Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently picked up a 1999 4001V63 Fireglo in outstanding near mint condition.
Everything is great about the bass except that I noticed when the pickup
selector switch is in the "middle" position, the output is much weaker.
When using the bridge pickup or neck pickup, no problems, the
output is strong and sounds awesome. When I switch to use
both pickups in the middle position, the output drops
quite a bit and has no gusto.

I haven't removed the pickguard to investigate yet. Is it possible
a previous owner made have made a mod to get more of a 4001
tone? That's the only thing I can think of. Like I said, both pickups
work great and sound as they should but not when used together.
The sound isn't bad in the middle position, just lacks power.

Have you tried to back off the volume a bit of one pup while in the middle position.
My '87 V63 does the same thing. Rolling back my bridge pup a bit restores the sound and power.

Kinda a pain in the asss but I have earned to live with it.

The pickups could be out of phase. I was never able to figure out why Stephen's bass is this way, but I suspected it to be something in the way the bridge pickup was wound. It's an early V63 with a real horseshoe pickup.

My '97 V63 and '00 Squire are the same way. In fact, of the 6 V63's I've owned, they all were. Normal, to me...

My 85 V63, also with a real HS is the same

Both, the '92 I had, and my '93 V63's only did this slightly. I generally play with the pu's combined and the toaster volume down a touch or solo the HS.

My '67 RM did this drastically when it had the real HS in and the old harness, got better after Dane made a new harness and completely went away when I put a bridge hi-gain in. I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the poles of the HS magnets on that one.

Ok, good to know that this is a more common problem and not something wrong with my V63.

Dane, is there a way to correct pickups being out of phase, if that's the case?

I can live with it the way it is. Just roll back the bridge pup or just use the bridge or neck
pickup separately. Thanks to all with your comments here.

I don't know about the RI HS, but on all the old RM basses I have played with original pick ups, rolling the toaster volume slightly away from full used to bring the horseshoe (and overall sound) much more to the that classic clank.