Rickenbacker 4001/3 pickup cover - why is it there?

[Gilmourisgod]

Damn your eyes Jeff Scott! So tell us , do YOU favor that shiny bit of plastic, or do you prefer tort?

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I took mine off. I'm not as skilled as Chris Squire, I don't use a pick, so playing right over the bridge pole pieces does it for me.

 

[bobalu]

I really love the look of the cover on the 4003, sets it off perfectly. I just can't play properly with it on and took it off the second day. If I ever come into some money, I'll buy a second 4003 and leave the cover on so I can have both....

 

[Jeff Scott]

Damn your eyes Jeff Scott! So tell us , do YOU favor that shiny bit of plastic, or do you prefer tort?

Tort is fine on a Fender. On Ricks, I prefer real metal.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Re: the eyes. Too late!

 

[BASSKADET]

I leave mine off. It deters my flow of hand movement and and doesn't let me get that tone over the Pup.

 

[BASSKADET]

Tort is fine on a Fender. On Ricks, I prefer real metal.

View attachment 675311

Jeff I like the Jetgo.

 

[Humbled]

I'm a moron, but of all the Rics I've played and owned, I really like exactly one.

This 1992 4003:

Yes and the first thing I did was take off that obstruction. It's a pretty good bass... for a four string.

 

[Humbled]

Au contraire. Here is just one example:

Man, I'll get slagged for this, but did Chris Squire really think playing that far behind the beat up until 3:00 was useful?

 

[Jeff Scott]

Man, I'll get slagged for this, but did Chris Squire really think playing that far behind the beat up until 3:00 was useful?

I don't hear what you are hearing.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Jeff I like the Jetgo.

Thanks, it was a great bass, but is currently with another Rick lover. So too, the V63. There just isn't anything like a good, old 4001. Especially, with a magnetic horseshoe pickup in it, although I will say the original hi-gain is no slouch, either.

With, or without, the cover.

 

[Humbled]

I don't hear what you are hearing.

Where was the kick and bass "lockup"?

Listen to it again. I'm going to say they're 125ms apart until 3:00, most of the time.

 

[Snakeman1066]

Took mine off (I'm part of the "it's in my way" camp) replaced it with this!

 

[leegreenman]

I too have a 4003W. It looks cool and doesn't get in my way, So I kept mine on.

 

[Korladis]

OK.. back in the 80's I owned a 4001 and removed the bridge/treble pickup cover on day 1. Played it for 10 years that way then sold it (yea that was a mistake). After playing nothing but Jazz basses for years, I've decided to buy another Ric - found a beautiful 4003w yesterday. It really sounds great (better than my 4001 - that could be due the maple fretboard, walnut body, or the fact that I am a better player now than I was way back then.) But...what to do with the pickup cover? Does it serve any purpose? There seems to be a ground wire a attached to the screw, does it somehow reduce single coil hum? If it serves no sonic purpose, I'm inclined to remove it. The Ric has slightly lower string tension than I've grown used to on my Jazz basses, so my instinct is to want to finger pick a litter closer to the bridge - right where the dang pickup cover is sitting. Removing the pickup cover seems like the logical thing to do, however, because its not exactly a simple task, I wanted to know if it serves any real purpose other then as a palm rest for pick players before I do it.

Thanks!

The newer basses are better, IMO.

The cover mostly is there for aesthetics. Might be some slight shielding, but not really much, most likely.

I like to call it the sweet spot eliminator. If your a finger player it is placed in the absolute worse place possible. I quickly removed them from my Rics.

I've always felt that the sweet spot on a Rickenbacker 4001/4003 is between the two pickups. I play with my fingers most of the time, and don't find the cover to be any obstruction at all.

Then again, I never developed a habit of playing right over pickups on any bass, as when I started I was a pick player mainly, and was pretty sloppy, so if I played over the pickups on a bass, I'd hit them.

What a bunch of malarkey. It's not like they're made of tort.

Ew, tort.

 

[Paul Boyer]

Where was the kick and bass "lockup"?

Listen to it again. I'm going to say they're 125ms apart until 3:00, most of the time.

Oooh, yeah. But that's the way it is on the original recording, too. Instead of just a "bump" it's more of a "badump." Check out the original.

 

[Humbled]

Oooh, yeah. But that's the way it is on the original recording, too. Instead of just a "bump" it's more of a "badump." Check out the original.

Well, there we have an answer. I guess someone did think the separation was useful. I guess I'm too OCD to appreciate the attraction

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yeah, I never heard anything wrong with it, that is how the song is supposed to go. Intentional, and brilliant, actually. Bill & Chris knew that it was going to bug someone 40, or so, years in the future......................

 

[mapleglo]

I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to remove the cover, so I compromised. I have one each way.

 

[Korladis]

I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to remove the cover, so I compromised. I have one each way.

An awesome trio.