4003 Owners, Please Share Your Favorite Bass Settings

[Rickenhands]

So, I've had my new MID 4003 for three weeks (she's an October 2008 model, but I got her brand new from a dealer in Raleigh). I've had her professionally setup, and I'm slobbering over how awesome this instrument is. Why did I wait so long?? Anywho, I've played around with its different sounds (through headphones with no effects, flat eq, etc...), and I'm having a blast. I'm also loving the vintage push/pull action--it's amazing.

But, since I'm still so new, I'm curious to know favorite bass settings from experienced 4003 players (not curious about amp, mainly your bass settings - i.e., favoring front or back pickup, flat or round strings, knob settings, etc...). Feel free to share even the smallest details (i.e., treble tone knob turned down 1/2--that type of stuff), and thanks in advance for geeking out with me while I remain on honeymoon with my new Ric (wife isn't too pleased, but it shall subside).

Y'all are the best!

Peace.

[s4001]

I use both pups in all ranges of blending them. Depending on the room. I rarely use the tone knobs - and don't even have them in my 4000.

[berth]

I prefer 100 % neck and somewhere between 0 and 75 % bridge. And I do like the capacitor (vintage switch on your bass) to cut some lows on the bridge pickup. I do play with either a 2 or a 3 mm Jim Dunlop plectrum so I have plenty of highs (and lows) in my sound.

[Rickenhands]

Thanks for sharing! I've been enjoying the sound from 100% bridge, 80% neck - I back off the bridge tone a tad. Also like the vintage sound with the same knob settings.

[cheyenne]

I usually run my 4003 with the pups wide open and roll back the bridge tone about halfway.

The 4004L, ( which is modded VVT ), I roll back the neck pup slightly and usually run the tone nearly wide open.

Keep in mind, I like the aggressive, Squire / Lee type of tone, and play with a pick about 75 % of the time.

[haw]

I'm not a complicated man - I run all the knobs up full and have the selector in the middle position flicking it to the neck for occasional songs.

[cjj]

I usually run mine wide open on everything, occasionally adjusting the volume a bit depending on how it sounds. I also run both pickups, Ric-O-Sound mode into separate amps (SansAmp RBI/RPM)...

[Rickenhands]

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. I like trying out different settings as listed here to get a feel for what people are going for in their sound. It's really cool.

Peace.

[rickenbrother]

I usually have volume & tone controls full on with my Ricks, but I think I might have found myself a blues band. Settings and maybe string type are gonna change!

[Rickenhands]

I usually have volume & tone controls full on with my Ricks, but I think I might have found myself a blues band. Settings and maybe string type are gonna change!

I've been digging the full-on tone controls, with the neck pup backed off a tad. I've also been wondering about trying some of the strings mentioned on the forum.

Congrats on the blues band! Keep us posted!

[VRICKY63]

I use everything wide open most of the time. I really like to use the bridge pickup soloed with the cap engaged for a great baritone guitar sound. This setting requires the bass to be played with a pick just in front of the saddles.

[MattB]

For most of the stuff the band is playing now, I use one of two settings, both of which use both PUP's. If I am playing the tune mostly high up on the fretboard, I roll off the bridge PUP some (maybe to 80%) and roll off the tone on that PUP about 1/2 way. If the tune is played primarily down on the neck or sounds better with more "attack," for lack of a better word, I roll off the neck PUP instead and typically bring the bridge tone back up toward full. Seems like I rarely use either PUP alone anymore...

Matt B.

[rickenbrother]

Congrats on the blues band! Keep us posted!

Thanks John. I said maybe because right after I met the band, everyone decided they didn't want to play with the drummer they had anymore. I'm not too disappointed though, I didn't think he was all that good anyway..and he had no ride either!

Flats on a 4004Cii with the tone control rolled off a little sounds like a good bass setting in a blues band.

[teeder]

- 4001V63 - I use 3 different settings, played with fingers or 1mm Dunlop pick, med light gauge GHS Boomers
Horseshoe on full with '60's Toaster at about 75% (this setting covers 90% of what I use this bass for which is Rock from 1990 on up)
Horseshoe soloed
Toaster soloed

- 2 different 1971 4001's, one with TI flats, one with light gauge GHS Boomers, cap still in place on both

2 settings:

Toaster on full with bridge pu on 80% - 100%
Toaster soloed

I use a pick on these two

I never touch the tone controls and any of these.

[Prowl]

I tend to run with both feet on the ground, or on the elliptical depending on what varying cardio workout I'm doing at the time, but when it comes to playing me bass I'm a bit . . . unusual.

I plug into the stereo jack and only use the bridge pickup. Volume is always flat out and the tone knob varies from 1/4 impulse power to full on warp factor 10. I have a dash of compression in there to spice up the meal, and plate it with a generous portion of EQ.