Anatomy Of A Rickenbacker Bass Part 6

[rickfan60]

Thanks Joey!

[rickenbrother]

Thanks Joey!

I should have done this from the start.

[Mik]

HI!
First time for me.
Great article very nice information.
I got a 4001 (march 73 MG) whit a big difference in gain ,toaster versus treble (possibly HS)p/u.
Didn't care in stereo but whit 1 amp its an another story.
Can i do something about it?.
Thank's
Mike

[ilan]

Welcome, Michel.

Look under the pickguard. How many capacitors do you have there?

[Mik]

Ilan

i've got 2 caps and ,i already bypass the treble one .
Didn't see any difference though.

Thank's

[rickfan60]

The treble pickup is probably much louder than the neck pickup. That is normal for a Rickenbacker bass. Try lowering the treble pickup a little at a time until the sound is more to your liking. I probably should have covered this in the article.

[Mik]

Sorry
I didn't explain mysefl right.
The toaster is maybe 2x louder then the treble.
I can't rise the treble high enough too compensate.
You know what happen when the string touch the screw.

[rickfan60]

First, check your jack. Make sure the contacts clean and not bent. Many common Rickenbacker sound problems are jack related. Then check the switch contacts. I burnish them with a fine diamond file. A file is best but you can use fine sandpaper in a pinch. Gently run the abrasive between the contacts to remove oxidation and / or crud buildup. Failing that, there may be a problem with the pickup itself.

[Mik]

I check and clean both (jack and switch)and again , the treble p/u did not have much gain.
I,ve got it since 84 and she's always been like this.Anyway's i will do something whit the treble if i can.
Whit checker binding,split tooth bridge,i think she can worth a bit ,and i will put money in it to get it in shape p/u wise.
Other then that the only thing i don't like about it ,is the "wavy" tuner's which i'm in process to change or replace.
There are pretty shot after holding strings for 36 years.
But, you know,i'm on a lonely planet up here in Canada,i did not know another bassist who own a RIC.So any information,
trick's or esle, is welcome.
By the way i've seen some hand writing under the pickgard(4001-D-5 or D-S)if it can mean something to you.

Many,many thank's.
ps:forgive my frenglish,it will be better whit times...i hope!!

Michel

[Mik]

I read this morning part 5,so i know what to do whit my tuners.

Again, thank you.

Michel.

[rickfan60]

I check and clean both (jack and switch)and again , the treble p/u did not have much gain.
I,ve got it since 84 and she's always been like this.Anyway's i will do something whit the treble if i can.
Whit checker binding,split tooth bridge,i think she can worth a bit ,and i will put money in it to get it in shape p/u wise.
Other then that the only thing i don't like about it ,is the "wavy" tuner's which i'm in process to change or replace.
There are pretty shot after holding strings for 36 years.
But, you know,i'm on a lonely planet up here in Canada,i did not know another bassist who own a RIC.So any information,
trick's or esle, is welcome.
By the way i've seen some hand writing under the pickgard(4001-D-5 or D-S)if it can mean something to you.

Many,many thank's.
ps:forgive my frenglish,it will be better whit times...i hope!!

Michel

It is entirely possible the pickup windings are damaged. If you have an ohm meter, check the coil resistance. It should be somewhere between 6k and 7K ohms. If it is any less than that, Sergio Silva (Portugal) is a good resource for coil repair. I don't have his email address handy but you can contact him though the forum.

The writings in the control cavities were put there by factory workers to keep track of the model number, color, daily daily sequence. This practice might have also been used to keep track of who did what work. Dale Fortune used to write a number under the truss rod cover to keep track of his daily production. The first one of the day would get a number 1 and so on. Early 70's Rickenbackers with numbers penciled near the truss rod ends were very likely worked on by Dale.

[johnallg]

Dale Fortune used to write a number under the truss rod cover to keep track of his daily production. The first one of the day would get a number 1 and so on. Early 70's Rickenbackers with numbers penciled near the truss rod ends were very likely worked on by Dale.

I didn't know that! First thing I did was look at the pics of my '75 but no naked headstock pics - tonight when I get home I get out the screwdriver...

[Mik]

At 129k on my ohmmeter (7.2K toaster),something is wrong.
I start looking for Mr Silva.

I will keep you informed.

[johnallg]

At 129k on my ohmmeter (7.2K toaster),something is wrong.
I start looking for Mr Silva.

I will keep you informed.

Mik, did you measure right across the gray lead from the pickup? That pickup should be in the 7k range, plus or minus .5 (6k5 to 7k5). Best place is under the guard with the bridge pickup selected with the switch - that way the toaster neck pickup will be isolated. If it indeed reads that high, unsolder the center lead of the coax and read it again. Also check the wires right at the pickup to make sure they are all solid looking.

[rickfan60]

Here you go John. One morning back in 1972, a bass that would one day belong to Paul Boyer found its way to Dale's workbench.