Rickenbacker.... Pickup distorting HELP !

[DavidD]

I own a 1982 Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, just recently when positioning the selector switch to the treble (Bridge) pickup position, Strings E,A,and D distort at all volumes, the G string sounds smooth and unaffected. I bypassed the Capacitor .0047uf between the pickup selector switch and the treble volume knob center post, thinking the capacitor might have gone bad, but still same thing..... Since my treble volume and tone knobs both check out and function,.. Is it right for me to assume its the pickup that has gone bad ??? And has anyone ever encountered a problem like this before ?

[iiipopes]

Lower the bass side of the pickup one full turn.

[12bass]

If this happens even when the gain on your amp is very low, then there may be a cold solder joint in the bass's wiring. The pickup's output should not be distorted, even if close to the string.

[DavidD]

Adjusted the pickup... same problem exists... I think 12bass is right, maybe a cold solder joint,.... Is it possible for part of 1 pickup to go bad, Ex. possible breaks in the winding ???

[DavidD]

The reason I ask is because , it doesnt explain why the G string comes through clear , yet the other E,A,and D are distorted

[12bass]

It is a bit strange that the G is clear... but the other strings also generally produce more output because of the greater mass of the strings. If it were me, I'd start by closely inspecting the wiring, then perhaps touching up the solder joints with a little fresh solder. Could also be related to the Ric-o-sound jack, which connects or separates the outputs of the two pickups depending on the type of cable used. Have you tried plugging/unplugging with a 1/4" plug to see if the problem goes away?

FWIW, I'd suspect a wiring issue before a problem with the pickup.

[DavidD]

Thanks 12Bass, I agree, I think you are "Spot-On" Im suspecting the wiring too, ... T'is very odd I must say. When I find the gremlin in the mix, I will take away his bag of tricks, then post here what I had found !!! thanks for your help !

[DavidD]

YAY !!!!!!!!!!! I REPLACED THE TREBLE PICKUP and WELLA !!! PROBLEM SOLVED !!! So.... If anyone with a Ric Bass 4003 ever has this problem,.... consider the pickup as the possible culprit !

[iunno]

Originally Posted by DavidD

YAY !!!!!!!!!!! I REPLACED THE TREBLE PICKUP and WELLA !!! PROBLEM SOLVED !!! So.... If anyone with a Ric Bass 4003 ever has this problem,.... consider the pickup as the possible culprit !

It's "voila", and did you try reflowing the solder joints first? Ric pickups are rather expensive.

[DavidD]

I stand corrected.... "Voila" It is ! But Yes, I had re-soldered all the joints, because i did suspect a cold solder joint, but all were good ! Only when I took out my pickup and replaced it with a new one (Props to Chris !!! P.S. Ordered from "Pick of the Rick's" website !!!) and Voila !!! It was fixed !!!

[12bass]

Glad you got it sorted. Odd that the pickup was faulty. Could probably get someone to repair it, like SGD....