Noisey Bass Pickup

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 2:31 am

From the Rickenbacker Forum mailbox

"Hey I just have a few questions about RIC Basses bridge pickups.

I have played only about 4 or 5 RIC basses and I have realized that the bridge pickups will crunch and distort in a way that sounds broken if the strings are pushed really hard or slapped while playing hard and and fast.

Is this normal for the pickup to do, are all RIC's sound like this in the bridge position or is it because the basses I have played (that are all from late 70's early 80's) have aged magnets? Please let me know I am stumped and I am currently looking at buying a 1981 4001 Maple Glo Bass and I noticed it sounds like all the rest with the crunching.

Thanx any advice could help." - Johnny

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 5:01 am

As I seize it, the fact that the bridge pickup on any late 70's/early 80's 4001/4003 bass is wired to produce only mids and trebles, or a 'spiky' sound if you like, probably accounts for some degree of distortion on your amp when you play as hard as you say. I wouldn't let this deter me from buying that 1981 4001, though. As I said in another thread, any Rickenbacker bass is pure magic, so don't let that one 4001 pass you by. Just my opinion.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 6:19 am

I use a line 6 pod with compression to control this ...

Also you could be causing the strings to hit the iron slugs, or the amp could be clipping, or maybe you are just expecting a Rickenbacker to sound like a fender or Ibanez ...

I usually run the bridge pickup on 10 and the neck pickup on 8 or 9 ... the bridge pickup soloed is too harsh sounding for my ears ... adding the neck pickup will add smoothness ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 12:08 pm

Johnny,
All you have to do is lower the bridge pickup, it is very easy to hit a pickup button if you play them too hard especially with light gauge strings.
Almost all the 4001's I have seen have had the paint (or whatever it is) removed from the top of the buttons from the strings rubbing accross them. They will also distort even if you don't hit the buttons if they are set too close to the strings. There also is a point at which the magnets themselves will interfere with the strings free movement if they are too close to the strings. When I set up a Ric, I always play as hard as I think I will ever play live for a few minutes to make sure that neither of those two conditions happen. The scale on a Ric is also not 34 in. it is 33 and 1/4 so the strings are a little looser with all conditions being equal compared to a 34 in. scale bass.

dano · Post by **dano** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 12:12 pm

I believe all the RIC's that Johnny has played had the .0047 cap installed. He could always remove or bypass it. Would this '81 have the cap? I'm not sure which year RIC stopped installing them.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 12:35 pm

'It is very easy to hit a pickup button...'

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 12:54 pm

Hey, where'd you get a picture of my 79? haha! Mine all look like that.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 1:10 pm

Hi, Bob. Well, that one 1979 4001 is currently on Ebay.