Modern 4003 Neck Pickup Routes

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

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".

and this is why some of us diehards move them back to 1/2" ourselves. it all boils down to personal preference...those who like the 1/2" and those who like the 1". i'm good with that. if you look at the current 4003, the wings are so far back to almost being with the pickguard that the strength of the area concerned in the center block equals roughly what the 4001 1/2 " had with the wings at the '73/'74 era. interesting question to mr. hall is why the fretboard was raised up off the body plane after '73 ? curiosity kills us katz !

[aceonbass]

If you look at the current 4003, the wings are so far back to almost being with the pickguard that the strength of the area concerned in the center block equals roughly what the 4001 1/2 " had with the wings at the '73/'74 era.

Not really. If the wood under the guard went all the way to the pickup, you'd be right, but it doesn't. While the cutaways were moved in, the routing was moved all the way up to the neck on the neck blank. It only requires a couple of 3/8" square chunks of wood to be removed if you want to move the pickup. My luthier, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, has noted the weakness in this area and is the one that advised it to be filled with a maple block, then re-routed on my 8-string conversions. I think the fretboard was raised to get the action up so when the neck flexed at this point (as many have) the bridge wouldn't have to be dropped all the way down and the saddles notched deeper.

[stevebasshead]

I had the 1/2" mod done on my '02 4003MG about three years back and I'm happy to say there's been no ill effects, the neck is every bit as stable as it was before. That's not to say that there hasn't been a reduction in strength in that area, just that it seemingly remains well within the tolerance required to maintain the overall structural integrity.

In the case of the toaster that I had it routed for, the two routed areas don't need to be quite as deep as the rest of the pickup rout as they're being done on the body wings away from the depth required for the poles which sit nicely in the area routed at the factory as this is already done all the way to the neck anyway. I can't speak for the high gain pickup's requirements where the magnet is longer so the depth requirement may differ, but if anyone was thinking of doing this mod I would advise removing the minimum amount of wood necessary just to be safe.

In terms of sound I can't comment on any differences noted in normal playing as I replaced a high gain in the 1" position with the toaster in the 1/2", so I wouldn't be comparing like-with-like. There is however a huge improvement in the neck pickup's ability to play harmonics with the pickup in the 1/2" position, they barely rang out at all in the 1". So if harmonics feature as part of your playing (not mine, it was just an interesting by-product!) the 1/2" mod may interest you. That said, I do wonder if the fact it makes a difference to harmonics would manifest itself in the sound produced by normal plucking.

Hope this helps,
Steve.

[aceonbass]

Do you mean that there were particularly strong harmonics over the neck pickup in the 1/2" position or that the pickup in that position picked up much stronger harmonics played anywhere along the fretboard than when there was a pickup in the 1" position? Comparing between my 4004's with neck pickups in the 1/4" position and 4003&4008 with pickups in the 1" position I find no difference in the strength of harmonics.

[stevebasshead]

Do you mean that there were particularly strong harmonics over the neck pickup in the 1/2" position or that the pickup in that position picked up much stronger harmonics played anywhere along the fretboard than when there was a pickup in the 1" position?...

The latter, I found harmonics were much better defined and sustained far longer.

[coolhandjjl]

When I tune with harmonics, the neck pup on my 4003 (1") does not make any sound at all, in fact interferes with getting a good harmonic tune. It was explained to me that it as because the 1" spacing is at a node, whatever that means. So I tune with the neck pup turned off.

[jps]

Right, the 1" position is at the 3rd (?) node, so certain harmonics with both pickups on, or especially, with the neck pickup soloed, do not ring out like they do with the bridge pickup soloed or with the neck pickup in the ½" position. I happen to be one of those bassists who do use harmonics, sometimes sliding them up the fingerboard after hitting them, so it does make a difference where the neck pickup is located for my playing.

[heinpete]

On my 4001/V73 with the neck pickup in the ½" position the harmonics are as strong as with the bridge pickup , but both are "Silva-machines" anyway!

[cassius987]

When I tune with harmonics, the neck pup on my 4003 (1") does not make any sound at all, in fact interferes with getting a good harmonic tune. It was explained to me that it as because the 1" spacing is at a node, whatever that means. So I tune with the neck pup turned off.

You may not hear the 5th fret/12th fret harmonic but most of the others should ring out just fine with that pickup. In some cases better.

The mid pickup I routed for my 4001FL is actually at the node for the 4th fret harmonic which is interesting.

A node is simply the point where the transverse wave on the string changes phase and so string vibration at that point is at a minimum, hence why the pickup barely senses anything. The noise you hear is a complex longitudinal wave(s) that results from these things.