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Defective pot or...?

Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by marcinkus, Dec 5, 2001.

  1. Dec 5, 2001 #1
    marcinkus

    marcinkus

    Jun 6, 2001
    Palermo, Italy
    I own a '98 Rickenbacker 4003. I replaced the stock PUs with the vintage ones, plus I added the .0047 cap, and the bass is perfect but... there's a odd question I need your response about:

    1) when the switch selector of my bass is upward OR downward, the pickup volumes work, everything works;

    2) when the switch is in the middle and BOTH volumes are full open, the bridge PU has almost no output and it seems only the neck PU works; in fact, if I move the switch upward, the tone seems the same!

    3) but if I turn down (a little) the neck PU volume, the bridge PU starts singing;

    4) also, if don't turn the neck PU volume until the max the outputs are mixed well and everything works.

    Could it be the neck PU pot or is this a common Ric bass peculiarity? My MIM Jazz bass doesn't behave this way! ;)

    Thanks
     
  2. Dec 5, 2001 #2
    barroso

    barroso

    Aug 16, 2000
    Italia
    something similar happened to my 21 years old rick. my problem was that volume and tone pots worked even if they weren't abled to do. the proble was the switch. remove the pickguard from the bass and use the spray for electric circuits on the part of switch that is inside the control cavity. this will clean the working part of the switch. move the switch a couple of times, than wait till the spray is dried. if you have not bigger problems maybe caused by a bad wiring during the replaement of the pickups. this will be enough. let me know how the things go!
     
  3. Dec 6, 2001 #3
    marcinkus

    marcinkus

    Jun 6, 2001
    Palermo, Italy
    Ehm... Any other answer will be very appreciated.

    Thanks
     
  4. Dec 8, 2001 #4
    merlin

    merlin

    Apr 15, 2000
    Adelaide, South Australia
    Well, bud i agree with barroso, just give it a shot. The spray i usually use is RP7 or WD40 does a ok job. I think u can also buy specific electronic circuit spray. *shrugs*

    :D

    Merls
     
  5. Dec 9, 2001 #5
    marcinkus

    marcinkus

    Jun 6, 2001
    Palermo, Italy
    Thanks for yous suggestion, but the contacts are clean (I always use these sprays) and the wiring is correct (I found the 4003 wiring at RIC site).
    If you read carefully my first post you could understand why I think the pot defective...
    I'll try to change it.
     
  6. Dec 9, 2001 #6
    barroso

    barroso

    Aug 16, 2000
    Italia
    if you used correctly the spray on the pot and on the switch, maybe you are correct and the pot is not working correctly. in my experience i had no problem with the pots of my rick.
     
  7. Dec 11, 2001 #7
    FunkThumb

    FunkThumb

    Dec 4, 2001
    CANADA... America's Hat
    to elaborate on what barossa said of bad wiring;
    one of your p/ups may be wired out of phase. this means that when volume levels are equal, the signals will fight each other and cancel one another out, weird thing, but it's my guess...once again...shrug.
     
  8. Dec 12, 2001 #8
    marcinkus

    marcinkus

    Jun 6, 2001
    Palermo, Italy
    I thought the PUs could be out of phase too, BUT...
    yesterday that neck PU volume pot died.
    Now I am going to replace it.

    Thank you all, guys.
     
  9. Dec 12, 2001 #9
    barroso

    barroso

    Aug 16, 2000
    Italia
    hope the best for your black rick!