Pickup Changing for Rickenbacker 4003

[J Gold]

I’ve made this comment in several threads:
Adjusting the pole pieces with the appropriate sized hex wrench drastically alters the sound, especially in the neck pickup.

I slightly suspect this to be a troll thread, but perhaps I’m an old curmudgeon?

 

[Methaneman]

I just got a used ric from my friend. I want to change a pick in a warmer sound for rock style, but I still want to keep the ric sound. I plan to keep the treble pickup, only change the neck pickup. My first choice is the Bartolini. But I have no idea about how these two sound will combine. Will this work?

I wouldn't change the pickups. Take some time playing it, in a band setting is best. I have a 80' 4001 and changed the bridge to a Badass II. That was a good mod and no effect on tone. But it's your bass, do it if you want. Good luck on your quest for tone.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

I changed the pickups in my 4001 to the Bartolini Rickenbacker replacement pickups, leaving the bridge pickup capacitor in place. I also like the stock bridge, had no trouble intonating with the proper tool. I left the bridge pickup cover on. I preferred my bass this way. Some may claim I am wrong on all counts. I may not be right about many things, but I will not let someone tell me what I like.

 

[Wasnex]

I went down the road with my 4001. If I had to do it over again I would leave it alone.

The original bridge was fine on mine, but the E string was sorta of card boardy and woolly. First mod was a Badass bridge and a set of Alembic pickups. The original install sounded fabulous but I wanted to be able to set the strings about 1/64th lower. The luthier took off another sliver of wood and it killed the tone.

The luthier took out a bit more wood and installed a thin piece of composite material under the bridge. At this point the tone was about the same as it originally was. I played it for several years, but I wasn't really happy with the variable filter of the Alembic pickups, or the sloppiness of the E string.

Eventually I sent the preamp back to Alembic to be converted to standard Bass and Treble controls. Ron Wickersham called me to discuss exactly what I wanted and there was no charge. Simultaneously I sent the bass off to Boogie Body Guitars to have the Badass replaced with an original 2-Tek bridge, which involved cutting a hole completely through the bass's body. I turned out to be a tough job because the mounting depth of the bridge is too thick for the Ric, so they had to make a spacer. I also asked them to install a battery compartment, so I no longer had to unscrew the jack plate to replace the battery.

Well the 2-tek is super heavy so the bass no longer has neck dive. It's also has a lot less hum since the Alembics are active. It's actually a pretty cool and unique sounding instrument...but it doesn't sound anything like a Ric. It was my first bass and someone will be both thrilled and then disappointing when it is eventually bought at my estate sale.

I didn't get the bass cheap, and over the years I spent about 1.5 times the purchase price on mods. The bass is worth a fraction of what it would be worth if I had just left it alone.

By all means, it's your instrument so do what want with it. Just don't do something you will regret down the road. IMHO the best mods are the ones you can undue if you change your mind.

 

[Triv]

If you're only wanting to change the neck pickup, why not just run out stereo and send the neck pup to a EQ pedal? That'll leave your bridge pup sound alone and allow you to change the neck pup all you want.

Personally, I picked up my Ric because of my love for Geddy and Chris Squire. It has never been my main bass though and the thought of swapping parts would kill the whole vibe for me. Then again, your bass is your bass and whatever makes you want to play it is golden. I'd just be wary of going down that rabbit hole and never truly being "happy" with the bass.

 

[Skillet]

The neck pickup is where the warm and wooly tone comes from (McCartney). The clank and grind we associate with Geddy / Squire is from the bridge. I'd suggest playing with the height of the neck (cut the grommets so you can raise it more) and turning down the bridge.
I did put a Nordenbacker in mine but that enhances the bridge type tone, ie more mid / trebly grind. The Nordy is like having 2 bridge pickups, so not what you'd want.

 

[Glenn Johnson]

Why also not keep your original pickup, and add a warm overdrive pedal (setting it with a low drive) before the amp?
It's a pity changing a Ric, you loose both historic and economic value doing this.
(my personal opinion)

THIS!

 

[Ric5]

Part of what makes a Rickenbacker sound different is the maple body and part is the pickup placement … Some people don't like to hear the tone a Rickenbacker makes.

 

[Ric5]

Any 4001/4003 made before 1990 will have 500k ohm tone pots … and around 2006 they switched to 330k ohm pots for volume and tone.

I rewired a couple of 1970s 4001 basses to have all 250k ohm pots and they had less harshness and a smoother tone.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Another option is the Classic Amplification pups, much better made than stock Hi Gains, and he can wind them to your preference on tone. Retains the classic look too.

 

[BigBassBob]

I shielded my 4003 and added a Nordenbocker pickup in the neck position.

In my humble opinion, it still sounds very much like a Rickenbacker but with a bit more output and wider, more even tone.

I run a small, independent guitar store in the UK and recorded a small video for our social media with some bridge/neck comparisons if that helps:

 

[Glenn Johnson]

actually, I really like Bartolini sound in my Ibanez BTB bass, I tried a few different kinds of overdrive on my zoom pedal, but I didn't find anyone can let ric work like BTB. do you have any choice of overdrive for this?

Maybe you should just stick with the BTB if that is the sound you want. Why try to make a Rick sound like a BTB?

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Ric options:

 

[Glenn Johnson]

Another option is the Classic Amplification pups, much better made than stock Hi Gains, and he can wind them to your preference on tone. Retains the classic look too.

One pickup being better than another is VERY subjective. I think the stock pickups sound AMAZING. YMMV

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Popular neck pup replacements are a Ric Toaster, and a Ric HB-1 Humbucker.

 

[john_g]

I have been thinking about changing out my neck pickup for a Nordstrand (Nordenbocker - Rickenbacker™ Neck Replacement) because my 4003s neck pickup is weak sounding. Pretty common problem actually.

 

[iiipopes]

I have owned both (previously) a 4001 and (for the last 27 years) a 4002 (yes, "2," not "1" or "3"). I have friends who own or have owned various 4001's and 4003's, and I have worked with them on setups, wiring, string selection, etc. It is not the pickups. The brightness is a combination of the maple body and bubinga (now chechen) fingerboard. Changing the pickups is not going to do that much.

The solution: the tone knob. Roll it down a few numbers, and change strings less frequently so you avoid intrusion of "new string zing." That is what the tone knob is there for.

 

[RickenCliff]

I've got a Nordenbacker on the way, I can give you my 2 cents once I get it wired up!

 

[Glenn Johnson]

I have as always found that the neck pickup is much lower in output than the bridge pickup. To combat this I recently had a Nordstrand Nordenbocker installed into my 4003 & it is amazing. Much more clarity & output than the stock pickup. I wouldn't consider it warmer than stock though. I've never heard anyone that considers the neck sound to be bright in any way.

When you say that the neck pickup is much lower in output than the bridge, do you mean with the vintage tone knob pulled out, or in. On my 4003S, when the vintage control circuit is engaged, my pickups are the same volume. When I push the knob in ( modern tone ), then yes, the bridge pickup is considerably louder. This is how I believe it should be, as the 4003 in vintage mode is emulating a 4001. YMMV.

 

[Nlenhard17]

I just got a used ric from my friend. I want to change a pick in a warmer sound for rock style, but I still want to keep the ric sound. I plan to keep the treble pickup, only change the neck pickup. My first choice is the Bartolini. But I have no idea about how these two sound will combine. Will this work?

I got my ric a few years ago, and I felt the same way. Trust me, just give it time, you'll figure out how to get it right, I wouldn't jump right to switching out the pickups, especially for a ric. Patience is key, welcome to the brotherhood.