Replacement pickup for a 3000?

[RickyBubba]

My 3000 bass is OK, but I was hoping to get a better tone out of it.

Any recommendations to replacements other than a Ric high gain neck pickup?

What do folks think about the Seymour Duncan neck pickup, the SRB-1N?

I don't want to hack up my pick gaurd either!

[vulcan_creedler]

Obvious choice is a Ric HB1 humbucker!

Make sure you have 500k volume and tone pots, and use a 0.022uF tone capacitor too. Definitely worth considering having one of the pots as a push/pull with coil-tap facility, to take you straight back to classic 3000/4000/4001 tone!

I have this mod on both my 4003 basses, in the bridge pickup position. Best thing I ever did to the basses!
VC

[RicOSoundMan]

Hey that sounds like a interesting option....... I like it!!!

[vulcan_creedler]

Hey that sounds like a interesting option....... I like it!!!

Get Dane to build you the wiring harness, if you don't like too much soldering! Actually - the whole thing can be pre-soldered, as it's all under the one scratchplate (unlike the 4003 where the bridge pickup has to be soldered, after fitting to the axe)

Is the pickup the same overall shape as a hi-gain? Hi gains, toasters and HB1s are all the same dimensions. If a Hi gain fits, then an HB1 will also fit!

[weemac]

You can also tap the hb-1 via the unused leg of the tone pot. 0-9 is as normal but once on 10 it taps to a really classy single coil. Simple and you don't have to use one of those loose and iffy switch pots..

Eden.

[vulcan_creedler]

You can also tap the hb-1 via the unused leg of the tone pot. 0-9 is as normal but once on 10 it taps to a really classy single coil. Simple and you don't have to use one of those loose and iffy switch pots..

Eden.

Surely the Rick supplied 500k push/pull pots can't be classed as "loose and iffy"
I've got two!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!

[weemac]

You can also tap the hb-1 via the unused leg of the tone pot. 0-9 is as normal but once on 10 it taps to a really classy single coil. Simple and you don't have to use one of those loose and iffy switch pots..

Eden.

Surely the Rick supplied 500k push/pull pots can't be classed as "loose and iffy"
I've got two!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!

No of course, but most others are usually no good if you really want to use them as a proper pot.
And if you can do it without a switch why complicate it?
And stop calling me Shirley!
Eden.

[vulcan_creedler]

You can also tap the hb-1 via the unused leg of the tone pot. 0-9 is as normal but once on 10 it taps to a really classy single coil. Simple and you don't have to use one of those loose and iffy switch pots..

Eden.

Surely the Rick supplied 500k push/pull pots can't be classed as "loose and iffy"
I've got two!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!

No of course, but most others are usually no good if you really want to use them as a proper pot.
And if you can do it without a switch why complicate it?
And stop calling me Shirley!
Eden.

Only Shirley, on Friday evenings then?

[RickyBubba]

Thanks for the great discussion, but at the moment the budget won't support a Ric HB1.

So I was hoping for some other decent thoughts that I could do in the interim.....and NO....I'm not gonna sell off the Ric 3000 pickup!

[vulcan_creedler]

Thanks for the great discussion, but at the moment the budget won't support a Ric HB1.

In the UK an HB! is cheaper than a Higain!!!!! But then again, still bloody expensive! Keep an eye on Ebay for an HB1. Empiredirect (aka Music zoo) often has them on on cheap "Buy it now" prices.

[aceonbass]

I don't want to hack up my pick gaurd either!

The pickup used on the 3000/3001 basses is slightly longer and narrower than anything available, including the SD pickup, which isn't very good by all accounts. Therefore there will be guard hacking unless you have another guard made. Looking through my stash of guards from old projects, I found a black acrylic guard for a 3000 bass cut for a standard RIC pickup. It will mount an HB1, neck hi-gain, Bartolini, or the SD.

[vulcan_creedler]

What do folks think about the Seymour Duncan neck pickup, the SRB-1N?

I don't want to hack up my pick gaurd either!

If you fit a seymour duncan, you'll have to file the corners of the pickguard hole (well you have to on 4001/3 basses), as the pickups corners are much sharper than Ric pickups.

Also, general consensus is that they're not the best pickups! (muddy sounding, with no clarity, and your bass won't sound like a ric!)

Bartolini make a very reasonable ric-specific bass pickups too - much better than the SD pickups. The 3000 pickup seems to be approx half-way between the positions of say a 4001 bass's pickups, so there's no reason why you couldn't use the bartolini bridge or neck pickup. The one intended for the bridge is a humbucker, whist the neck is a split coil arrangement (but all housed in one unit) I'd be inclined to use a bridge pickup, if you choose a Bart! They're miles better than the Seymour Duncan, and leave the bass still sounding like a Ric. Also - they're all black, so they'll look a lot like the original. Barts pop up on ebay quite regularly too, and they should fit straight in, (assuming that a higain or toaster or HB1 would fit straight in). I had a pair in my 4003, a few wirings ago, but having got an HB1 now in the bridge, my bass has a load more balls than when it had the original higains!

http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-ric-pickups.htm

I'd still go for an HB1, and keep the bass all-ric, given the choice!

Guy

[RickyBubba]

Wow...lots of great honest info. I'll scrap the Seymour thoughts for good.

My long term goal IS to keep it all Ric....just looking at short term options. I also WON'T hack up the original pick guard.

If need be, I would make or have one made for another pickup. Then I could just get some new pots and a cap and jack, and just make a whole unit to swap!

Aceonbass - is that "spare" pick guard for sale? Send me a message if it is.

[ken_j]

...Also, general consensus is that they're not the best pickups! (muddy sounding, with no clarity, and your bass won't sound like a ric!)...

I will definitely agree that the SD will not sound like a Rick pickup but if properly wired they can sound good with clarity and not muddy. There is no clank or growl. I have an SD on a 4000 that never sounded good to me, but before changing the pickup I tried rewiring it a number of times and came up with a satisfactory solution. I can understand why many here don't like it .

[aceonbass]

The Bart pickup is the same shape as a standard RIC pickup, so it won't fit a 3000 guard either. The guard I have will fit the Bart. I would use the bridge pickup though since it's a humbucker, and therefore has the added option of being coil tapped.