First Mod Fever

[bassman7365]

All the parts are in. Plan run in head over and over. This weekend, first mod ever on an instrument and it's a Ric. Am I insane? Time to tin the iron and go for it. Paranoid that if I don't like the change, I will never be able to return it to it's original. I am hear at the precipice, attempting to make mods while not destroying intrinsic value. Is it only me, but are there some strange modded Rics on e-bay at the moment. And, they are not afraid to ask top dollar, too. Obviously, not Ric addicts. Well mates, wish me luck and if I can figure out the upload process, I will submit some pics.

[bassduke49]

Whatcha goin' to do?

[jps]

I have a complete wiring harness from my former/current Paul Boyer 4004Cii if you run afoul.

Down the hatch, good luck, and may the wind be at your back, etc.

[bassman7365]

Jeff,

You have me thinking as to your arrangement of VVT, due to mono output. I have pots for V/T V/T and will be using the switch as neck, neck & bridge, bridge. Very much like a Gibson set up. I have read some research concerning taking the unused pick up out of the circuit when not being used, but help me. Why would I not want the ability to control the tone independently? Thanks

[cassius987]

Why would I not want the ability to control the tone independently? Thanks

There is no true independent control of tone in a mono-only situation (which is why it's kind of funny that lots of Gibsons are VVTT). In a 4003 it makes perfect sense because when you use Ric-O-Sound the pickups each have their own circuit. In the mono situation, both tone controls are master, as long as a pickup is not soloed--but when you are going for VVT, you typically select the pickups with your volume controls, not the switch. Now, there is a bit of an advantage to having two--you can get a really dark sound if you roll both tones off. But make no mistake, in mono, both tone controls affect both pickups equally. They also load the treble down twice as much if the caps are the same value. If you are adding a switch you may want two tones, otherwise I'd just go pure VVT on a 4004.

[jps]

I rarely, if ever, found myself switching quickly between pickups so I always had enough time to change the position of the tone control, if necessary. I could see the need to have different setting depending on what you want to do tonally within a song, live. I can only think of one song that I had to do a pickup change mid-song, that was Wahoo Incident, a Rare Blend song, during a solo trading section in the middle. Except for my Ricks, none of my basses have a selector switch for the pickups, just individual volume controls and a master tone control, I am just used to that setup, and it has always worked fine for me. YMMV, of course.

[aceonbass]

Pete, there's nothing wrong with modding a RIC or any other instrument to make it more useful to you, but there are many on this forum who always seem to have an eye on an exit strategy in the form of resale value on their bass. Just make sure you use quality components.

[bassman7365]

Well, made the mods. Something has gone wrong. Bridge pickup V/T is fine, Neck pickup V/T is fine, Both....nothing, no sound. curious to know if these signals could possible be 180 deg out of phase and cancelling each other out. I do have to say, the tone is fantastic now that I have taken the unused pup out of the loop when it is not being used. Better bass and better treble. Band mates had no idea I was only using one pup.

[johnallg]

Well, made the mods. Something has gone wrong. Bridge pickup V/T is fine, Neck pickup V/T is fine, Both....nothing, no sound. curious to know if these signals could possible be 180 deg out of phase and cancelling each other out. I do have to say, the tone is fantastic now that I have taken the unused pup out of the loop when it is not being used. Better bass and better treble. Band mates had no idea I was only using one pup.

I'd look at the wiring of the pickup switch. That sounds suspect given the pups work individually but not together.