Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

henry5 wrote:

Isaac wrote:Band practice yesterday. I was playing my 78 4001 BG. It has Bartolini pickups. I have thought before that they could be brighter, and comparing it to an active Ibanez one of the guitarists brought made that clear. I'm thinking it needs 500K volume pots.

FWIW I’ve had several custom basses with Barts and have found that I don’t generally like them as I find them typically too dark. The volume pots may work, but I’d definitely think about changing the pickups if it bothers you.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it bothers me. In fact, it's a great sounding bass, but it's not the brightest in the herd. That would be the Jazzy Bluefish! I think I've received more compliments on the tone of the 4001 BG than any other bass I own, but those came mostly from jazz cats who really like the mellow tone. But I figure I can brighten it up a bit with larger value pots, then roll off the tone controls if I want the mellow sound.

My 4001.... uh, I mainly don't like that it doesn't sound quite as mean as my 4003S. But it still sounds great. I guess full width inlays would look cooler? I dunno, I like the way it looks.

My 4003S... it's lighter than the 4001, so it doesn't balance quite as well (the 4001 is 11lbs. and has a small headstock). I didn't like the fact that being plain black, it visually blends into my mostly black shirts on stage. Fixing that by getting it refinished, actually.

The one thing I guess I don't like is that my Rickenbackers have tone knobs. I don't use tone knobs (except for the push/pull functionality) and would prefer if they weren't there and I just had a switch to engage the cap instead.

Korladis wrote:My 4001.... uh, I mainly don't like that it doesn't sound quite as mean as my 4003S. But it still sounds great. I guess full width inlays would look cooler? I dunno, I like the way it looks.

My 4003S... it's lighter than the 4001, so it doesn't balance quite as well (the 4001 is 11lbs. and has a small headstock). I didn't like the fact that being plain black, it visually blends into my mostly black shirts on stage. Fixing that by getting it refinished, actually.

The one thing I guess I don't like is that my Rickenbackers have tone knobs. I don't use tone knobs (except for the push/pull functionality) and would prefer if they weren't there and I just had a switch to engage the cap instead.

Maybe when you you get it refinished, you could get a new pickguard with no tone controls?

If you don't like a bunch of features about ANYTHING, why have it?

aceonbass wrote:I'd prefer a narrower nut width like Jazz bass

That's the exact reason why I've never owned a J-Bass. I know I'm in the minority of bassists who don't like the J-Bass neck. The width at the nut is too skinny for me and I hate the taper. A 5 string J-Bass neck would probably be okay for me. I also know a few petite female bassists who prefer a Rick or P-Bass neck over that of a J-Bass.

rickenbrother wrote:I'f you don't like a bunch of features about ANYTHING, why have it?

aceonbass wrote:I'd prefer a narrower nut width like Jazz bass

That's the exact reason why I've never owned a J-Bass. I know I'm in the minority of bassists who don't like the J-Bass neck. The width at the nut is too skinny for me and I hate the taper. A 5 string J-Bass neck would probably be okay for me. I also know a few petite female bassists who prefer a Rick or P-Bass neck over that of a J-Bass.

I hate the super narrow nut on a J-bass. I much prefer Rickenbackers' relative lack of taper.

Joey and Daniel I am with you with regards to the nut... love the sounds one can get with a Jazz but can't say I like that taper of the neck.

What I don't like about my 4002? I don't like that GHS has not resumed production of Progressives so I can re-string my bass as I have since the early 90's when Progressives were the "new" string to provide an alternative in between Boomers and other nickel plated rounds on one side, and stainless steel rounds on the other. I can't think of a string currently produced by any of the major manufacturers, and some of the minor ones, that sounds better on my 4002 than GHS Progressives.

rickenbrother wrote:That's the exact reason why I've never owned a J-Bass. I know I'm in the minority of bassists who don't like the J-Bass neck. The width at the nut is too skinny for me and I hate the taper. A 5 string J-Bass neck would probably be okay for me. I also know a few petite female bassists who prefer a Rick or P-Bass neck over that of a J-Bass.

You may be in the minority, but you are not alone!

I find the JB neck quite ok...it is the P neck which in my opinion is exaggerately/unnecessarily enormous....And I am not at all 'small'

There are only two things I am willing to quibble about on a 4001/4003-style Rickenbacker bass:

1. The tailpiece "teeth". Palm muting is not impossible with them, but it would be a lot easier without them- or even if they were just lower profile.

2. The pickups aren't wound RWRP. Moderately easy DIY fix, but still.

The recent examples I have played have been so nice, and I can't get what they offer anywhere else, so I just live with points 1 and 2.


I think a Jazz Bass neck is pretty great, but I also hear their tone as being really thin, even side-by-side against a 4002 or 4003AC (same p'up spacing). So I have wondered if the skinny neck isn't to blame for what I hear as thin tone. It did get better when they started using stiffening rods in the 00's.

rickenbrother wrote:If you don't like a bunch of features about ANYTHING, why have it?

aceonbass wrote:I'd prefer a narrower nut width like Jazz bass

That's the exact reason why I've never owned a J-Bass. I know I'm in the minority of bassists who don't like the J-Bass neck. The width at the nut is too skinny for me and I hate the taper. A 5 string J-Bass neck would probably be okay for me. I also know a few petite female bassists who prefer a Rick or P-Bass neck over that of a J-Bass.

I don't like them, also.

I played a '65 JB exclusively for close to 20 years and hated the neck. My left had cramped-up every gig. The necks on most Ricks and my P-bass, I absolutely love.

cassius987 wrote:There are only two things I am willing to quibble about on a 4001/4003-style Rickenbacker bass:

1. The tailpiece "teeth". Palm muting is not impossible with them, but it would be a lot easier without them- or even if they were just lower profile.

2. The pickups aren't wound RWRP. Moderately easy DIY fix, but still.

The recent examples I have played have been so nice, and I can't get what they offer anywhere else, so I just live with points 1 and 2.


I think a Jazz Bass neck is pretty great, but I also hear their tone as being really thin, even side-by-side against a 4002 or 4003AC (same p'up spacing). So I have wondered if the skinny neck isn't to blame for what I hear as thin tone. It did get better when they started using stiffening rods in the 00's.

This. Definitely this.

Isaac wrote:Band practice yesterday. I was playing my 78 4001 BG. It has Bartolini pickups. I have thought before that they could be brighter, and comparing it to an active Ibanez one of the guitarists brought made that clear. I'm thinking it needs 500K volume pots.

I would also add to that a change in tone caps from .047uF to .022uF.

rickenbrother wrote:If you don't like a bunch of features about ANYTHING, why have it?

aceonbass wrote:I'd prefer a narrower nut width like Jazz bass

That's the exact reason why I've never owned a J-Bass. I know I'm in the minority of bassists who don't like the J-Bass neck. The width at the nut is too skinny for me and I hate the taper. A 5 string J-Bass neck would probably be okay for me. I also know a few petite female bassists who prefer a Rick or P-Bass neck over that of a J-Bass.

Funny thing Joey is that I was thinking of you when I typed that cuz I remember you saying you HATED J-bass nut widths. While the taper isn't optimal on a J-bass, the nut and taper are perfect on my Epiphone Thunderbird Pro. It may even be skinnier at the nut, and the widest point as it tapers is no wider than a Rick neck. Best of both worlds and a dream to play. Balance...not so much..

Korladis wrote:My 4001.... uh, I mainly don't like that it doesn't sound quite as mean as my 4003S. But it still sounds great. I guess full width inlays would look cooler? I dunno, I like the way it looks.

My 4003S... it's lighter than the 4001, so it doesn't balance quite as well (the 4001 is 11lbs. and has a small headstock). I didn't like the fact that being plain black, it visually blends into my mostly black shirts on stage. Fixing that by getting it refinished, actually.

The one thing I guess I don't like is that my Rickenbackers have tone knobs. I don't use tone knobs (except for the push/pull functionality) and would prefer if they weren't there and I just had a switch to engage the cap instead.

Have you ever tried rolling the neck tone and volume down to about 8 or 9? It's one of those things that once I discovered, I can't go back to all-dimed.