Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So, I've had my 4001C64 for something like 2 years now and still love it to bits, but lately I've been quite curious of what it would sound like without the .0047 µF cap. Problem is I don't want the one or the other tonal option and I hate the sight of 1 pot sticking out a bit if a push/pull pot gets installed, so my thoughts have been going to something like a S1 switch. Anybody thought of this mod before and/ or did this? If so, did it work?

Let me hear!

The first thing to do is see if you like the tone without the .0047 cap inline. Mr. JH himself says to just wrap a piece of foil over the capacitor, like a gum wrapper, and bypass it temporarily. Play it for awhile. If you like it, then you can talk about switches. I can tell you that on my instruments with my push-pull mods, I have it on the 5th knob, and when you pull, it is hardly noticeable. I know it is different on bass, with the push-pull on a full sized knob, but an S1 won't help because it needs a special Fender knob to work.

I also suggest trying it first. I like the cap on older, low out-put hi-gains, but don't care for it on hotter PU's like the HS on V63's or C64's.

Yes, just for clarity, the S-1 on the Fenders is nothing at all like the Vintage Tone Push/Pull on the modern 4003. The Fender S-1 put the two pickups in series (or parallel on a P bass), something that could be done on a Rick. The Vintage Tone just bypasses or engages the 0.047 mf capacitor that makes the old 4001 bridge pick up sound like it does. The Fender J would need that cap to even make that an option on a Fender. Not sure what good it'd do on a P...kind of like the S-1 switch on a P.