Rickenbacker 4004 Cheyenne Modification

You will need a concentric pot and knobs for it. A500k/A500k would be preferable, or B500k/B500k, if you can find one.

 

If you want to drop in a volume where the switch is, you'll need to drill.
I would recommend all new pots, get at least 500k Ohm, and you'll notice more brightness.

 

The first one to get a VVT setup.


Photograph Copyright © Jeffrey P. Scott 2004 All rights reserved.

I drilled the switch hole out for the 3rd pot, but I also went a step further and moved it slightly higher up the body so that all three pots were equidistant (not necessary but that's what I wanted to do). To make sure there was adequate room for that pot in the control cavity without hitting the side wall I used a Forstner bit to route out the upper end of the cavity a bit.

I did a few other mods to the bass but none that contribute to the harness, beyond making my own harness using 330K (within 3% tolerance. I had a bunch and measured them to find three that were right around 330K) Clarostat CP linear pots. I still have the harness as a subsequent owner returned it to me when he did some other mods to that bass (he was also kind enough to return the Hipshot A Style bridge to me, nice gesture on his part ). But, he kept the toasters.

 

For future reference, resistance is not critical. You wouldn't hear much of a difference if you were 10 or 20 percent off spec.

Capacitors are a different story, though.

 

Yeah, I know, but it was fun to see how close I could get out of a dozen of those pots I had laying around. More academia (time wasting) than needed.

 

wiring harness is just a fancy term for pots, cap(s), and wires pre-assembled

all you'll need for a concentric pot install is more wire

I much prefer the sound of the HB1 humbuckers over the "toasters" that Jeff has installed. Maybe he can post a clip of how it sounds so you can decide.

 

You can have your standard hb1 pickups wired with coil taps,and get a sound fairly close to the single coil toaster pickups pictured in Jeff's bass. I've done that option on 2 of my 4004's. I have another 4004 with SC pickups in it,as well as an old 4000,so i'm able to compare them. The tapped hb1's are not *quite* as glassy,but they sound really good.