77 VS 08

[VRICKY63]

I love my 2008 FG4003 4-2-5. The tone is thick with a mean growl but I miss the some what hollow sheen of my 77 4001. Were the old pickups that different ? Was it the age of the wood ?

[johnallg]

Yes and yes. I also think the neck construction contributes, and the 77 has old growth maple while the 08 has farm grown. All would (pun intended) contribute.

[rictified]

I think the infamous cap also contributed to the hollow sound although most people do not miss it

[s4001]

And the skunk stripe.

[cassius987]

Sounds like you are hearing more mids...? I'd guess it's because there's a little more mass in the 2008.

[VRICKY63]

Sounds like you are hearing more mids...? I'd guess it's because there's a little more mass in the 2008.

Yes. Thicker tone , fat neck. My 77s had the cap bypass so that was not the difference. Gave away my vintage bridge pickup, DOH !!!!!

[cassius987]

I think the construction probably has more to do with it than the pickup but several may disagree wholeheartedly... and perhaps rightly so.

[johnallg]

I believe it is both, wood/construction and pickups.

[VRICKY63]

Interesting......When I pull the vintage tone pot up to engage the cap (both pickups on) She sounds more like my 77s. Thing is both 77s had the cap bypass !

[rickaddict]

I've found that even with the cap bypass, my late 70's 4001's (with the yellow Taiwanese caps like those pictured below) still sound a little more thin than my late 80's 4003's (with giant orange Sprague caps), my '73 4001 (with smaller orange Sprague caps pictured in this link: http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg), and my '76 4001 (that has different caps than either).

I'm suspicious of the yellow caps and will soon try swapping them out on a late 70's 4001 for some orange Spragues.

[johnallg]

This should be interesting because they are both polyester caps. I would not expect any real noticeable change.

[weemac]

Don't get too concerned about the caps (Although I'm sure it makes a difference)
Apart from the wood the big change is that the newer pickups have almost twice the windings as the 70s pickups
More windings = More volume and mids at the expence of some high end clarity

And yes I too believe that the walnut stripe and earlier truss rods have their part to play in the sound as well

Eden.

[johnallg]

Don't get too concerned about the caps (Although I'm sure it makes a difference)
Eden.

Not concerned, curious. I do not expect any difference. We'll wait and see what Jeff reports. I agree, it is all the other factors you state.

[rickaddict]

Okay, I know this is no longer a '77 vs. '08 thing, so I guess I'm guilty of thread drift!

It's gonna be a long time (maybe over the winter) before I can get around to experimenting with some electronics swaps, but the difference I'm hearing can't be explained by skunk stripes, wood, truss rods, or windings.

My '73 and '76 (both skunk stripers with more or less similar bridge pickups and old truss rods AFAIK) sound a little ballsier and fuller than my '77, '79, and 80 (all of which again have skunk stripes, old truss rods, and similar pickup output). The only real difference I can see is that my '77, '79, and 80 have the yellow Taiwanese caps and the earlier ones don't.

Maybe I'm just crazy. (Probably!) Maybe I'm imagining things. (Could be!)

[VRICKY63]

Never thought of a cap effecting tone. We need an electronics expert here. I have heard about how audiophiles are careful with what types of caps.resisters,etc they replace in vintage equipment because it will change the tone. Maybe it's true for a RIC also ?