Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I use the stereo output on my 4003 exclusively, and it is just wonderful.

Because of this, when I pick up my 4001v63, which I adore, I can only help but wonder what amazing stereo sound it is capable of producing, if only it wasn't limited by a mono output.

I really can't bring myself to modify my 4001v63. If it was marked up I wouldn't mind, but it is in excellent condition, so the thought of doing any modification, even something "invisible," like replacing the mono jack with a stereo and rewiring as necessary, makes me cringe. It seems like blasphemy.

Has anyone ever done this? I have to believe this question has come up before, but for all the digging I did I couldn't find an example where someone actually changed out the jack and described the results.

Maybe I will get a toaster and a reissue horseshoe pickup and put it my old 4001.

Thanks!

superheavydeathmetal wrote:Maybe I will get a toaster and a reissue horseshoe pickup and put it my old 4001.

Thanks!

Bingo!

Keep us posted.

I have it on my '87 V63 along with the vintage/modern mod.
Sounds amazing and looks completely unmodifed.
Even though I prefer the vintage tone and normally run mono, it is extremely nice to have these options available.

Could there be a way to install a special single jack that works as mono when a mono cable is plugged in, and stereo when a stereo cable is plugged in?

Perhaps. Or you could use a TRS plug on the bass end with a TS plug on the amp end to convert stereo to mono.

I use to run my basses into a BBE Pre-Amp. This had a crossover circuit which enabled me to run each pick-up to its own amp.
These were basses with Mono jacks.

You could try that with the V63.

Lefty4003S8 wrote:I use to run my basses into a BBE Pre-Amp. This had a crossover circuit which enabled me to run each pick-up to its own amp.
These were basses with Mono jacks.

You could try that with the V63.

How does the Pre split the two pickups from a single mono output? or am I misunderstanding?

jdogric12 wrote:

Lefty4003S8 wrote:I use to run my basses into a BBE Pre-Amp. This had a crossover circuit which enabled me to run each pick-up to its own amp.
These were basses with Mono jacks.

You could try that with the V63.

How does the Pre split the two pickups from a single mono output? or am I misunderstanding?

My understanding is....the crossover circuit splits the High and Low frequencies, thereby enabling you to route them to their own amplifiers.
I used to run the Highs to a Marshall guitar head/ Crate 2 12 cab. Lows to a 70's Fender Bassman head/4 12 cab.
The pre-amp had TWO output jacks that I used to route the signals to amps.

Or maybe I'm the one misunderstanding it???? I learned this from an audio engineer friend of mine.
Anyway...this produced a massive, FULL-bodied sound from whatever bass I plugged into it.

Any audio experts here can correct me if I have it wrong.............

Lefty4003S8 wrote:Anyway...this produced a massive, FULL-bodied sound from whatever bass I plugged into it.

What I have done in the past is to split the v63 mono signal and run it into two different Line6 Pods, then EQ as necessary. Would using a crossover filter produce significantly different results than that?

Splitting then EQing with the Pods was nice, but it didn't quite measure up to the sound I got when running the pickups separately with my 4003.

cassius987 wrote:Perhaps. Or you could use a TRS plug on the bass end with a TS plug on the amp end to convert stereo to mono.

...Or a switchable jumper could also convert a TRS jack to a TS jack, if you prefer.

Lefty4003S8 wrote:My understanding is....the crossover circuit splits the High and Low frequencies, thereby enabling you to route them to their own amplifiers.
I used to run the Highs to a Marshall guitar head/ Crate 2 12 cab. Lows to a 70's Fender Bassman head/4 12 cab.
The pre-amp had TWO output jacks that I used to route the signals to amps.

Or maybe I'm the one misunderstanding it???? I learned this from an audio engineer friend of mine.
Anyway...this produced a massive, FULL-bodied sound from whatever bass I plugged into it.

Any audio experts here can correct me if I have it wrong.............

Sounds like a similar result by a different mechanism. You can't really parse out the respective signals after they have been joined. Your pre appears to have been filtering different bandwidths from the mono signal and routing them separately based on what you are saying. Similar idea to ROS but it doesn't actually isolate the pickups. Good concept, though. Whether it is better or worse than ROS probably depends on the intended effect... ROS almost certainly will be richer and more complex in the final sound but a parallel band-pass situation could make it really easy to define "sound layer A" from "sound layer B" from the get-go. Reminds me of running parallel effects to get a distortion on top of an octave, etc.

That BBE preamp's crossover is for bi-amping, it doesn't separate the pickup outputs. You'll never get the same effect by using a crossover as you will by separating the pickup outputs. You should go ahead and install the stereo jack. Also, you don't really have to wire up a trs to mono cable either, you can use a standard mono cable, just plug it in to the first click, that way both pickups will connect to the plug, though you will want to wrap the cable around your strap to prevent it accidentally unplugging.

Bassically, Michael

Thanks for the feedback. So, basically I was only Bi-amping the signal. Not truly separating and amplifying each pick-up???
I see that.
The sound SURE was awesome though. The mids and highs REALLY came through NICELY!!!!!!

Nope, a crossover can't split the pickups. It just separates high and low frequency bands.

Now, this is "kind of" like separating the pickups since the bridge pickup has more highs and the neck more lows, but each has it's own set of highs and lows, which will come through separately in true Rick-O-Sound. Of course, the crossover does allow the natural comb filtering (constructive/destructive interference) that happens when the signals from the separate pickups are mixed, and this has it's own sound, which you won't get by separating the signals beforehand.

So, similar, but different, with it's own unique sound possibilities, which may be better, or worse, depending on your point of view...