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Rickenbacker 4003!!!!!!!!!

P

panic_striken

Oct 13, 2005
562
3
#1
I just got my first Ric about a month ago, and it has amazed more and more everyday. I can get just about any tone I want with just a little patience and tweaking. First thing I did was get rid of the chrome cover, and traded it for the pickgaurdian upgrade. That allowed me to play finger style. Then I started messing around with the Ric-o-Sound and two amps/rigs. I use my neck pup for an all clean balls out low sound, and my bridge (ran to a seperate rig) for my effects sounds ran through varoius effects. This allows me to hold down the bottom end and still add color and uniqueness to my bass lines. I still wasn't getting enough "bite" in my tone. It just seemed to be too bassy. So, I began to tweak the knobs until I found the bite I wanted, but it was still a little overridden by the bass. So I dropped my neck pup down away from the strings a little, and DAMN!!!!!! This tone could bite through nails!!!!!! Think like almost the tone flea has on "Higher Ground" but I'm playing fingerstyle:D :bassist: If you give a Ric some time and tought the tone possiblities are simply endless, and they are classy and dead sexy:p

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#7
Hey Panic-striken,
Looks like you purchased your 4003 from PM Blues in Rhode Island. Great guys to deal with. I purchased a Ric360 from them. I'm curious they stock their 4003s with the vintage pickup option in the neck. I've heard that this pickup is much more "mellower" than the standard neck pickups. I wondering if this could have added to your tone problem.
Murph45
 
#8
Welcome to the club!! I've been playing Rics since the 70s and love 'em as much today as I did then!

8bigger8io.jpg
 
#9
panic_striken said:
NO, none at all!!!!!!! It just allows you to play fingerstyle easier. I am not a pick player so it makes my life simplier:) Oh, and it looks much better than the gapping hole left if you remove the chrome cover.
Click to expand...

I really have to (repectfully) disagree with you on this. It definietly effected the tone of my former '79 4001. After putting in the plastic surround, I could never get the bass to growl like it did before. It dawned on me that it might have something to do with the sort of "Telecaster Effect". Telecaster guitars have a one piece combination metal bridge and pickup-suround. This surround/bridge is ferous (has iron in the aloy) and is hence magneticaly reactive. On a Tele' the ferous surround acts as a sort of transducer, it alows the pickup to pickup some of the body's vibrations. This adds more meat to the tone this is what gives Teles their signature growl. I kind of figure this is what's happening with the Rickenbacker surround, it's alowing the pickup to read some of the body's vibrations.

I dunno' maybe it was just my imagination, but I could just never get that thing to sound right with the plastic surround on there. I WAS able tog et the pickups ballanced though (somehting I could never quite do with the metal surround on). That all said, if it works for you GO WITH IT! If you play finger style, it definitely makes life a bit easier.


~Paul :)
 
#10
Nah, I got my 4003 from a fellow TB'er. I just nabbed that one to show what my fireglo looked like. Now, as far as the pickup cover.............I never really noticed anything. You must notice the year difference and model difference in our basses. In the later models the chrome piece may have played a larger role.
 
#11
Murph45 said:
Hey Panic-striken,
Looks like you purchased your 4003 from PM Blues in Rhode Island. Great guys to deal with. I purchased a Ric360 from them. I'm curious they stock their 4003s with the vintage pickup option in the neck. I've heard that this pickup is much more "mellower" than the standard neck pickups. I wondering if this could have added to your tone problem.
Murph45
Click to expand...

Oh yeah - vintage pickup!
 
#12
hey Panic how much up or down did you go with the pup ? and I just ordered my Pickguardian for my 4003. The cover had to go but the hole is groosum. hope to hear from you soon. Thanks nice job and I love my Ric. i had to get it since I am getting back into the bass after 30 years and lost my first one. I got mine from bass emporium real great folks... how do I upload a picture?
 
#13
paul n said:
I really have to (repectfully) disagree with you on this. It definietly effected the tone of my former '79 4001. After putting in the plastic surround, I could never get the bass to growl like it did before. It dawned on me that it might have something to do with the sort of "Telecaster Effect". Telecaster guitars have a one piece combination metal bridge and pickup-suround. This surround/bridge is ferous (has iron in the aloy) and is hence magneticaly reactive. On a Tele' the ferous surround acts as a sort of transducer, it alows the pickup to pickup some of the body's vibrations. This adds more meat to the tone this is what gives Teles their signature growl. I kind of figure this is what's happening with the Rickenbacker surround, it's alowing the pickup to read some of the body's vibrations.

~Paul :)
Click to expand...

+1!
personally i think those plexi bridge pickup surrounds as ugly as sin. if you want cover the gaping hole and retain the original looks and tone, i'd use one of these:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

BTW, to the OP----- CONGRATS! she's a real beauty!


[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#15
johnk_10 said:
+1!
personally i think those plexi bridge pickup surrounds as ugly as sin. if you want cover the gaping hole and retain the original looks and tone, i'd use one of these:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

BTW, to the OP----- CONGRATS! she's a real beauty!


[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

holy crap! Thanks for posting this!! I've never seen it, and this is exactly what I was thinking about today, and was wondering why nobody made something like this!
 
#16
panic_striken said:
I just got my first Ric about a month ago, and it has amazed more and more everyday. I can get just about any tone I want with just a little patience and tweaking. First thing I did was get rid of the chrome cover, and traded it for the pickgaurdian upgrade. That allowed me to play finger style. Then I started messing around with the Ric-o-Sound and two amps/rigs. I use my neck pup for an all clean balls out low sound, and my bridge (ran to a seperate rig) for my effects sounds ran through varoius effects. This allows me to hold down the bottom end and still add color and uniqueness to my bass lines. I still wasn't getting enough "bite" in my tone. It just seemed to be too bassy. So, I began to tweak the knobs until I found the bite I wanted, but it was still a little overridden by the bass. So I dropped my neck pup down away from the strings a little, and DAMN!!!!!! This tone could bite through nails!!!!!! Think like almost the tone flea has on "Higher Ground" but I'm playing fingerstyle:D :bassist: If you give a Ric some time and tought the tone possiblities are simply endless, and they are classy and dead sexy
Click to expand...

Wow, awesome testimonial. Congrats and enjoy your new bass, it sounds like you have the right attitude.

And beware the TB party poopers. I think there's a lot of jealousy from people on this forum who didn't take the time and patience to explore a Ric the way you are.
 

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