thumpy Motownish bass-emphasized (neck pup) sound, it also wouldn't affect your sound much.

Josh - you comment on the tone switch - with the V and T of both pickups all the way up you note an increase of sound output from the two pups. You just moved the phase relationship of them. With the switch in (cap out), roll off the V of either pup about 10% and you will hear a large volume and tone change. Turn down the neck to get a trebly growl, or the bridge to get a bassier growl.

As for the cover, at first I took mine off, but do NOT like the look with it off, and keep them all on now. Sure, using a pick you just miss that full sweet spot right over the bridge pup, but just a little ahead or behind is fine also. Horseys got me used to the cover on.

Now, WHERE'S THE FULL COLOR SPREAD ON THE FG???!!!

[Elnjaybass]

Very entertaining.
Hey thanks!! Try the veal! barump-bump!

Ok, lets get technically serious about this eq then-
Bridge V was up (ha, I love saying "dimed", so SPinal Tap!); Treble was rolled off-
Now let me make sure I am understanding, first RIc 4003- Obviously the Laredo is a no-brainer, and maybe that's why it is so appealing to me!
ANyway-
Control Knobs are marked Bass V and Bass T
Treble V and Treble T
Which set controls which pup-
Is it Upper set Bridge pup, inc. Vintage knob and Lower Set Neck Pup?
OK
At any rate- by experimentation if you will, I had the toggle down (Bridge?) Vintage engaged, IIRC- and WHAM-
I got a biting attack that was just awesome for what I was trying to reproduce at the time...
SO ultimately, I'm going to play with the controls, find my mixes that work and get a sense of what to push-pull for what I want to do at the time, for the song/project etc.
I love it.

See- If I say so myself- and I do- I have some chops (hey, allow me, I've been playing a looong time) and more than just that
cause trust me I shall be humbled (can you say Cecil McBee?? Go to Google if not)-
But on Fender Bass I DO hae a stylistic approach that I think drives a rhythm section in a positive way-
Leastwise it pays for a lot of my toys and joys, and I've seen some of the World doing so-
The 4003 is another wonderful tool that I am so Happy to add to my stable-
As I've said ad infinitum, it is my first Ric, and they...are..special...basses in many many ways-
The build, the legacy, the quality, and as we discuss-
The tonal spectrum.
Such an easy player, damn.
When I got it running through the AMpeg, my friends, you would have seen a giant toothy grin
when I heard how the instrument reproduces the low-end, and as I fiddle with the controls, leaving my amp at a relatively flat setting-
Finding a number of sonic delights, like a Garden of Eden of bass sounds, all from this beautifully built, sleek-Yeah that's a good word- SLEEK bass that just KILLS.
Gosh. I'm at a loss for words. NOT.

And pictures, you ask- of this beautiful instrument... I mean wow you should see it!
I've heard the talk of the FireGlos and "Meh, that run wasn't so good" or "Huzzah! Ernie is G*D" it is Ernie-right!
It's purty.
Real shiny.
Nyuk Nyuk.
Gawlee, got that there binding and them there big ole Inlays and such.
Yeah, nice.
Want some pics??

Well, OK, but my camera sux, it's a cheap POS, so don't holler.
I'll go try and take some, with full-frontal nudity (of the bass, of the bass, relax...)
But I cannot promise anything, besides, I may have to crop them, this Board accepts only sizes etc.
We'll see what happens.

OK- SHOWTIME--

A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Chicken walk into a Bar, and the Bartender says...

BA-DUM-BUM!

[johnallg]

Larry, with the treble tone rolled off, I'm not sure you'd hear the cap effect all that much.

The Bass knobs refer to the neck pup (deeper sound) and the Treble knobs refer to the bridge pup (brighter sound). Pup switch down is just the bridge brighter pup and up is the neck deeper pup. To me intuitively backwards - deep bass notes are down in sound and high trebly notes are up in sound. Ya get used to it though.

[Elnjaybass]

Larry, with the treble tone rolled off, I'm not sure you'd hear the cap effect all that much.

The Bass knobs refer to the neck pup (deeper sound) and the Treble knobs refer to the bridge pup (brighter sound). Pup switch down is just the bridge brighter pup and up is the neck deeper pup. To me intuitively backwards - deep bass notes are down in sound and high trebly notes are up in sound. Ya get used to it though.

Well now I need to absorb that-
I could tell straight away that the cp effect was diminished with treble knob rolled almost completly off, and with the Treble Volume down too (my first attempts at one type of sound) the dramatic dev=crease in output had me wondering just what the hell I was doing!
So then-
The Bass Volume and Tone are all related to the Neck, and conversely Both of the Treble Controls to the Bridge..
That absolutely requires some re-thinking on my part as to what I'm doing with each component of the bass, VIntage Knob non-withstanding.
Thanks for that, it helps clarify and aids in an overall plan of "attack" pun intended.

Of course, the one true way to nail down the tonal spectrum is to PLAY consistenly with this instrument, which I assure you I am MOST happy to do of course!!

As good luck has it, I have some engagements forthcoming (just heard about 'em today) and although it is not the funky, burning rhythm-section "thang" I'd like to get with (that's coming later)-
It IS a interesting shall we say singer-songwriter who tho simplistic sorta, is tasteful, nicely done, lyrically; pleasant movement/good bassline possibilites, and BONUS- not-too-bad-on the eyes! (wink*wink) Oh allright- She's HOT!!!
SMOKIN' WHooooooooo! No bearing on my participation for meager pay,of course.....

Her Project and it's vibe will actually be a very nice "application" for a Ric 4003- especially FireGlo!

[johnallg]

Think of the Bass Tone as a high freq cut on only that neck pickup - as you roll off (turn down) the control from "dimed", the tone gets bassier and the high frequencies are diminished. Same for the Treble Tone - it only affects the bridge pup and cuts highs out of the signal. So the volume and tone controls only affect the one pickup. The pup switch (up/down) selects only one pickup or both when its in the middle.

The vintage tone switch (pull up the Treble Tone knob) puts a capacitor in series with only the bridge pickup and cuts low frequencies making that bridge pup sound treblier and less bassy. That is the way the 4001/3 basses were wired from the start until around 1986 or '87.

[Elnjaybass]

...All becoming clear to me.
Hella fun figuring it out too.

If I had ANY critique to make of this instrument there would be (2):

1) It's almost too easy to play- It requires for me at least re-structuring digging in, as the neck is so fast and the string spacing so narrow.
Not "too" of anything- Rather, just a completly different touch required to get the most out of the fab sounds within.
Compared to the Laredo, or almost any other Bass IME, the Ric is a breeze, and it's quite unique to be playing an instrument that I would compare to a Ferrari and get total low end thump and phunk, and phatness, as well as the famous treble and sustain.
And the PUNCH! and the BITE! WHo knew???!!!

2) WHY did I not try/buy one earlier on?? When I think of the gigs and projects I could have applied this Bass too, and yes, I know, they are forthcoming, fer schnizzle...

But the LADIES....The LADIES that would have gone absolutely even MORE nutz at an engagement had I been using the FireGLo 4003 whcih JUST came...in a BOX...after waiting a WEEK.
It boggles the mind.......

[cassius987]

Josh - you comment on the tone switch - with the V and T of both pickups all the way up you note an increase of sound output from the two pups. You just moved the phase relationship of them. With the switch in (cap out), roll off the V of either pup about 10% and you will hear a large volume and tone change. Turn down the neck to get a trebly growl, or the bridge to get a bassier growl.

Yes, I've been clued in to this technique for about 7 months. About as long as I have had my FL. I always thought of it like this (and this could be wrong)--each pickup is an ocean wave crashing against the other and some of the waves cancel each other out, but when you weaken one of the waves, the result is that the other wave actually increases in output, because a lot of its strength was previously being mitigated in the wave-vs-wave conflict. And yes I noticed that this is the same behavior that happens with slight volume pot decreases.

[dog]

This may be the longest thread I have read through since the (2) "what does the C in 'C series' stand for" over on the Ric forum. My eyes are burning

[Elnjaybass]

This may be the longest thread I have read through since the (2) "what does the C in 'C series' stand for" over on the Ric forum. My eyes are burning

What??? There's a GUN to your head forcing you to read it????

The "C" stands for ....
ahh never mind.

[johnallg]

Josh - you comment on the tone switch - with the V and T of both pickups all the way up you note an increase of sound output from the two pups. You just moved the phase relationship of them. With the switch in (cap out), roll off the V of either pup about 10% and you will hear a large volume and tone change. Turn down the neck to get a trebly growl, or the bridge to get a bassier growl.

Yes, I've been clued in to this technique for about 7 months. About as long as I have had my FL. I always thought of it like this (and this could be wrong)--each pickup is an ocean wave crashing against the other and some of the waves cancel each other out, but when you weaken one of the waves, the result is that the other wave actually increases in output, because a lot of its strength was previously being mitigated in the wave-vs-wave conflict. And yes I noticed that this is the same behavior that happens with slight volume pot decreases.

Bass-ically.

[johnallg]

Larry,

1) Ricks being so easy to play (one of my first impressions also) frees you up to create. You can concentrate on what, not how, you play.

2) Also one of my first thoughts. How different would my life have turned out if I had played a Rick back then. Then I thought of the kids and my wife and all was in balance again.