Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello! I got a 80' 4001 and I was wondering how I can give my higher treble pickup more bass to it. The middle position has alot of good bass and some treble but I find it losses a bunch of the growl the higher position has. I was thinking using a a/b switchbox and hooking up my Ampeg 2x15 withthe settings more bass and my Ampeg 6x10 with more treble and Mid's so When I'm using the higher position It will have a good low bass from the 15's but wont losse the trebly growl. Any advice on if this would work or what I could do? Thanks Alot!!!

I'm confused, nextcliffburton. You seem to be referring to the treble (bridge) pickup, but you're also using the word higher (as in toggle switch up -- which would be the neck pickup.)

If you want more bass from your bridge pickup on a 1980 4001, I highly recommend bypassing the .0047 capacitor in the tone circuit. It's a very easy and reversible modification and it forever changed my old 4001's from frustrating and annoying to full, deep and beautiful tone.

See joeysbassnotes.com for an explanation on how to proceed with the mod.

Sorry for the confusion! I wasn't sure how to say what I ment but If the Treble Pickup is the bridge (I should know this, bein a musician for 7 years) then yes that's what I ment. I'll check out that mod!

Whoah. I'm confused, too...

You've got an eighty-foot-long bass and you want MORE out of it? Are you trying to knock down buildings or something?

Probably trying to create earthquakes or something...

BEWARE OF...


RICKEN-KONG

Seriously though, modern Rics have way more bass than most other passives out there, including Fender. And the cap is bypassed on those. I know it's not a popular belief but I've owned many passives and the Rics always have the most bottom.

You definitely want to bypass the cap as referenced in the first reply. That will restore the full range of bass response to your bridge (treble) pickup.

I always find the bass pickup/treble pickup distinction confusing -- they're both bass (guitar) pickups, right?! But I think I understand the issue here just fine. You switch to the bridge pickup only and it's far less bassy -- that's the cap.

I try to avoid the confusion by referring to the two pickups as neck pickup and bridge pickup, though I'm as guiltay as the next player of having referred to them plenty of times as "bass/treble" pickups.

paologregorio wrote:... I'm as guiltay as the next player ...

Working on your French, eh Paul? guilté

Re: the other Jeff, here is a photo showing the mod; the red wire is soldered across the .0047µf cap that is cutting out the bass from the bridge/treble/high pickup.

Has anyone here tried putting the capacitor on the neck pickup,if so what did it sound like?

fatcat wrote:Has anyone here tried putting the capacitor on the neck pickup,if so what did it sound like?

Hmmm, never occurred to me.....

johnallg wrote:

fatcat wrote:Has anyone here tried putting the capacitor on the neck pickup,if so what did it sound like?

Hmmm, never occurred to me.....

iiipopes recommends sometimes putting a weak resistor in series with it, but he never mentioned a cap.

doctorwho wrote:

paologregorio wrote:... I'm as guiltay as the next player ...

Working on your French, eh Paul? guilté

Pardon his French...