'73 4001 Pickup Question

[fran4001]

Hello all! Have a new addition to the club here, a June '73 MG, check binding, unslotted tail and smaller inlays. Current neck pickup is a later HB of all things, added by previous owner. The original pickup is long gone. Would a June with checkers definitely have been a toaster or is there a chance it could have been a higain too? Gray area or transition kinda question. I have a late '73 higain needing a rewind I can throw in if so. Would like to keep it period-accurate but it's not a crisis or anything. thanks guys!

[jps]

It would definitely have had a toaster.

[fran4001]

Thanks Jeff! Figured as much. The search begins.....

[Kopfjaeger]

What type treble pup do you have in there? Fotos??

Sepp

[fran4001]

Photos soon hopefully. The original black button treble higain .

[fran4001]

"All I need is a toaster and a mute"....

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

that neck higain is of newer production or at least the bezel is. how does the bucker sound ?

[fran4001]

Sounds good I guess. Not much different than my '74 with the higain. The neck one is assumed to be original. This bass belonged to a good friend of mine as long as I've known him ('79) and he doesn't recall changing it, nor do I. Looks identical to my March '74. The 'bucker obviously though... Now my Feb. '73 has the same bezel but the aluminum plate under the pickup.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

the insides of the short end of the bezel where the coil shows would be slightly rounded if original on your '74 up through the '80's. now they're straight inner sides like the bucker bezel you have.

scroll down on this thread to the first azureglo pic on the thread below and you have a good view of the inside curve...

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=405234

[ricbass]

Look at the bridge pickup. Are they bumps or screws. If they are screws then you have the pre transitional 4001. If you find they are bumps then you own the transitional bass.

[fran4001]

Bumps for sure!

[soundmasterg]

I had a '73 RIC 4001 years ago and it had a hi gain button top in the neck position. If I remember right, the earlier ones should have had a toaster and the later 73's would have had the hi gain....or maybe it was '72 that was the last year of the toaster....

[teeder]

A '73 should have had a toaster.

[johnallg]

Sergio sold me the higain out of his '73 4001, so some had higains. Button top, BTW.

And nobody has suggested the Register.....

Quick survey shows September was transitional with some toasters and some higains.