"The cap"
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: "The cap"
A drawing is also on the RRF FTP site:
http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/RIC-Bass-Cap-Mod.jpg
I, too, found my drawing being used by a commercial endeavor without my consent or acknowledgment.
There are quite a few technical drawings there: http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/
http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/RIC-Bass-Cap-Mod.jpg
I, too, found my drawing being used by a commercial endeavor without my consent or acknowledgment.
There are quite a few technical drawings there: http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/
Re: "The cap"
I am learning new things about The Cap. Take this highly technical observation from an ebay ad describing the servicing of a bass for sale:
"Remove BR PU cap (Basscut) — this was a flaw of the original 4001 Rickenbacker designers. Overtime it caused the rick to become slightly muted/hesistant, not producing it's full output. Removing this transistor from within the Rick is the equivalent to taking your hand off the end of a bullhorn."
No bullhorns were harmed in this study.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-VINTAGE-1979-R ... 230e2f96fe
"Remove BR PU cap (Basscut) — this was a flaw of the original 4001 Rickenbacker designers. Overtime it caused the rick to become slightly muted/hesistant, not producing it's full output. Removing this transistor from within the Rick is the equivalent to taking your hand off the end of a bullhorn."
No bullhorns were harmed in this study.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-VINTAGE-1979-R ... 230e2f96fe
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rickaddict
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6163
- Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 7:46 am
Re: "The cap"
I like this comment:

Now that I know that it has the original headstock, I'm gonna bid for the moon!"...the guys at Twelfth Fret were amazed by this bass because they said rarely does a 70's Rick come fully intact these days. Meaning, this Rick has the original headstock, which is hard to find."
Re: "The cap"
Well, you just never know what will happen in whatever part of the universe that guy lives in. I mean really, caps can transmute into transistors (no wonder the bass became hesitant), who knows what happens to headstocks...

I have NO idea what to do with those skinny stringed things... I'm just a bass player...
- coolhandjjl
- Intermediate Member
- Posts: 621
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:42 pm
Re: "The cap"
I suppose when bass amps and cabs were in their infancy, the cap may had made sense. But when amp makers like Sunn, Ampeg, and Acoustic hit the scene, they could take everything that was fed to them and the cap'd Ric now sounded pale when compared to the other bass.
'09 4003 | '93 4003s
John Luke aka Coolhand
John Luke aka Coolhand
Re: "The cap"
I would expect to hear comments like that in any "guitar" store I go into locally.
Re: "The cap"
Not just in Erie either, Kev. Science hasn't been pushed in schools for decades. Only self-esteem.teeder wrote:I would expect to hear comments like that in any "guitar" store I go into locally.
Re: "The cap"
I think I understand that drawing.johnallg wrote:A drawing is also on the RRF FTP site:
http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/RIC-Bass-Cap-Mod.jpg
I, too, found my drawing being used by a commercial endeavor without my consent or acknowledgment.
There are quite a few technical drawings there: http://rrf.mcx.net/tech/
If I want the cap to be activated when the push pull pot is pushed. Do I just have to switch the red wires on the Treble Tone Switch? So the Middle Right is going to Up Right and the Up Right is going to the Middle Right. Is that correct?
- cassius987
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4723
- Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:11 pm
Re: "The cap"
Close but not quite. You would take the lead you are calling "Up Right" and move it to "Down Right" without doing any changes to "Middle Right". This makes sense when you think about the geometry of the switch, it's actually very intuitive. Pulled up, the upper (closer to the pot casing) poles are connected, and pushed down, the lower (further from the pot casing) poles are connected. The middle ones are always on. (And whether you use the "Right" or "Left" poles doesn't matter but you do want to keep the wiring all on the same side, whichever you choose.) So the switch simply controls whether or not the short circuit around the cap is completed. I love elegance by way of simplicity.anoukane wrote:If I want the cap to be activated when the push pull pot is pushed. Do I just have to switch the red wires on the Treble Tone Switch? So the Middle Right is going to Up Right and the Up Right is going to the Middle Right. Is that correct?
Re: "The cap"
Indeed. What RIC has done is merely the extension of those who did the hardware "easy" way from day one -- simply jumper the cap. All RIC did was put switch in the middle of the jumper. Where you want that jumper on or off is merely whether you put the wires on the top half or bottom half of the switch.
Re: "The cap"
I now experience a lot of versatility with my 4001 push-pull modified by Paul W.
The cap in (actually it is .002uF, but I just rely on Paul
) I have the bridge-PU full on and blend the neck-PU in as much as I need deep bass tone. This way it has more bite and growl, than without the cap. 
Re: "The cap"
I thought I had the cap in my v63. I was going to put a push-pull pot in my v63 to bypass the cap now and then to find out there is no cap in my v63
Unless I'm mistaken..
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63b.jpg
I also found out that the cylinder magnet, the 3rd of the left, was loose and sticking to some other magnet. Also the top left little nut was sticking to an cylinder magnet. Anyway, I just put them back where they belong.
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63c.jpg
Unless I'm mistaken..
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63b.jpg
I also found out that the cylinder magnet, the 3rd of the left, was loose and sticking to some other magnet. Also the top left little nut was sticking to an cylinder magnet. Anyway, I just put them back where they belong.
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63c.jpg
- cassius987
- Senior Member
- Posts: 4723
- Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:11 pm
Re: "The cap"
Yes, that's exactly how it should work. 0.002 uF will isolate and confine the treble pickup's signal even more, letting the neck pickup take over even more of the midrange.heinpete wrote:The cap in (actually it is .002uF, but I just rely on Paul) I have the bridge-PU full on and blend the neck-PU in as much as I need deep bass tone. This way it has more bite and growl, than without the cap.
Re: "The cap"
Philip, it seems you do not have a .0047uF cap. Also, the eyelet on the toaster needs to be on the nearest corner screw/nut, not captured between the coil and aluminum base plate.anoukane wrote:I thought I had the cap in my v63. I was going to put a push-pull pot in my v63 to bypass the cap now and then to find out there is no cap in my v63![]()
![]()
Unless I'm mistaken..
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63b.jpg
I also found out that the cylinder magnet, the 3rd of the left, was loose and sticking to some other magnet. Also the top left little nut was sticking to an cylinder magnet. Anyway, I just put them back where they belong.
Big picture:
http://philiphannaart.nl/v63c.jpg
