Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Back to vintage spacing? I want to do it but I'd like to get some advise first before cutting on my 4003.

Cole

Several of us. Someone did mine for me, so i'll leave the advising to others.

I successfully did it by routing slightly similar to a transitional '74 and using a pickguardian full coverage guard.

This is a stock '74 as an example and what you would have to do at a minimum.

I have a 1980 4001 that Paul W moved and Johnny B has a 1998(?) 4003 that Dale F moved.

I agree with John, ask the guys that have done it.

Basically, you need to expand the route for the neck pickup. I don't know what all the neck pickup routes look like, but in some cases the route extends all the way to the fretboard on the neck blank. The body wings typically aren't routed that far forward (as of about 1975), but trimming a little bit off the body wings to complete the neck pickup route isn't such a big deal.

I think Jeff Scott did it to his 4003FL and has photos.

Edit...And so has Wes!

I much prefer the sound from the p/u placement on my '74 vs. my '03. Strange...

Very easy to do! In those imorr(t)al words: DO IT!!!

Oh, I'm going to do it alright; I just want to do it ALL RIGHT!

C le

I like the sound of my 4003MB better since I move the neck pu forward. I also put a vintage style pickguard on it to complete the look. I had an experienced tech to mine though. I don't trust myself to do something like that.

Hey Randy, your from Hickory! Do you know anybody good in Charlotte that works on RIC's?
We don't have much to choose from period. Luthiers could make a killin' down here.
Cole

C ole, when I did my 2004 4003, I got the pickguard first (thanks to JB) and after mounting the pickup (toaster for me), I laid it in to see just how far I really had to remove wood. Depth can also be judged that way also. I did it the Jeff Scott way, with a wood chisel, but I HIGHLY recommend using a small hand router that you can totally control. All I had was a big huge bruiser of a router and opted not to try and control that. I should have sprung for a small hand router. I don't think a Dremel would be enough tool.

Tonal difference I noticed was a bit more bass low end from the 1/2" position, not quite as bright as the toaster had been at the 1" position. Nice contrast to the bridge when moved.

johnallg wrote:Tonal difference I noticed was a bit more bass low end from the 1/2" position, not quite as bright as the toaster had been at the 1" position. Nice contrast to the bridge when moved.

It's the look that counts, C le!

Some say it sounds better in the 1/2" position.
From a technical perspective the center of the 1" spacing is right on the 24 fret position and the 1/2" spacing is forward of the node. (aligns with the back of the pickup).
The 1" spacing will actually cancel out more harmonics (which is why "the fish" sounds not quite right played on a 4003)
Which is why the technically incorrect 1/2" spacing can seem to give more life to a bass...
Also try the neck pickup soloed and pick behind the treble pickup.. (as CS tends to do) with a 1" spaced pickup is sounds like you would expect, but with a 1/2" the bass gets an unusual boost in certain frequencies and it gets this "hollow body bass with sustain" sound that no other bass can do..

Just one more reason to love em.

I personally would not mod a clean Rick bass as it will ultimately devalue it.
However if your bass is a player, not a looker or "back from the dead" like my ricks.. go for it! It will sound better! (Well, thats just my opinion anyway)
emac.

weemac wrote:From a technical perspective the center of the 1" spacing is right on the 24 fret position and the 1/2" spacing is forward of the node. (aligns with the back of the pickup).
The 1" spacing will actually cancel out more harmonics

Wouldn't that be true only for open strings? When you fret a string, the nodes move.

weemac wrote:... "back from the dead" like my ricks.. go for it! It will sound better! (Well, thats just my opinion anyway)
emac.

"Night Of The Living Ricks!"

Here is what I am currently working on similar to this. It's a '77 4001 that needed just the shave you are asking about. The bass was stripped at the time as evidenced here. The same thing could be done to a finished bass, but you would need more courage than I had. I used a regular full-sized plunge router and a jig I fabricated. The photos are of a rececent mockup/setup because all the hardware is new aftermarket. The bridge and tuners are black Hipshot, the pickguard is Pickguardian, the Toaster is RIC reissue as are the knobs. You can see that the neck route was relieved to clear the pickup flange similar to the tranisional year '74. I am having so much fun playing it as is that I have yet to disassemble for paint.