Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have had my 4004 for app. 1-2 months now and cannot extol it enough. I play in a 3 piece classic rock band and have found the instrument that lets me lay down great bottom end, all the while, giving me the option to be a lead instrument whenever I desire. EK, I sincerely hope you have another, as I would be crushed if this ever disappeared from my stable. The only thing I have to say is, I wish Ric would have installed V/T V/T controls for the humbuckers. I know, as it is it has good tonal adjustment, but stacked knobs would be the icing on the cake, IMHO. Have any of you made this mod, and what/where did you purchase them. I don't even know if the pickup wiring will even allow this. Sheepishly, I have to admit I have never made any alteration to any instrument. But the 4004 is definitely going to be my goto axe.

Quite a few of us have done control, and other, mods to the 4004 series basses. Here is a photo of my former 4004C11 with a VVT setup, I find a master tone control to work just fine on a mono instrument. I also put a Hipshot Style A bridge on it, a direct drop in when these basses came with ABM bridges, along with Hipshot Ultralite tuners and a plexi TRC. Oh yeah, vintage style knobs and toaster pickups, too.

I have my 4004 configured (with the 4004cjj as the inspiration) with VT/VT. I have switches to change the each pickup configuration from series/parallel/coilcut (single coil). I also have a switch to enagage/bypass a 4002 type tone circuit on the bridge pickup. My bass was left in mono only.

I ordered pots, capacitors, etc from Guitar Electronics

and switches and more capacitors from Mouser Electronics

Jeff's former Cii has morphed even more now, going through at least two other owners (Forumites) before landing in the Rickenbacker National Forest. It's now a five-string, back to the Humbuckers, Schaller tuners, and a makeshift bridge. Note VVT setup with chromey knobs. 4004's are good platforms for 5-string conversion. The necks (up until late last year) are wider than the old 4003S/5, but not as wide as the rare 4004Cii/5.

Is there also way to use a push pull on one of the V/T's to use it as a single coil?

Thanks for the help and the link. It looks like I have quite a bit of research to do. Don't know the specs of the existing pots and what the desired ratings replacements. I would think the tone can be 250K and the volume 500K.

bassman7365 wrote:Thanks for the help and the link. It looks like I have quite a bit of research to do. Don't know the specs of the existing pots and what the desired ratings replacements. I would think the tone can be 250K and the volume 500K.

RIC was using 500k pots for both volume and tone, but now use the standardized-across-the-bass-models 330k pots for both.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19516.pdf

jps wrote: I also put a Hipshot Style A bridge on it, a direct drop in when these basses came with ABM bridges

What advantage does the Hipshot A bridge have over the ABM? Mine is one of the last ones with the ABM and it seems pretty sturdy.

Quick release string slots, saddles could go lower, something I needed to do on the G string. Nicely designed saddles, themselves. I currently have that same bridge on a '95 CIJ Mustang Bass, works well with the string-through-body feature using TI Jazz Flats on the bass.

jps wrote:I find a master tone control to work just fine on a mono instrument.

+1

congrats on getting the 4004,Pete! they are great basses,i have done a few mods to mine,replacing the nut,spraying the trc gold with black lettering,and replacing the mini-selector switch with a 2nd volume control (VVT). I usually play both pickups and tone full on,but occassionally like to roll off the neck pickup a bit for a less bassy tone. i like the simplicity of the layout,but i am thinking more of doing the push-pull pot replacement to get coil-tapping,too.

nukebass wrote: What advantage does the Hipshot A bridge have over the ABM? Mine is one of the last ones with the ABM and it seems pretty sturdy.

I have wondered if I got the very last one. My 2008 MG arrived in January 2009 as part of a shipment of 4004Ciis to Pick of the Ricks. There were at least three in the shipment (owner Chris Clayton told me the number, but I forget). Mine was the only one with the ABM.

I have a '95. Would it have an ABM bridge?

I have a 2008 4004cii which I think has the Schaller bridge but I can't seem to get the action low enough even with the saddles all the way down. Is it possible to use this bridge without the mounting plate, or is there an aftermarket drop in replacement ?