removing the bass cut cap from bridge pickup

[danoadam]

I'm wanting to try my '68 330 without the cap on the bridge pickup that cuts the bass. Is this as simple as clipping one the legs on the cap? I read somewhere about jumping the cap with a bit of aluminum foil. Advice appreciated!

[aceonbass]

Just solder a wire bypassing the cap at both ends. Clipping a lead will only kill the output from the bridge pickup.

[iiipopes]

Mr. JH has talked about using a chewing gum wrapper.

[jps]

Mr. JH has talked about using a chewing gum wrapper.

Makes a great fuse for those high power tube amps, too......................

[iiipopes]

Seriously, if you try a temporary jumper across the .0047 in-line bridge pickup capacitor and like the tone, and to keep the instrument versatile, consider rewiring the 5th knob with the RIC push-pull that is used on the 4003 basses so you can have both options. The wires on the 5th knob pot (called the "mixer" on the factory schematic) go in the same places on the pot part of the push-pull, and the capacitor is wired into the switch then on to the bridge volume per the 4003 wiring diagram:

Factory 330 schematic: http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19511.pdf
Factory 4003 schematic: http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19557.pdf

I have done this on my 1981 360-12WB FG ckbd and because the pull is so short and the knob is small, it passes the "5-foot" test, and all knobs retain their original factory functions.

[danoadam]

I wired a jumper, much more usable pickup without the cap.

[pacealot]

Non-invasive mod I learned about right here, and just did to both of my two "new to me" '66s: wire together two mini alligator clips, and clip 'em to each side of the cap. I thought of keeping the 12-string stock, as it does sound pretty good with the cap in and using the blend knob to dial up the appropriate amount of fullness, but there's just something nice about having the full output of the bridge toaster. (It's a must on the 6-string to use it fully as a lead guitar, in my oh-so-humble opinion.) But with the clips, if I feel like it, I can just open 'er up and unclip and voilá! she is back to stock!

(Don't get me started about keeping the caps in-line on the basses! So many people here disagree, but I couldn't have done my 3rd-rate Chris Squire [RIP ] impersonations for many years without them....)