My very first Ric

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:28 pm

The old ones yellow after some years, it's in the clear coat they used to use. I had an early 80's 4001 white/black trim that was very yellowed.

jps · Post by **jps** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:09 pm

There is a white w/ black trim early 4003 at a local shop that I just saw this past Saturday. It is in need of some TLC as it has the ...dreaded SD pickups! It has the split pickgaurd, too, and the finish is a nice cream now. No price on it as of yet, perhaps fairly cheap. I will check back with them this coming weekend.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:14 pm

I bought an 81 with the ....dreaded SD pickups! I put them on my refrigerator and put proper pickups in, it's one of my favorites, I love the adjustment at the neck, really works easily and well, mine has a great thin neck also.

jps · Post by **jps** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:17 pm

To adjust the rods at the heel end you have to remove the upper pickgaurd I assume? Sounds like a bit of a pain in having to loosen the strings to get that out of the way.

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 11:26 pm

'Andy O'Connor - Post a pic if you can!'

Here she is. Of course, as a finger player, I've removed the pickup-cover. Would anyone know where I can get some kind of replacement pickup surround that covers most of the rather alarming gap around the neck pickup now?

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:37 am

reaction · Post by **reaction** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:46 am

Anndra - do you mean the gap around the bridge pickup? Try pickguardian.com -

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguardian/RICBridgePUPlate.html

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:19 am

You know, that's not THAT horrible...as long as it matches the pickguard, and isnt some horrible color, it's not that bad! I've always wondered about that hole too. Thanks, Nick! And it's totally reversible!

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:50 am

Thank you very much indeed, Nick. That looks to be the solution to the problem in one.

Here's hoping they ship to Scotland!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:58 pm

Anndra, 99% of Ric basses have that same gaping(?) hole where the cover was taken off, (except in this forum for some reason) I have been looking at them that way for so long now that one with the cover on looks strange to me, it looks like someone left a price tag on it or something. I have never seen a Ric player play one with the cover on in my life unless it was a horseshoe, honest! And I'm a geezer. And I've also never seen anyone cover the hole, there are a few things around that will do it, but they look pretty strange to me. If you are like most of us, you will grow to love that hole and it will be a normal part of your Ric bass.
Jeffrey, you don't have to loosen the strings to take that section of the pick guard off, you just have to be careful, actually it's a lot quicker and easier to do than take off the TRC because you don't have to try to manuver it between the strings on the headstock. And once you get it off, you just use an open ended 3/8" wrench, very simple and effective design.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 3:15 pm

Thanks for the tutorial!

I find the TRC easy to get to by moving the A and D strings out of the way after removing the screws, just lift them out of the nut slots and they will rest against the E and G strings.

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 2:04 am

Actually, Robert, I'm starting to come around to your way of thinking. What's changing my mind is that I'm finding uses for the variety of places to rest your thumb that the 'gaping maw' provides for.

That and the fact that I'm almost wholly unconvinced by the visual 'attractions' of the replacement pick-up cover.

I'll just live with it for a while and see how things pan out.

PS. What's a TRC?

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 2:42 am

Truss Rod Cover (name plate in RIC parlance).

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 3:47 am

Welcome aboard and congratulations, Anndra.

I'm mostly a pick player but can't play with the treble pickup cover on either. It just gets in the way! I removed the treble pickup cover of my '86 Shadow and my '98 4003 FG. The cover of my '72 4001 stays as I play fingerstyle with her, plucking between the two pickups.

To make the "big black hole" less visually offending, I put a high gain bass pickup cover onto the '98 treble pickup bobbin with a little wire grounding the said cover. They fit snug.

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 4:09 am

Thank you, Paul.

I take it the cover you added is as pictured on the beautiful Sunburst bass above? I must say it looks fantastic. Any suggestions as to where would I find the cover?

Which model of Ric is the one in the pic? It looks absolutely glorious!

Slainte,

Anndra