Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It is about growl ... when both pickups are at 10 the bass is smoother ... when one pickup is isolated the bass growls ... when I can adjust the volume of the pickups independently then I can adjust the amount of growl ... this is even more noticeable if you use tubes or distortion with your amp ...

Oh, now I unnnerstan! I will have to play around with that and the SVT.

it is a subtle difference ... but by turning the neck volume down from 10 to 5 you go through some interesting tone changes ...

Ring out an open string with both pots open to 10, then back down the neck volume through to 5 like Jeff suggests, and you will hear the sweet spot for growl with the pot around the 7 spot.

Got it, can't wait to try!

I liked the dual concentric pots I had on my 4004Ci. I felt like I had the greatest tonal flexibility available.

I can agree with that Ron! That is also why I like dual concentrics.

But no one has responded about changing tones between songs, with little or no break in between. I just flip a switch, you guys gotta know where to set the pots? I suppose you could just crank down the bridge vol all the way for the slow stuff?

to change tone quickly I use the bass pod ... I have 4 presets ... but in reality I use one preset for most of my playing and I leave the volume and tone controls set the same most of the time ... so to change tone I change my playing style, I do thumb slapping, picking in a Chris Squire style, picking McCartney style, palm muting, thumb plucking, finger plucking, Entwistle typewriter style, Geddy Lee style finger playing, and combinations of all of the above with varying attack ...

My problem with the 4004 stock wiring is with just one volume and the toggle none of the settings of the toggle hits the sweet spot of the 4004 pickups ... I don't like the neck pickup soloed, it is too bassey, I don't like the middle position it doesn't growl enough, and I don't like the bridge pickup soloed because it lacks slightly in low end ...

Ah Ha! I LOVE that bassy mellow tone! I have even played right behind my left hand to get the most I can (and with flats no less!). This is for real slow ballady stuff. I don't have a drummer, I have a piano, a mostly fingerpicked rhythm guitar, and a lead guitar. None of those instruments sustain, or fill enough to hold everything together. I hit my note and the room fills with beautiful LOW ROUND MELLOW tones that "complete" the effect!

Boy am I dumb! I thought I had three knobs! I had a complete brain short on that one!The sad part is, this one has lasted weeks!


So.... Can I put the concentrics in AND keep the switch?

I recall Dane sayin something about routing out the switch hole

Yes, the switch stays in with the concentrics.

Then I'll do 'er!

I do the " 10 " and "7" just the opposite of Jeff......I like the neck pickup all the way up and roll back the bridge pickup just until I hear a tone change......the tone control is always on full on all my basses...Hmmmm...I should just get rid of the tone controls...they are passive and only cut anyway.

If I get a 4004L I will do a VV-switch setup, as I never use the tone controls at gigs. Sometimes for recording I may, but I can deal with at elsewhere in the recording chain.