Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Steve, the there is almost a 1/2" of distance between the top of the pickups and the body of the bass, so your thumb would be under the travel of the string vibration. I just tried it again with thumb at the top of the pickup and the string only lightly hit my thumb if I plucked it unreasonbly hard, and I do usually play kind of hard and never had that problem. Another reason the string doesn't hit your thumb when it is anchored on the bridge pickup is that the pickup is closer to the bridge than the 2000 series basses, only 1 7/8" and the string excursion isn't all that wide in that position. The pickup being in that position gives this bass an added growl that other Rick basses do not have.
I never thought about the RIC logo looking cheesy, I'm thinking RIC doesn't want the pickup being mistaken for a Bartolini, which they do resemble Bartolini Rick 4001 / 4003 replacement pickups a bit IMHO.

Ric is a guitar making company ... they make basses as well ... that's what makes the basses unique ... but that is also what makes the basses have problems ... The pickup locations on a ric bass are guitar pickup locations except the bridge has been moved back ... also most of the pickups used in Ric basses are also guitar pickups ... this is a problem when you go to five string basses ... you either have a string spacing that is too narrow or a pickup that is too narrow ... but it also those pickups are part of the Ric sound ...

So I usually make my 5 string Rics to have a bridge spacing of 2 1/4" or 2 3/8" that works with any Ric pickup ...

I think the positions of the pickups on the 4004/5Cii were picked well. You get a great thick low end from the neck pickup and sort of a J*zz bass like growl from the bridge pickup being set so far back. That plus the famous growl Rick basses are known for anyway, and it has to be the LOUDEST bass I've ever heard.

I like the pickup placement ... but did you notice Ric is pretty much the only bass using those pickup locations?

My 2020 is just as loud as your 4004CII5 ...

By the way have you seen my earplugs?

Jeff, I figured your 2020 would be as loud as the 4004/5Cii since they have the same pickups.
So, instead of this:


Would you rather see this?...

aarrgghhh!!! don't joke like that ... you will give me nightmares ... of course it could be worse ... you could put a emg on it and active electronics ...

...LOL !!