• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

My Rickenbacker Modification Project

#361
Ric5 said:
I would put a hipshot Ric replacement bridge on that bass. It would make palm muting and intonation a LOT easier.

Also it is good you put the pickups in assymetrically to favor the E string. This is a good trick to get better low E volume on the Ric bass.
Click to expand...

Re the Hipshot, I'm considering it. My action is absurdly low. With the hipshot (which I had on an otherwise stock JG 4001C64), when you get the saddles that low, the down-pressure decreases and you encounter that infamous saddle-wobble issue. If I do end up adding that bridge to this bass, I will mod it to allow string-thru and add holes and ferrules to the bass. Running the strings thru the body would increase the angle the strings cut at the saddle from the spec 20 degrees to more like 90. This "should' eliminate the wobble and make that bridge a viable option for me.

We'll see.
 
#366
Nice looking bass!! I got a 4001 in 1978. I say GOT as averse to buying it , because My bass at the time (a Gibson EB-0 from like 1967 or something) along with all the rest of the bands stuff was stolen from Our practice shed. Well I got home from discovering this and the next morning my grandfather gave me a Blank check and said go buy yourself a bass. I did a Wine colored 4001. Beautiful. Then it cost 879.00 with a hardshell case. (Interestingly the sherrif department here recovered our stuff days later. ALL of it!)I hated the sound but I LOVED the playability of it. So.... My friend and I enlarged the bridge position cavity slightly and tossed in a P-bass pickup. Oh MY GOD. It sounded like heaven!!! I played that thing for 10 years. Ex-wife made me sell it ( yes at quite diminished value).

Don't know if I would have modified it If I had saved up and paid MY hard cash for it. But I certainly never even gave it a second thought at the time. Of course I was drunk most of the time anyway.
 
#367
OMG!! Those mods are absolutely KILLER!!! (so's your playing BTW).

I'm not a purist when it comes to factory-made basses-you bought it, you mod it!

One multi-part question regarding the electronics: -why didnt you use a pull-pot on the volume control for the active/passive switch? If you did that, the 3rd toggle could've been a coil-splitter for the MM and you could've had the option to run it as a single coil- even more tonal variety!!
Sorry if this was asked previously, I didnt have time to go through all 19 pages!

Enjoy it and play the living daylights out of it!
GREAT job!
 
#369
kjpollo said:
OMG!! Those mods are absolutely KILLER!!! (so's your playing BTW).

I'm not a purist when it comes to factory-made basses-you bought it, you mod it!

One multi-part question regarding the electronics: -why didnt you use a pull-pot on the volume control for the active/passive switch? If you did that, the 3rd toggle could've been a coil-splitter for the MM and you could've had the option to run it as a single coil- even more tonal variety!!
Sorry if this was asked previously, I didnt have time to go through all 19 pages!

Enjoy it and play the living daylights out of it!
GREAT job!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words man. I appreciate it!

Regarding the push pull pot, I'm not a big fan in general of them (long story). I've just always preferred toggles. On top of that, in this specific scenario the control cavity depth was not great enough to accomodate the taller pot. As hard as it may be for the Rickenbitches to believe, I didn't want to route anything that wasn't 100% necessary in the big picture of my plan so that made it even easier to go w/ a toggle.

I'm aware of the wiring options for a bartolini MM w/ 4-conductor cable. There are 6 options. I've described my set up simple as series parallel. What I actually have is a 3=position toggle with -

Parallel HB / Neck SC / Series HB
 
#371
it seems that by calling people that take pride in their stock rickenbackers, some feel the need to insult them and call them 'rickenbitches.

.....so i have created a term for those people that modify and route their rics way beyond be able to return them back to stock, i hereby name them 'rickenbotchers'.

touche'. ;)
 
#372
I have a very nice '78 4001 - and have always loved the way it plays and feels. The workmanship is stellar and it has aged super-well.
Although I appreciate the Rick's sound, I think there is plenty of room for improvement and your mods are great. You've made it YOUR bass - which I respect. If you like the results, God bless! You guys that think this bass is ruined - get over it. Making an instrument YOURS is a beautiful thing
 
#373
johnk_10 said:
it seems that by calling people that take pride in their stock rickenbackers, some feel the need to insult them and call them 'rickenbitches.

.....so i have created a term for those people that modify and route their rics way beyond be able to return them back to stock, i hereby name them 'rickenbotchers'.

touche'. ;)
Click to expand...
Up until a few years ago, I owned a stock Rickenbacker. I was proud of it (as proud as you can be about a bass that I bought, as opposed to built). I never let my pride guide me into commenting negatively about another's bass. Does this make me emotionally superior to those who can't resist but comment negatively? No. It makes me normal. I'm sure that if context of the post and this thread is taken into account (as it should always be, eh?), you'll see it's that particular practice that is being commented on, not how you feel about your instrument. Everybody's underwear on straight again?

Mike
 
#374
Toggle switches vs push-pull pots! About a dozen pages ago, I posted a picture of my old FireGlo '73 and J Hud asked about the mini-toggle. It's my version of the capacitor bypass switch. I didn't feel like screwing around with a push-pull, either. Enjoy!
 
#375
hankazoid said:
Jhud - you did an awesome job! The bass looks great and sounds awesome. I wish I had your skills both with modding and playing!

In your hands the thing is gonna be singing quite beautifully.

Great job.

And forget about all the Rickenbitches.
Click to expand...
It's interesting to note that there are more people bitching about Rickenbacker fans than there are Rickenbacker fans bitching about J Hud's mod.

I wonder why that is?

Who is the Rickenbitch now? You're bitching about Rickenfans so I'd say that's you.

Sound about right?

Yeah, me too... :rolleyes:
 
#376
Ric5 said:
This thread has reminded my of the unpleasant reality that Rickenbacker ownership can sometimes lead to a cult like mentality. It is like the Rickenbacker bass is some sort of holy relic to be worshipped, and those who modify their Rics are infidels who are worthy of hatred and scorn and endless belittlement. Nobody gave me any grief for building several fenderbirds, or modifying an sg bass, or modifying Jazz and p-basses. But somebody modifies a Rickenbacker and all hell breaks loose. Or somebody builds a copy of a Rickenbacker and it is like they have committed high treason and should be sentenced to life in prison. Hey Ric owners LIGHTEN UP. THEY ARE JUST MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, YOU KNOW WOOD METAL AND PLASTIC. THEY WEREN’T MADE BY GOD THEY WERE MADE IN A FACTORY. (yes I was yelling there) Now I know why the Rick Resource forum kicked me out. They can’t handle my simple logic and reasoning. They have been drinking the cult of Rickenbacker kool-aid too long. Hey guys John Hall is not a prophet … he is just a ceo of a corporation. Rickenbackers are nice musical instruments, but they are not perfect. Modifying a Rickenbacker is not a sin against God and nature. We call the mods IMPROVEMENTS.

To all of my friends and enemies at RRF I have a suggestion … “GET A LIFE”

Next time you see a modded Rick you don't have to scream bloody murder. Just let it go.
Click to expand...

hahaha YES. it had to be said. +1 sir.
 
#380
IronLung1986 said:
clearly the rick community has been less than welcoming.
Click to expand...

Really? There've been many supporters crop up from within it. I don't care what this guy does with his TRC, I just think this statement is bull. There's been strong resistance, strong support, and (the majority by a mile) a sort of "meh, not my thing" response, all from within the RIC community. Characterizing it as one absolutely negative voice is downright false.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back