Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My 1993 4004 Laredo is a little bit of an experimental bass ... first I turned it into a 5 string bass then I experimented with toaster and high gain pickups ... I also rewired it Volume, Volume, tone ... and I also tried 250k pots, and 500k pots ...

well I tried 1000k pots with the hb1 pickups ... it is a like a 4001 on steroids ... it is now wide open ... for those of you who want to get more treble bite out of your 4004 basses try 1000k pots ...

1 Meg?

Hmm, interesting!

I wonder how it'll make a Cheyenne II sound.

yep ... 250k pots are usually used with single coil and 500k are usually used with humbuckers and 1000k will give you a wide open sound ... 250k pots are warmer sounding but have less treble response ... the 4004 bass comes with 500k pots but if you think your 4004 sounds a little dark try a 1000k pots ... or just try replacing your volume pot with a 1000k pot ...

Cheers Jeff, good tip!

Hmmm .... I'm thinking v63, and 4003 as well !!!!

And then there are the guys who bypass volume and tone pots altogether. Actually, I've tried that, but the resulting sound was a little too harsh and "peaky". Pots keep that "peakyness" under control. But... as always, tone is subjective, and your mileage may vary!

The 4001/4003 uses 250k pots for volume and 500k pots for tone ... this helps a ric get its treble bite ... you could try a 500k volume pot on a 4003/4001 or even a 300k pot this would give it more treble bite ... perhaps just try it on the bridge pickup ... warning ... this may make your bass sound harsh ... but it is a totally reversable mod ...

I wired a jazz bass and a p-bass with 500k pots instead of the usual 250k pots ... the result was more treble and more volume ... but the downside is the sound wasn't as warm ... even a little harsh ... but with the placement of the ric pickups it might work ... also if you ever want to put a humbucker on a 4001/4003 you really should put a 500k volume pot in there ...

And then there are the guys who bypass volume and tone pots altogether.

Did that at a gig with my old 4001 when I was rebuilding it. The new parts from the States were late arriving, and the old stuff was shot to ****.

I desperately wanted to use the 4001 'cause there was another bass player there, of the female variety, whom I wanted to woo and impress.

Wired the pickups directly to the jacks, stuck the knobs over the empty holes with blue-tack not to look stupid!

Re the sound: Was playing finger style this one-off evening; CLANK CLANK CLANK GRRR CLANK CLANK.

The pickups were absoloutely on fire, red hot.

I loved it. Only once, however... never again.

the lower the number on the pot the more treble it bleeds off to ground ...

"...wanted to woo and impress"

Well, did it work?

"...wanted to woo and impress"

Well, did it work?

Yuuuup.

Way to go, Henny!

High five!...(slap)

lol - ta!

Yeah, Baby!!!