McCartney's 4001

[DavyR]

The action on McCartney's 4001 appears very low, especially in the 1960s' pictures, i.e., the strings are very close to the neck pickup. And, closer than any I have played. What's up with that? I don't see high action.

 

[mccartneyman]

The action on McCartney's 4001 appears very low, especially in the 1960s' pictures, i.e., the strings are very close to the neck pickup. And, closer than any I have played. What's up with that? I don't see high action.

Being a guitar player first, I imagine that Paul likes lower action on his basses. When I got my 1975 4001 from Rick, the action was quite low and I left it there. Unless you whack the crap out of your strings with your playing hand, I don't see the need for overly high action. Some players will argue that low action makes for faster playing, and I can't dispute that.

 

[Floyd Eye]

In fact Mac likes very high action. I put a link in this thread earlier where the guys from Rickenbacker were given instructions NOT to touch the action on his 4001 when they had it in for repairs. The action was very high.

 

[Ric5]

Ya the 60s 4001 basses necks don't flatten out like modern Ricks ...

 

[ChrisWright]

I’m hoping that this has to be the thread to definitively answer the following question: every tone recipe I’ve seen for Paul’s Ric (Beatles era only) starts with using the neck pick up only. This would make sense as his tone generally seems to reflect the neck pickup sound. However, almost every candid picture I see of him playing it in the studio, for example, shows the switch in the down position… as though to indicate bridge pick up only. Some have maintained that because it was one of the first Rickenbacker basses, and a lefty at that, they used the same wiring harness as was used on the right-handed models. Thus, a down position of the switch on his bass would be equivalent to an up position on a right handed bass. I don’t know if that makes sense or not, but I’m open for any explanation on his tone recipe in general, and this item in particular. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Kikegg]

I’m hoping that this has to be the thread to definitively answer the following question: every tone recipe I’ve seen for Paul’s Ric (Beatles era only) starts with using the neck pick up only. This would make sense as his tone generally seems to reflect the neck pickup sound. However, almost every candid picture I see of him playing it in the studio, for example, shows the switch in the down position… as though to indicate bridge pick up only. Some have maintained that because it was one of the first Rickenbacker basses, and a lefty at that, they used the same wiring harness as was used on the right-handed models. Thus, a down position of the switch on his bass would be equivalent to an up position on a right handed bass. I don’t know if that makes sense or not, but I’m open for any explanation on his tone recipe in general, and this item in particular. Thanks for all your help.

As others have noted his bridge pickup was dead... Maybe he was using the switch's bridge pickup position as a kill switch

 

[ChrisWright]

Interesting theory although I think switches operate a little differently than that. It’s possible I guess. Thanks very much.

 

[FranF]

Yes, on Macca's, the neck pickup is 'switch down'

 

[ChrisWright]

Yes, on Macca's, the neck pickup is 'switch down'

Thank you FranF! You speak w authority here (love it) ... how do we know this? Appreciate it.

 

[FranF]

It's been discussed on other boards, and that seems to be the consensus. Most importantly, the aural proof is evident on the records. No soloed horseshoe sounds quite like that.

 

[ChrisWright]

Seems very reasonable to me. No question about the tone we hear as well. I sometimes wonder tho because you hear that most of the “effects“ are custom (or one or two of a kind) devices that were designed by the EMI engineering team, such as the compressors. However, when you hear his Ric sounding somewhat like his Hofner on certain songs, there can be no question that it’s not the bridge pick up. Thanks vm.

 

[Doombuggy68]

but if you listen to his later work with WINGS it sound more edgy and a little more mid to treb sounds like a rear pickup on songs like Silly Love Songs.

 

[FranF]

but if you listen to his later work with WINGS it sound more edgy and a little more mid to treb sounds like a rear pickup on songs like Silly Love Songs.

That's because when it went to RIC in '76, pre-tour, they replaced the dead horsey with a new hi-gain. ;-)

 

[Doombuggy68]

That's because when it went to RIC in '76, pre-tour, they replaced the dead horsey with a new hi-gain. ;-)

yeah they wound a high gain pickup with extra winds