Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Oddly enough, I've never seen a 4000 bass 'in the flesh' - they're not that common in my country (Portugal, Europe). I've always wondered about the pickup in this particular model. Was it a single or a twin-coil (in either a side-by-side or a stacked configuration) design? If it was a twin-coil, I assume one coil would be assigned to bass and the other to treble. If it was a single coil, I assume its sound would be either trebly and lacking in bass (which is why the 4001 model eventually came along, right?) or bassy and lacking the unique Rickenbacker tone. Anyone?

A 4000 bass is simply a 1 pu 4001, sans the inlays
if it's not an "S" model 4001.The PU used in it would be the same as whatever bridge PU the factory put in the 4001 bass at a given time.

ALL model 4000, 4001, and 4003 basses had single-coil pickups installed by the factory.

GP

Thanks Don and Garry for your posts, but I still have problems. Since the pickup on the 4000 model was similar in design (and looks) to whatever bridge pickup the factory would fit the 4001 model with at any given time, how was it wired? With or without the C3 capacitor? And what value would this be, the usual .0047? Thanks for reading.

Sergio,
When I get a chance, I'll take a look inside the control cavity my 1977 4000 FL BG and post what I find out. I may also look at my 1975 4001S which was a factory-modified 4000 (they didn't even change the nameplate which proclaims "Model 4000") for comparison with regard to capacitors etc.

Hi, Gary. Thanks for your reply. I'm really curious as to how 4000's are wired. I'll be waiting for your new post.

Sergio,
I've been too busy to post a real update - even now! I can tell you that the wiring on my 1977 4000 FL BG does not match any of the wiring diagrams at the Rickenbacker factory site. One big difference is the lack of a selector switch; even the single-pickup Model 1000 circuit has one (as found on my 1966 Ryder 1000 FG).
I do have a picture of the pots and wiring to post, and I'll try to use Paint to generate some sort of circuit diagram. I hope to get this done by next week at the latest.

Gary, many thanks for your new post. I'm looking forward to 'solving the mistery'. Thanks again.

The 4000 bass was this ;

The pickup was the same pickup that was in the 4001 bass in the bridge position .

It had a volume control , and a tone control that used a .047mfd cap .
It had one jack , a Switchcraft 1/4" model #11

There was NO .0047mfd cap in it EVER!!!!!!!!

EDITORIAL:

That was it ... a Rick "P.Bass" that was just a single coil ...I don't feel it had a big enough cosmetic difference to sell and the tone was the same as a 4001 ... it should have had something different about it sound and looks wise .
But that is my opinion .

Mark:
I do seem to remember that the cover of british group Marillion's first album listed, amongst other equipment, a Rickenbacker 4000 bass, and that upon listening to the record you could hear the distinctive Rickenbacker sound. Now, are you sure the 4000 model never came with the .0047 cap? Could it be that their bass player had performed some sort of modification to his 4000 in order to make it sound like a 4001?

NO cap at least when I worked there , nor in any that I have ever worked on .

Okay guys, I finally got the circuit diagram for my 1977 4000 FL BG done:



I can post a picture of the underside of the pickguard if anyone is interested. There is only one capacitor, the 0.047 uF on the tone control.

Thanks for the diagram, Gary. Yes, I'd like a shot of the actual circuit, just out of curiosity.

Sergio,

Here's the picture of the backside of the pickguard.

Gary: many thanks for the picture. Well, I can't help thinking that unlike 4001s and 4003s the 4000 bass probably sounds a bit uncharacteristic. A split coil pickup would have been a wiser choice. One coil would be assigned to bass and the other to treble, producing the unmistakable Rickenbacker tone.