Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

"Chris Squire with Yes does a lot of just his neck toaster pickup only on his old '65 4001s"

I think he solos the neck pickup only in some mellow songs/mellow parts of songs like "Your Move", "Wonderous Stories" or on "Perpetual Change" after the vocals start (0:53. Yes, I know, I have too much time...).
Dunno about the recent stuff, 'though.

On Chris Squire's bass, is the toaster lower in output than the bridge pickup, like on new ones?
And, does his toaster sound anything like new toasters?

His horseshoe is from 1964. The shoes had to be remagnetized and were too strong, so he didn't play it for a while. When the calmed down, he again took up his rick. The HS from this time were aroung 6k windings from what I've gleaned. Of course the strength of the magnets (and type!) make a difference in sound also.

As to is the toaster lower or higher, usually higher output because of the cap in the bridge circuit. His is still in. There is an interesting thread on this bass on the RIC official forum where JH contributes about the last time it was at the factory.

1) I think Squire's bass lost the bridge PU for a while. Seems he did a lot of Rick work with just the bridge...I can never be like him, so I don't deal with worrying about his tone. I just enjoy it.

2) I'm not playing my 4001 much lately. It's a 75, with the capped bridge PU. I usually would use both PU's but vary the blend. My neck PU is far stronger...usually I'd have it at about 8 to have the outputs about equal. I also vary the tones, usually keeping both at about half way as a base-line.

3) My number 1 is my 4004L now. I will usually use both PU's, and vary the tone. Again, I usually keep it at about half way. I hurt my right index finger recently (puncture wound) so tonight I was using a pick, and actually liked the tone out of my amp for the first time in a while. Bought a few new felt mandolin picks...might practice a bit more with a pick and do the Jeff Rath thing and vary between pick and fingers...

4) I also have a fretless J bass with flats. Recently put in humbuckers on that puppy, but usually I just run that with both PU's full (creates kind of a scooped profile), again with the tone at about 1/2 way. Not sure what will happen with a pick on that one...actually don't use it in the band much. Last rehearsal I used it made me think I have to tweak the PU heights at bit...seemed that my E string was a bit too boomy. With one PU backed off this bass you get a more middy sound, with the neck having a little more bass presence.

I run every bass I have full on open and modulate tone by adjusting my finger plucking style and location.

Both my Jazz and my 4003 are very reactive to playing style shifts.

I don't use a pick.

Pick is going to be tough to switch to...and it's going to be a while until I can pick with my index finger again. The only other alternatives are 1) not practicing until the finger feels good enough 2) play with my middle and ring fingers 3) play with a pick.

I'd rather try and get better at 2 and 3...and I'm liking the way the 4004 sounds picked. Not so much the fretless.

But the finger tip is going to be sore for a while. It's healing up nice, but I think if I played with it I'd rip it open again (at least for a few days more), and I probably would be very sore after a few minutes. Heck, it hurts to even type! Might be 2 weeks before I could play consistently with it I figure.

When I was with the 10 piece blues band, I would usually roll the neck pup off just a bit, and adjust the tone as needed. I felt it gave me just a little bit more edge and growl.

But now, playing around the house, I tend to go with both pup's wide open through a Sansamp, and get a pretty decent "Squire" "Lee" tone.

for each bass-
'75 4001 (high gains and 1 inch spacing)- has the cap removed, and I run the bridge at 10 vol, wide open tone; the neck pickup I run at just the point to where the pickup cuts in (1 thru 7-8 does not have much affect but you can start to hear the pickup when the volume hits 8.5 or so) just enough to color the bridge. I think the neck by itself sounds real honky, which is good for a few types of music. Anyway I feel as others do that the 4001 tone really lies in the bridge pickup and therefore favor it over the neck.

for my '97 4003- pretty much the same thing though the pickups are hotter and it seems to have a lot more bottom end so I think I favor the bridge pickup more than the neck on it.
YMMV

For My '64 4001(Capasitor wasn't removed)
Tone of both pick-ups is at 10.
Volume of treble(Horse-Shoe) is at 10.
Bass pick-ups at 6to7, sometime 0 to make trebly sound...
If you want FAT sound, switching to front only.