Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I would appreciate any help you guys could give me on this. I own a '78 3001 bass (in Jetglo, for the curious). I had to replace the pickup when I got it. (The previous owner had replaced the original with something that sounded like completely inadequate.) I kept the original controls scheme (volume, tone, bass boost.) The pickup I used was an HB1 humbucker from Rickenbacker. Here's the thing: The "bass boost" isn't like the tone control (gradual, varying in intensity.) It's either on or off. My question(s) are: Is this how the original control was supposed to work? Secondly, is there a way to make the bass "boost" more like the tone control? (A gradual increase in the "bass" content of the signal.) Help me out here, guys!

Isn't it just a bass cut? It is a passive bass so there really is no acutal boost. It is possible to change it around pretty much any way you like. I don't know if you have this but here is the schematic from RIC.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19504.pdf

It isn't a bass boost, it's a treble roll-off. Someone has replaced your audio taper pot with a linear taper one at some time in the past, and it's also possible that it's the wrong value. Get the bass to a tech and get the pot switched back to the correct type.

A fully functional 3001 is a beautiful thing.....a true sleeper. Good luck with your repairs.
Here's my '78: