Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi there,

I've got a 2011 4003 (with the vintage pull switch on the treble tone). Recently I was experimenting with some different tones and discovered that while the tone pot on the bridge pickup works as expected, the one for the neck pickup doesn't seem to do anything - no effect on either the tone or the volume of the pickup.

I took the pickguard off to see if there was anything obvious wrong, but didn't find any broken wires and couldn't see any obvious evidence of tampering in there.

I have had a look at the schematic, but my knowledge of electronics is sketchy at best. Has anyone any suggestions about where I might start to look for the source of this problem?

Thanks for your help with this.

Mike do you get the same result regardless of the pickup output jack you are connected to? I think you have it plugged into the Rickosound jack output. Try the Standard jack.

Anything ever happen here?

Tom: Good question. I suspect that the original poster plugged in using the Standard jack and all is well. It is always nice to have closure though.

Yeah, was thinking the same. Once he got it going probably too busy playing it to type... I think most of us have done that at least once in our Ric lives. Carry on!!

Hi guys,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you - I’m not on as regularly as some people, I guess.

Anyway, the answer is that I am plugging in using the standard jack - I get output from both pickups, both volumes work, the bridge tone works (including the vintage setting), but the neck tone has zero effect. The mystery remains!

Thanks again.

Mike

Bad tone pot?

Sounds like time to check for clod solder joints and measuring pot output... where is Dane???

mikef wrote:...neck tone has zero effect...

Which way does it not have any effect. Can you tell whether the tone is full "open" or fully "closed" in its sound.

jps wrote:

mikef wrote:...neck tone has zero effect...

Which way does it not have any effect. Can you tell whether the tone is full "open" or fully "closed" in its sound.

It’s definitely fully open - the tone isn’t muffled at all

Off the wall, but a thought: 4003 controls are aligned with the volume and tone controls in different positions that what may be on other makers' instruments, and the positioning may be counter-intuitive to some players. Have you pulled the plate and compared the wiring to the schematic to see if someone may have put the knobs on "backwards"?

The capacitor might be dead (they can wear out over time).

So. At the risk of being accused of that most heinous of internet crimes, the revival of the dead forum thread , I wanted to come back and finish this story.

I took off the control plate/pickguard to see if there were any obvious shorts or breaks. Nothing. Of course.

Then I wiggled the wiring to see if that made a difference. Lo and behold it did - all of a sudden the tone control starts working. Hurrah, thinks I, and screw the pickguard back down. Sorted and solved.

The next day there’s no neck pickup tone control again. Damn. I take off the pickguard, wiggle the wiring, and swear when a lead falls off one of the capacitors. So there’s the problem.

Long story short, a new cap and five minutes work later and all is well.

Thanks all.

Aaaah! Necrothread!

Glad you found the problem, Mike.