Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

2006 4003...Never before owned a Ric, but I happened upon this one at a shop and the price was right. Got to play it quite a bit at the shop and fell in love. I am really digging how different it is than any other bass I own. Super growly if I dime the bridge pickup and just back off on the neck pickup a little bit. Loving the almost dead straight neck, low action and great access to the upper register of the FB. A good addition to the stable.

Question for fellow late-model Ric owners: One thing that puzzles me is the taper of the tone controls (but this may be normal for a Ric)...there's very little impact on the tone when you roll them off until you get almost all the way down...and then the highs roll off very quickly in the last 20% of the knob's travel. Both pickups' tone controls are same in this respect.

I'm guessing its normal, but I appreciate any input you may have for me. Thanks.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah1 ... 2yf2fu.jpg

mc900ftj wrote:2006 4003...Super growly if I dime the bridge pickup and just back off on the neck pickup a little bit.

Right, that's how I play my '78 4001.

I don't know an answer to your question, but you might consider leaving both tone controls cranked at all times, adjusting eq elsewhere (amp, recording software, etc.).

Welcome to the forum,
bluewhale

Thank you. I definitely know how to EQ in the signal chain. My question re: the behavior of the tone controls is really curiosity to know if that's typical behavior with late-model Rics.

Cranking your tone controls, then adjusting your tone at the amp might be fine if this is the only bass you have, but what do you do when you plug in a different bass? The pot values in Ricks in the last 15 years has been anything from 175K-330K. Not very accurate depending on what they were even going for. Either values sacrifice clarity and definition, which is why I started wiring my own Ricks and building wiring harnesses for others. Up until some time in the 90's RIC used 500K pots for tone, and 250K pots for volume. These values are a noticeable improvement in range of tone, particularly when they're accurate, and matched in pairs.

I am trying not to overthink it....I'm really just curious about the fact that they are not as "linear" as other passive basses. Specifically if that's normal for late model 4003's. Said another way, is my instrument defective or is the behavior to be expected from a stock 4003?

Thanks.

Welcome to the Forums Marty, that's a Lovely Lady you have there and a beautiful colour too.

mc900ftj wrote:2006 4003...Never before owned a Ric, but I happened upon this one at a shop and the price was right. Got to play it quite a bit at the shop and fell in love. I am really digging how different it is than any other bass I own. Super growly if I dime the bridge pickup and just back off on the neck pickup a little bit. Loving the almost dead straight neck, low action and great access to the upper register of the FB. A good addition to the stable.

Question for fellow late-model Ric owners: One thing that puzzles me is the taper of the tone controls (but this may be normal for a Ric)...there's very little impact on the tone when you roll them off until you get almost all the way down...and then the highs roll off very quickly in the last 20% of the knob's travel. Both pickups' tone controls are same in this respect.

I'm guessing its normal, but I appreciate any input you may have for me. Thanks.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah1 ... 2yf2fu.jpg

I'm just guessing here, but I think your soundguy(last pic) is a little too young to know what he's doing!

Welcome to the forum, Marty, lovely bass you've got there, in yummy a shade of fireglo!

aceonbass wrote:Up until some time in the 90's RIC used 500K pots for tone, and 250K pots for volume.

Wow - I recently checked the concentrics in my Laredo, and they are 250/500's with the 250 on the Volume. I guess the guy who put them in knew what he was doing!!!!

And yes, the alleged 330K pots that were originally in are about 180. Might be good for a sinker if I ever go fishing.

edski wrote:And yes, the alleged 330K pots that were originally in are about 180. Might be good for a sinker if I ever go fishing.

You're fish will spit them out!

bluewhale wrote:

mc900ftj wrote:2006 4003...Super growly if I dime the bridge pickup and just back off on the neck pickup a little bit.

Right, that's how I play my '78 4001.

I don't know an answer to your question, but you might consider leaving both tone controls cranked at all times, adjusting eq elsewhere (amp, recording software, etc.).

Welcome to the forum,
bluewhale

Nice bass!

I just leave my volume and tone controls alone, and change volume and tone with pedals.

Dane's harnesses are crazy good. The clarity is immediately obvious. Wiring/soldering is first class. They turn a great bass into an awesome bass. I have his VVT setup in my 4004L and his complete harness in a 4003sw.

I used to dime all four knobs, but in the last few years I've gotten to where I can't stand that tone anymore, and must turn the neck volume and tone both down a hair to about 8 or 9.

Norris wrote:Dane's harnesses are crazy good. The clarity is immediately obvious. Wiring/soldering is first class. They turn a great bass into an awesome bass. I have his VVT setup in my 4004L and his complete harness in a 4003sw.

+1 on that I have the push pull cap harness, and the mono stereo 4003-S harness and just fitted late 60's no push-pull harnesses to my 73-4001

The initial question was concerning the taper on the tone pots. While I haven't had stock pots on my basses in some time I don't remember an odd taper. What your describing seems to be what happens when a lefty bass has normal pots & their wired backwards so the sweep is normal. As your bass is a righty, they would have to be lefty pots & I don't think Ric uses those. Hummmmm very interesting

mc900ftj wrote:I am trying not to overthink it....I'm really just curious about the fact that they are not as "linear" as other passive basses. Specifically if that's normal for late model 4003's. Said another way, is my instrument defective or is the behavior to be expected from a stock 4003?

Thanks.

Well I've always had passive basses with tone controls like that including Ricks, Fenders and Gibson's, I've always thought that was normal behavior, most vol and especially tone controls are not linear as far as I know. The only bass I have that has a fairly linear tone control is a reissue 62 jazz with one tone (stock), I don't really like that, I like when all of a sudden they get real bassy right at the end of travel like a P bass tone control.