1976 Rickenbacker 3001... Can't get a usable tone.

[whitepony64]

Hey, guys! I was hoping someone could shed some light...

I purchased a Rickenbacker 3001 about 2 years ago when I was in the middle of my Ric obsession. I've tried to use it both live and in the studio but can't seem to get what I would consider "good tone" out of it. I'm on the verge of selling it but thought I'd do some checking before I do, as by all accounts I've read they're supposed to sound awesome, "like an angry P Bass".

With the 'treble cut' turned all the way down I get deep and rich low end. This would be great except there is absolutely no presence, sizzle, grind, or really any definition. Just deep low-passed bass. With the 'treble cut' knob all the way open it's extremely trebly. Super harsh, scratchy... I think it's some kind of high-pass filter also as it removes essentially all the bass frequencies.

There seems to be not much middle ground. Once you turn the knob a little bit the tone drastically transforms. The 'bass cut' knob boosts the volume of the bass frequencies quite a bit.

I've spent hours subtly tweaking the knobs over the last 2 years to find a usable balance but to no avail, and no amount of amp EQ seems to help what is essentially a completely whack tonal balance. I play through an SVT micro-VR at home and an SVT VR with my band and can get multitudes of usable tones from my 4001 and Jazz Bass.

Is this just the nature of a Rickenbacker 3001 and it is purely an issue of taste?
Is there some possibility that the pickup or wiring is whack?
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Do you think I should try rewire to a more traditional wiring setup or try a different pickup?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[Bob_Ross]

Is this just the nature of a Rickenbacker 3001 and it is purely an issue of taste? ...[snip]...
Has anyone else had a similar experience?

LOL! I read the thread title and thought "Hoo, boy, I feel yer pain!"

Yeah, I owned a mid-70s 3001 and frankly, I thought it sucked. Terrible sounding bass.

 

[whitepony64]

Thanks for your response! Glad to hear I'm not crazy. Or maybe we're both crazy?

If any 3001 lovers want to chime in with why they're into it I'd be keen to hear.

 

[baybaytenayjay]

I've never been able to play a 3001 but if it's anything like the other Rics I've played then the bulk of the volume and sound comes from the bass knob and the treble knob acts more like tone adjustment. I've been trying to get my hands on one for some time though.

 

[sikamikanico]

I never realized these had a bass control, but I'd imagine fully open should be flat. Maybe someone messed with the wiring? Before getting a new pickup, I'd try wiring it straight to output to see what it sounds like. I've never come across a pickup that was unusable by design.

Other than that, different pickup height might help with the tone, or different strings.

 

[Axstar]

These aren't active basses, so the bass isn't being boosted anywhere in the circuit. Like G&L designs the 3001 has a passive bass cut, which probably shunts something like a 4.7 nF capacitor in series with the output of the pickup. The treble cut control shouldn't be cutting any bass frequencies, so it might be that there is an issue with the circuitry. I would re-wire the bass using the same cap and pot values G&L use, including the taper of the pots etc.

 

[whitepony64]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

I've taken the bass to a luthier. When he gets a chance he's going to check out all the wiring. If it's not wired to stock he's going to rewire it to stock. If it currently is wired to stock specs he's going to rewire the pickup straight to the output so we can hear the pickup without all the other stuff in between.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[whitepony64]

I picked up my 3001 from the luthier's today. In his opinion he didn't think there was anything wrong with the original tone in the first place but rewired it as requested, like a standard P-Bass, 1 volume and 1 tone control.

I found this to be a far more familiar tone, comparable to a Fender P-Bass but with more grind. It responded well to the EQ on my amp. I do however miss the super deep and subby lows I could get with the original wiring configuration (rolling the tone off with this new wiring doesn't seem to produce the same effect). Overall I feel like the bass now has less character and will most likely send it back to get rewired to stock.

My verdict on the 3001 based on this whole experience is that its not the type of bass I'd want as my go-to everyday bass for rock and roll but is capable of some very cool and distinctive tones. I'm not sure whether I'll sell it or whether I'll keep it around for that magic moment where this is the only bass that can nail what I'm after.