Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have an April '76 4001 in Jetglo and was thinking about changing some of the parts. The bridge to a badass and the tuning pegs as one of them is missing a screw. It has a bad replacement- just a black screw that fit. Should I even bother? Or should I just buy a new 4003? I could get $3000 for it here in New Zealand.

Yes, I know I ask alot of questions.

do you like the bass? If not-sell it, get a new one.

Badass=Bad idea

??? no worries

I think the thing around the treble pickup is annoying. Splits my fingers if I hit it. I only have one amp Atm and I try to play in Rick-O-Sound to get the sound somewhat. So I play over the treble pickup. What about the black parts? Should I post a pic?

I've done the Badass thing my self several times (years ago). Yes, the Rick hardware can suck a little (ok, a lot) when it comes time to adjust the saddles. Sometimes it is not possible to get the E string to intonate and sometimes the tailpiece bends upward away from the body and cracks the fininsh in the process. There are screw alteratives that make it easier to adjust the saddles. Paul Yan put us on to some allen screws the do the job nicely. There are ways of moding the saddles to get a little more rearward travel. Bent tailpieces can be replaced (they don't all bend). Here is one that I regret ever doing.....



If you decide to do the BA conversion, by all means use a BAII. If you do it right, it will be a reversible mod.

Ask all the questions you like.

Hey Ted,
What are you going to do with that BA II bridge when you restore the 4002? I think I might want it to put on the 4001V63 I got from Chris!

I have an old set Pbass pickups you can also have for that project.

I got a nice EBO PU also for it, would fit nice between the P bass and horseshoe PU's unless you take the horseshoe out.

I wanted a BA2 I'll post pics of the bass.

The 4003 is way better than the 4001 right?

The 4003 has certain improvements that make it more suited to modern play. Whether one is better that the other is really just a matter of opinion. Remember that there have been different versions of the 4003. The first ones are not the same as the current ones or the ones in between. Technically, the post September '84 4003 is superior to the 4001 with it's modern truss system, hotter pickups, and the absence of the bass cut capacitor. The 4001 is a fine bass but it requires some understanding and sometimes a few minor mods to get it the way you want it. The pickups tend to be weak. If you put a set of new Rick pickups in an older 4001 it will have balls-o-plenty. The 4003, especially the later ones, usually play right out of the box without any fuss.

Ok. Well, I wanted the black nameplate and guard and Rick said they don't make the nameplate anymore. They sent me a link for www.pickguardian.com. And I'm gonna get a few of their things, especially the pickup plate. Just gonna mod the 'ell outta this thing. Anyone know where I could get a black nameplate? Or a new, non yellow, white one?

Another question... if I put ric humbuckers in it will I still get the rick-o-sound?

Yes, your Ric-O-Sound eill still work.

Yes as long as the wiring is intact, but it will sound very different, I would go with new 4003 high gains or Sérgasized PU's if I were going to put new pickups in an old Ric.

Ok, new high gain rick pickups, got it. Here are the pics I've been promising... they're not very good but all I have.