Help with a new RIC

[Snowglo]

I purchased a 2013 4003 2 weeks ago and am having a tone issue with the A string. When I bought it, the E suffered the typical “dead string” issue even after the store adjusted the truss rods.

I replaced the factory strings with my favorite SS strings and adjusted the intonation for the A & E strings which were extremely flat at the 12th fret. No more dead E, however the A string from the 3rd fret up sounds like crap. Not dead, but actually like its boosted, extremely muddy and distorted. Open A is bright and punchy and is balanced with the other strings as far as volume and tone. The only thing I found to help balance the tone was to have the vintage tone selector “in” and made amp adjustments. Bummer, because I prefer the old school tone. It was before a show Saturday and I didn’t have time to mess with it.

Any ideas what would suddenly change? I certainly appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Right_Butterscotch64]

Push the vintage knob back down, and select the pickup selector to both pickups. Now you will get a VERY scooped sound with less mids especially around the area you say is dead.

Play that dead note, then with both pickups on full, roll back the neck pickup knob until your signal gets a slight boost. Thats what worked for me, and grats on the new Ric I got mine 2 weeks ago too!

Also the nut is probably cut really bad, I know mine was.

 

[kcole4001]

Maybe lower the bridge pickup a little, if it's very close to the strings you can get some harsh weirdness sometimes.
The neck pickup is likely fine and doesn't have a lot of adjustment range anyway.

 

[rekesbass]

kcole4001 beat me to it...it does sound like a pup adjustment is in order...also,the pole pieces are adjustable so an adjustment there may also be needed if a whole pup adjustment doesn't fix it...

 

[Snowglo]

I have tried various positions with tone and volume selectors. Also tried to raise and lower the bridge pickup, which is now back in the original position.....nothing. Raising it makes everything muddy.

Not a dead string, or note(s) issue. It's a muddy distorted issue from the 3rd fret and higher.

Very weird :-(

 

[lazerbrains]

I suspect a bad string - try changing it and see what happens.