Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My unrealistic goal is to own a '70 or '71 someday, so I've been getting older and older basses. I recently traded my '77 4001 for a '74 and I'm quite happy with it. It needs a new nut and a mute block, but it's playable, with a great skinny neck (and real flat in the back too). Here's a look at it:



Red dots! Anyway, just two things. My controls are backwards:


And the caps are red:


So, did Ric occcasionally send a bass with the volumes nearer to the strings? The pots are dated 1974, and the wires look original; it doesn't seem like they were moved around but I guess you never know.
I was also expecting the yellow cylinder caps, not these red ones - are these replacements? Oh and the little cap is missing, and after playing the bass at practice, I'm definitely not a fan of cutting the cap.
I want that crunch!

Sorry if these pics are too big. And thanks for reading!

Very nice '74 MG Jeff! IMHO, the wiring is original and not ever soldered. It does look like the .0047uF cap was replaced with a black wire though. The .047uF caps look like Sprague Orange Drops.

Beautiful 74 Jeff,

CONGRATULATIONS!

I've been working backwards myself, but stopped at my 73. The 74 just plays SO much better, but the 73 SOUNDS a bit more CRISP. I just really like the feel of the 74.

ENJOY!

That's a very clean looking 74, that headstock looks immaculate. I'm a big fan of the stripe and the wavy Grovers.

Thanks all, love to show the new acquisition off. The Grovers are in very nice shape and those red dots just make it cooler. As you said John, that black-and-white striped wire is replacing the .0047 cap. I gotta remedy that!

Nice !!!

Nice bass...but ditch the cap. Run away and don't ever look back! Bass doesn't need to be "cut!"

Nice '74, Jeff1 I wish my controls were reversed!

rickaddict wrote:Nice bass...but ditch the cap. Run away and don't ever look back! Bass doesn't need to be "cut!"

You know, before I got my RIHS and put the RIC/Maxima flats on, I would have rolled my eyes at that statement. But since putting the flats on, I have my 2004 4003 with the cap switched out of circuit most of the time, for more thump. When I had RW strings on it, I liked it better with the cap in circuit, more of the classic sound. So I smiled, Jeff.

Very nice 4001!! Congrats and enjoy it.

Jeff, I tried it without the cap this past Friday - didn't like it! There was growl in there but it was too bassy. Now Geddy's sound on Cygnus X1 - that's what I go for.

I want thump, I'll get a P-bass!

One right-fine 4001! The knobs on my 77 are configured differently as well.

Great looking '74. My first RIC was a '74 4001, stunning bass, wish I'd never sold it...

Great looking bass, congrats! The red dots are very cool.

The Best 70s bass that I played was a 76 azureglo ... I was repairing it ... it had a dead neck pickup and really screwed up wiring ... I rewired it with all 250k ohm pots and no capacitor and put in a neck toaster pickup ... after that the bass really sang ...

the next best 70s Ric was my old 73 4001 ... the bass started out Jetglo, then it was painted red, then it was painted white, then it was refinished mapleglo. When I got it it was rewired vvt and a toggle. Somehow the wiring job sucked all of the good tone out of this bass. So I dropped in a 4003 wiring setup and left in the original 70s high gains and then that bass sounded and played great. My 74 was pretty good but it didn't measure up to those 2 basses, and my 78 jetglo was a good 4001 as well.

I must say my favorite finish for a 70s 4001 is mapleglo ... I love seeing the walnut stripe ...