Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Finally found my tone. Did the RWRP mod on my 4003, now my guitar is dead quiet with one caveat: It is sensitive to keeping my hand over and touching the bridge cover (that I have always left on 'cause I think it looks cooler that way.) When I lift my hand totally off, I get a buzz, but still quieter than pre-mod. I already rest my hand on the bridge cover when I play, so no big deal.

I also put on some DR nickle Lo-Riders. I get a nice growly tone, piano-like string sounding, especially the E string. I'll save my humbuckers and 500k pots for my next Ric.

It's normal to have that problem on any bass without shielding... a Jazz Bass is just as likely to do it as a Ric, in fact a guy who wrote a review of a Marcus Miller Jazz Bass on another forum recently had the same problem. RWRP/humbucking is only part of the solution. The way to take care of this is thorough shielding (of any unshielded pickups and of the control cavity) or... touching the strings/hardware, which you do 99% of the time anyways. So shield only if you're really nuts about it, otherwise I'd just say live with it and be happy.

Doesn't really bother me. In fact, now that you mention it, it was probably like that all along, but I could never hear it due to the original pickup wiring hum itself.