Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's a small thing, but BIG in my eyes. When I am playing up tempo stuff, I have the switch in the down position and play behind the bridge, for mellow stuff in the upper position and play up the neck. I put the tone halfway and the vol max. I also have her middle position for a third tone. The mids are boosted on the amp, with everything else flat. It's a quick flip to get both sounds I need. It would seem a more difficult operation with a VVT setup, no?

I'm tiired. I am thinking I misunderstand that mod? Me go take nap now.

for me I get the best tones out of any 2 pickup bass when one pickup is at 10 and the other is at 7 ... this goes for pretty much every 2 pickup bass that I have ever played ... so one toggle, one volume, and one tone will never give me the tone I desire most ...

However I do like a guitar wired toggle, volume, tone ...

most 2 pickup basses will give you a way to blend the pickups ...

Yes, but you use effects to vary your tone, The switch is all I got!

I agree with Charley that I've never felt compelled that the 4004 needs the extra flexibility. Seems like a valid idea, I prefer the idea of dual concentrics however, but I'm happy enough the way it is.

I did finally play my J bass through my new LDS 4x8 cab and I did like the tones, so I might be thinking again about the concentrics harness for the 4004...hmmmm...

But it's not like I dislike anything about the sounds I'm getting out of the Laredo. It's all a very circular argument that can quickly lead to neurosis...

"for me I get the best tones out of any 2 pickup bass when one pickup is at 10 and the other is at 7 ... this goes for pretty much every 2 pickup bass that I have ever played "

I second that.

I third that.

I don't like VVT. Something that drew me to a Rick bass originally was that it had a selector switch - something that many (most?) basses don't. Love having it.

I like the concentric setup and will probably go with it for my Laredo when I get it back in playing shape. In the end, though, the 4001/4003 nails it for me.

"Something that drew me to a Rick bass originally was that it had a selector switch"

Perhaps 'cause you're a guitar player at heart. I think that's my attraction.

I've always considered myself a bass player first, but heck, maybe I am. All's I know is that i'd much rather use a pickup switch to get drastic tonal changes then fuss with knobs, ala a Fender Jazz (Not a knock against the Jazz, I like 'em). Especially live.

I like the toggle ... but I have to have a way to blend pickups ...

I concede to concentric control completely !

I have my bridge vol on full with the front pu on 7. They stay that way always. Sometimes I will select just the front or rear as needed, but I don't touch the vol's.
On my Jazz, I do the same, but then I leave it there for everything. I just change my finger location and attack as needed.

Having one resistor at about 70% and the other at 100% strikes some mental note from college physics. Something about the inverse of the number "e" (about 2.72) playing a role...rf circuits are "best" at (1 - 1/e), about 63.3%.

"7" is a good approximation - you are in the potentiometers "sweet spot". The other one is cranking.

Some folks love with their pu's direct to the output jack...some need the ultimate flexibility of the 4001/3 design. Some need a P bass, some like it VVT.

It doesn't make much sense that EVERY bass vol with two pickups works the same. I would think you should adjust them so the output does not vary when switching between pickups. To set one at 7, no matter what, seems.......I won't say it.