Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

so how are the humbuckers on a 4003. what is the difference in tone? do they take away from the classic ric tone?

HB1s are a different animal. They have a thicker heavier sound that does not cut through the mix the same way single coil RIC pickups do. Players either love them or hate them it seems. Don't get me wrong, the HBs are strong and loud but they don't necessarily make the classic sound. Brian Crisman likes them a lot and has slimmed his collection down to just 4004 models. Other forumites have sold off their 4004s or changed the pickups over to toasters because they did not like the HB tone. I love my 4004C but I don't expect it to sound like a 4001/3.

The HBs are potted so they are far less microphonic than other RIC designs. Being humbuckers, they are also very quiet even under fluorescent lighting. The coils are potted in some kind of hard resin so they are probably not fixable should something go wrong. Coil failures on any pickup are quite rare so that is not a significant risk.

thanks Ted.
if i could find a 4004 in anymusic store near me i could hear for myself but they are more elusive than anything else rickenbacker it seems

Ask around. Maybe there is a forumite in your area who owns a 4004. Some forum members have websites that offer sound clips of the various RIC models.

BTW Brain uses his basses on metal gigs.

I have a sound clip of my trans red 4004Cii/5 on my website. It has a different sound than my mapleglo 4004Cii5 and my 4004Cii Jetglo. Mainly because of the different pickup positions.
The sound clip is not a great one due to my limited recording knowledge...and I play lousy when I'm being recorded, especially if I'm doing it myself! LOL
Hopefully soon, when life settles down for me, I will put more sound clips on my website, starting with the Jetglo 4004Cii
Jeff Rath has some cool sound clips of his 4004 basses on his website.

There you go! I was going to suggest both the Vasco and Rath sites but could not remember which ones had which samples.

Joey, can you post a link to your site?

thanks

Christopher, here you go: http://www.joeysbassnotes.com

It's also located in my profile.

My website might be down for a little bit for server maintenance.

I have some soundclips of my 4004's recorded direct into my computer.....no preamp or effects. If you want I can fire them off to your email. Let me know.

It depends on your idea of "Ric-like" as to whether they will suit your needs. With flats on my 4004's they give me the exact Ric tone that I have been searching for. As Ted has pointed out though you may find my tone dreadful......it seems that people either love or hate the 4004 p/u tone. I find they have the Ric character but the low end comes through stronger. Your effects, preamp, cabinet(s) and playing style can make it a good or bad thing.

the 4004 has a thinner body with less mass and it has 500k ohm pots ... this makes it a better match to the hb1 pickups than a 4003 ... but if you do put hb1 pickups in a 4003 then swap out the 250k ohm volume pots for 500k ohm pots ...

the 4001/4003 basses have 250k ohm volume pots and 500k ohm tone pots ... to make your 4001/4003 bass sound a little warmer and mellower try 250k ohm tone pots ...

I did not mean that Brian! I would hardly call your sound dreadful. I meant to say that you demand a ballsy (powerful) tone from your basses and the 4004 delivers for you.

I can't remember if anybody has tried higains in a 4004 yet?

I've not seen it Joey. That would be interesting though.

Yeah, I think so.

last couple of gigs I have gotten the "Rick" sound I've always wanted: the clang and the deep bottom. I had never achieved that with my 4001...but then again I never really tried.

It took a year to find the best EQ on my amp, but the 4004 is just the "one" now. If I were to give quick advice I'd say it was a sound that can take a scoop EQ very well...or maybe just a treble boost if the amp handles low well enough.