Modern 4003 Neck Pickup Routes

[cjj]

I know that some of the older basses had the neck pickup route such that it could accommodate either the 1/2" space or the 1" spacing. I assume this is not the case with modern 4003 basses, correct? Yeah, I could pull the pickguard on one of mine, but it seems easier to ask...

[sloop_john_b]

They are not routed for the 1/2" spacing.

[cjj]

Aw darn! I figured as much. Thanks for confirming it...

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

i personally know i put a 1/2 on a '76 and it worked. anyone know when the cavity was moved more rearward ?

[rickenbrother]

i personally know i put a 1/2 on a '76 and it worked. anyone know when the cavity was moved more rearward ?

Was sometime late '75/early '76. The '75 4001's were routed so they can have the neck pickup in either 1/2" or 1 position. Is yours an early '76?

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

my buddy, noto'76, has the '76 in question that i put a 1/2" on and his was jackplated may of that year, but we all know the lumber could have been carved way before that.

[rickenbrother]

but we all know the lumber could have been carved way before that.

Yes, that's true.

[aceonbass]

While the current 4003 does not have routing to accomodate the 1/2" spacing, it only requires a small amount of material to be removed if you want to put a pickup there. Although the 1/2" vs. 1" spacing thing has been going on for awhile, I have yet to have a the differnce in sound demonstrated to me after all of the SoCal RIConfluences I've been too. Removing material from this already weakened area is not a good idea, and since the routing on the neck blank goes all the way up to the fingerboard, while the cutaways are now deeper, it's even weaker. So either RIC has been putting the pickup in the 1" position for 35 years because it sounds better there, or because putting it closer weakens the neck to body transition point. So which is it?

[sloop_john_b]

While the current 4003 does not have routing to accomodate the 1/2" spacing, it only requires a small amount of material to be removed if you want to put a pickup there. Although the 1/2" vs. 1" spacing thing has been going on for awhile, I have yet to have a the differnce in sound demonstrated to me after all of the SoCal RIConfluences I've been too. Removing material from this already weakened area is not a good idea, and since the routing on the neck blank goes all the way up to the fingerboard, while the cutaways are now deeper, it's even weaker. So either RIC has been putting the pickup in the 1" position for 35 years because it sounds better there, or because putting it closer weakens the neck to body transition point. So which is it?

But 1/2" spacing looks so cool.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

there is a different sound due to the post '73 raised off the body fretboard basses, keeping the magnetic field further away from the strings and there are points along the string that have tonal changes due to the amount of vibration sensed at a particular point. my 1/2" basses ar a little more throaty than the later 1" basses i had, although the later basses had the raised up fretboard. so i presume a slight tightening up in response and weaker delivery of the note played assuming the identical type of higain or toaster in the 1" spacing. later on also came the super toasters and higains but this changed the tonal response of said pickups. this is also up to a long debate as the pickups characteristics can change from unit to unit or batch to batch or the density of the particular basses testing this stupid, banal theory of mine ! there...i beat you to the punch. i can say my 1'2 "MJ neck highgain with surface mounted fretboard was more powerful in tonal response than my OI 1" with raised fretboard. but that was my basses. i found this to be the same in noto'76 4003 from 2009 and his brother's NG as being weaker but tighter.

[basmansam]

While the current 4003 does not have routing to accomodate the 1/2" spacing, it only requires a small amount of material to be removed if you want to put a pickup there. Although the 1/2" vs. 1" spacing thing has been going on for awhile, I have yet to have a the differnce in sound demonstrated to me after all of the SoCal RIConfluences I've been too. Removing material from this already weakened area is not a good idea, and since the routing on the neck blank goes all the way up to the fingerboard, while the cutaways are now deeper, it's even weaker. So either RIC has been putting the pickup in the 1" position for 35 years because it sounds better there, or because putting it closer weakens the neck to body transition point. So which is it?

The 1/2" spacing didn't seem to be a problem on the V63's and C64's I've owned. I'm sure the C64 replacement bass will hace 1/2" spacing too.

[aceonbass]

When the V63 was done, the cutaways weren't as deep, so the strength in the area wasn't as compromised. The C64's have the deeper cutaways (deeper than they were in '64 it would seem) and therefore are weaker. Will it just bend and break? No of course not, but I'll bet a lot of these flex, making for a shallower neck angle. RIC only puts the pickup at that spacing for historical correctness, not because it sounds better. Otherwise they'd still be there on the 4003. It seems there are a number of things about Ricks that many overlook because it looks cool, or that's the way it was done back in the day.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

dane, if you pick a roundwound string along it's length in 1/2 " increments from bridge to fretboard, let's say the G string, note the many different tone changes with harmonics you'll find along the way. this is the point i'm making. moving a pickup from one place to another will bring out these responses depending where it's placed and change the "sound" of a particular instrument.

[aceonbass]

Oh I know and understand that, but 1/2" In that area....I don't believe will make an audible difference. In a blind test, I'll bet no one would get it right every time. Again, there is a reason RIC moved the pickup back, and why J.H. once said something to the effect "We have no plans to ever move the pickup to that position again".

[cjj]

And for you Techno-Geeks, here's a nice write-up on the subject:
Response Effects of Guitar Pickup Position and Width

Complete with a cool Java applet that will show you the frequency response for any given number pf pickups and their placement:
Pickup Response Demonstration Applet