Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was just curious what the forum's general opinion was on swapping p/u's in 4001/4003's. I tried a set of Bartolini p/u's (because I got them cheap) in my 1st 4003 and I can't go back to stock so now I have sets in both of my working basses. The character is still Ric-like but with much stronger lows and more solid tone across the full range. Playing my '87 Tuxedo with stock high gains leaves me unsatisfied....it sounds very "meek". If I have no luck on a trade or sale of the Tux it will be getting Barts soon so I can enjoy it more (I don't want to alter it but if I can't move it I might as well use it). Unlike the Seymour Duncan offering, the Barts don't change the overall appearance and are a direct swap (retaining the stock bridge p/u surround) which was important to me.
I realize that many Ric owners are purists but does a p/u swap land me in the "hall of shame" or is it allowed? Has anyone tried non Ric p/u's or electronics and switched back to stock, and if so, why? Just curious.

If you are looking for a thicker sound you might want to try a set of new high gains, very powerful pickups. I think most of here that are purists are that way for a reason. (I have never heard a Ric with aftermarket pickups that sounds as good as with the originals at least IMHO, and that goes for Seymores, Bart's, Fenders, etc.) If you keep that Tux and plan on ever selling it don't get rid of the stock pickups, it would lose a lot of value without them. Put them away in a safe place.

The Barts are very nice sounding pickups. Way better than the Seymour Duncan Rick bass replacement pickups, but the best sounding pickups in a 4001 / 4003 are the ones they come with.

My Midnight Blue 4003 is a '97 and the high gains are thin sounding in comparison to the Barts. If I do swap the p/u's in the Tux I am certainly going to keep them "just in case".....but the sole reason I am thinking of parting with it is it's lack of "uuuumphh" so if I can get over my hurdle of wanting to keep it unmolested then I see no reason that I'll get rid of it. Heck, if I go that far I may even get it refinished in a white that stays white

I like a fat sound too, that's why I use flatwounds. I've heard Bart's in ric's before, they just don't sound like a Ric anymore to me. Sergio makes some nice sounding pickups and they still sound like Rickenbackers.

"Sergio makes some nice sounding pickups and they still sound like Rickenbackers."

...and then some!

Brian,
You can always put toasters on the bass. My 4003FL with the toasters in both positions sound great, and I find that I have to roll off the bass on my amp sometimes.

Thanks, guys.
Hey, Bob, how does my toaster p.u. perform?

the problem with putting a Seymour Duncan or bartolini pickup or toaster pickup in the bridge position is they have no growl ... any of those will make a good neck pickup ...

I was just at guitar center today ... I was playing a really nice neck through schecter with 2 humbucking pickups and a 3 band preamp ... it had lots of low end mids and treble ... it had a clarity and definitaion ... but it had no growl ...

That's why the single coil high gain pickup works so well in the mid/bridge position for a ric bass ... it growls ...

next to a ric bass my next favorite bass is a p-bass ... why? because it growls ... that's why the 4004 basses are cool ... the hot humbuckers wired in series growl ... for me I gotta have growl ...

Also to get the growl roll off the neck pickup volume from 10 down to 8 ... and I use a bass pod to add tone shaping and distortion ... and an ampeg bass amp into 4 10" speakers ...

it does not sound meek through my setup ...

I run through an Ampeg SVP-Pro, Ashly 1000 power amp, 2 Mesa 1x15's and 1 Mesa 2x10 with sparse use of effects. Nothing sounds weak through it by itself......in comparison to my Bart Rics, however, the Tux sounds anemic.
I find the opinions interesting that the Bartolinis sound unlike a Ric.....I find that mine sound very much like a Ric just a little more "robust" I guess. The famous growl, sustain and clicking tone are all present. I guess it is all relative to the "ear of the beholder". I figured I'd be in the minority (or alone) in my preference.
JPS....I've tried a toaster in the bridge position before and for the type of sound I was looking for it just didn't work out.....I thought I had an original idea....guess not .

Like Bob said the modern 4003 high gain pickups are hotter than the 80's pickups ...

maybe the reason you like the barts is that they are louder ...

That is one of the reasons I sold my 1968 4001 ... the old pickups were too quiet for me ... all of my other basses were louder and fuller ... again that is why I like the modern ric pickups ... fuller and louder ... and they growl ...

also try raising the pickups closer to the strings ... and try heavier gauge strings ...

Geniuses think alike!!!

Must be the Cleveland water.

I have a jazz bass with Barts. It growls on command.

How would the 4004 pickups sound in a 4003 and would they fit with no modification ? If so that way you could have a bass with humbuckers and binding.