Played my 4001 the other night...

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:40 pm

Moods change, Ed. I feel the same about my Cheyenne when comparing it to my 1976 4001...only opposite! That binding can be uncomfortable, though which is why I'm an S fan.

I'd give the TI's a try, fix the jack(it's quite easy), yank out the .0047 cap and...voilla!...you're in love again!

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 5:16 pm

OB 1087 is her #...

I like the cap, since I can get basically the same sound with just the neck PU. But it's another case that's really leading me to think it's the strings. With flats the capped bridge PU doesn't sound so weak...it certainly does with these RW's...

The jack issue I've seen pics...but I'm wondering if the guts of the plug just need to be bent a lot, or if it needs to be replaced? And can I replace the jack without messing up the jack plate?

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 6:28 pm

I am in love with my 72' 4001... play it all the time (and not just at home). It is a tad neck heavy but the amazing action/feel on the neck make it worth it. But then I also love my 96' 4003. In the end they both get about equal use.

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 7:01 pm

When I get bored I can pick from these basses

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=14630

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:12 pm

Dave, you must own a big boat with all those paddles! HO HO, HE HE!

Sorry, could not stop myself.

Truthfully, I like maple neck Fenders, of which you have a nice selection. I especially like the butterscotch P Bass. Is she a reissue? Do you have a favorite Fender?

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 3:19 am

My beloved 72 4001 is my main recording Rick, my 4000 is my main live bass, and believe it or not my CS is my live back up....but depending on what I'm doing/aiming for all those roles can be swapped. I fall in and out of love with basses all the time. Even my 72 had a few years off at one point. I wouldn't worry about it too much....

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:39 am

Yeah, I have one of those Roman Triremes in the back yard, though I need an Over-the-Road truck to get it to the Lake

You can never have too many paddles as they say.

The butterscotch is a early 90's 1951 Precision Japanese Fender reissue, it is stock except for the 4 saddle bridge I put on it, it has TI flats. Big chunky neck, and it records VERY well (all Fender SIngle coils record pretty well IME)
The '74 is not too close to stock, it has the Badass II bridge and a SD 1/4 lb pickup. TI flats. The neck profile is wide and relatively flat for a '70's bass. It is a good bass but not one to romanticize about. about an 8 on 1-10.

My favorite is the Blue FLower at the top, I got it from Guitar trader for $399 shipped, less case. I put a Badass II bridge, a SD 1/4 lb single coil pickup and I have Rotosound 66's on it. It is the closest sounding bass I have to a Rickenbacker, it clanks. I think the single coil is key as is the Roto's. I think I might put either 500K or 1000K pot is in in the future as the stockers are cheap and scratchy.
I prefer Maple Neck/fretboard Fenders too.

Shaun, my '75 sat in the case from roughly 1997 till 2002 when I found out, here at this forum, about the .0047uf cap and removal of said to open up the bass response. I actually thought the bridge pup was dead and considered getting a horseshoe to replace it (when they were available as a spare, WHY DIDN'T I DO THAT?

)Since then I use it much more. If it weren't for the forum I would not have known about the cap...and the bass would still be sitting unused.

-Dave

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:43 am

Dave, I think Ric should've issued a public notice about the cap, LOL! Although to be honest it makes hardly any difference to my 72, and I've heard some basses hat sound better with it. My old 76 though, phew! It was like night and day!

As for getting a spare horseshoe, the shoe on my first CS was broken in transit, and I had to send the original off in order to get a replacement. Dummy here then thought that you couldn't get a replacement shoe without sending one off....I didn't realise you could BUY them! A fellow Forum member pointed this out to me when I bought my 2nd CS off him......how stupid did I feel?

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:33 am

Don't get me started on the cap! It has cost me my '73 Jetglo (which I sold for dirt cheap), two bridge pickups, and 10 years without a Rickenbacker, using Fenders exclusively, being sure that Ric basses have no bottom end.

And then I learned about the cap.

When I meet people with 70's Rics, I almost force them to let me shunt the cap. Gimme your bass! now take a walk and come back in five minutes.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:08 am

LOL!!!!

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:13 pm

"Don't get me started on the cap! It has cost me my '73 Jetglo (which I sold for dirt cheap), two bridge pickups, and 10 years without a Rickenbacker, using Fenders exclusively, being sure that Ric basses have no bottom end.

And then I learned about the cap.

When I meet people with 70's Rics, I almost force them to let me shunt the cap. Gimme your bass! now take a walk and come back in five minutes."

...what he said.

That's why I wasn't so excited about the new "vintage tone selector" thingy. Nothing sounds better than a '70s Rick minus the dreaded cap!!!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:16 pm

ya ... why put a bass cutting capacitor on a bass?

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:31 pm

Losing that damn cap made my year!

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:09 pm

I'm part of the "capped" club. When I got my 4001 in 1971, I thought the bridge pickup was in backwards or that something else was wrong because it went "rink tink" on the bridge PUP setting. So I wrote to Rickenbacker and they sent me new one, no questions asked. Put it in and it sound somewhat better, so I let it go at that. I never knew about the capacitor until I read about it here. No longer have the 4001, though.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:40 am