I have a 75 4001. I love it. It rips, but it also has that super clear low Rics are known for. I've played Rics since forever - 35 years now. I previously owned a stripped and custom painted 4003. The previous owner was a biker. The neck pickup was removed and a skull was there in it's place. I removed the skull and had the pickup put back in. As a result of all these crazy customizations, it had no pickup cover and it was a dream to play. I've been playing the 4001 since about 2013. It's easily the most dependable, smooth playing bass I've played, and I find I can do anything with it sound wise. But, that pickup cover really gets in my way. I play with both a pick and fingers, and either way, it's IN the way. I tampered with removal at one point and noticed the whole pickup enclosure was starting to come out, so of course I reversed the process. Any ideas on how to remove, should I try it myself and does it affect the sound? Appreciate any feedback. Thanks folks.
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Ric 4001 Pickup Cover. I want it off.
- Thread starter Michael DeIanni
- Start date
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- Tags
- #pickups #rickenbacker
It shouldn’t be difficult. I don’t remember the steps involved when I removed mine but I don’t remember it being unintuitive in any way. It took only a few minutes.
It didn’t have any effect on the sound.
It didn’t have any effect on the sound.
In my experience, the easiest way is to unscrew the the 4 screws holding the pickup to the body, and you can pull the whole assembly gently out of the body. Then, you will see that the pickup horseshoe is held on by two screws and a spring on each screw. Back the screws out, remove the cover and put back the rest, to set pick up height. You will notice it leaves a big hole now, that’s why I always install an aftermarket bezel.
I don't want to sound like a jerk... but you've been playing Rics for 35 years and haven't figured out how to take off the pickup cover?
I got a Rick when I was 16 years old and instantly removed the pickup cover.
So why did you reply with some unhelpful, uninteresting tidbit about your youth?
This is a good guide! Seems pretty clear and simple.
I think post #3 is probably the best way if you've never done it before. Make sure you take the strings off if you pull the whole thing out of the body with the four screws, I've never had to put anything in the cover's place and never even heard of it until the last ten or fifteen years. There are other ways to do that but I think #3 is probably the best way. Just take your time and make sure you put the ground wire back on the bolt and put everything back together the way it came out.
Everything about my youth was unhelpful and uninteresting.
Which, in case you're wondering, is exactly the same pickup cover as the one on your 4001...
Personally, I like the covers on mine. My '73 4001 still had it's original cover on it when I bought it. It's beat up, dinged up appearance matches the rest of the bass, so I just left it on. My very rare (and maybe unique) left handed 2001 COY Rick 4003 came to me apparently never played - but without it's pickup cover. A quick trip to the Boutique section of RIC's website fixed that problem...Does it affect the sound? Well... as a retired Civil Engineer with many years in Materials testing labs, I have to say that - yes, the pickup cover does affect the sound. Every variable in a test affects the results. The next question you should ask is "How much does it affect the sound?" The answer to that one is... "Not enough for human ears to tell". The reason the cover is there, is - according to the former CEO, John Hall - to shield that single coil pickup from electronic interference. Which seems plausible on it's face; except that it's just a piece of plastic with the thinnest possible coating of copper and chrome plating - and does nothing for the other single coil pickup. The real reason for that cover, is simply to mimic the appearance of the original "horseshoe" bridge pickups, that were standard on Rick basses until early 1973 (yeah, I just missed that - mine was made in October...
). The current cover most likely provides no more electronic noise protection than it affects the sound. Measurable in a lab - maybe; but undetectable to the human ear. So...Bottom line? Take it off if you want; other than leaving a big hole that begs to be covered with something, it won't make any real difference. Personally, I always play my Rick's the between the pickups, so the cover is a nice hand rest. And, just to improve the look, I painted a thin, flat black strip down the middle of the cover; looks even more like the original horseshoe pickup...
I think its just a worthless piece of plastic that sits right above the sweetspot. My opinion, sorry.
If you remove it, its not difficult, but be very careful of the fragile wiring on the back of the pickup.
If you remove it, its not difficult, but be very careful of the fragile wiring on the back of the pickup.
