So I should just loosen the pick-up screws to take it off? I tried doing that, but the pick-up came up really high and was hitting the strings.
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Rickenbacker
- Thread starter nanook
- Start date
Ehm... Turn your screwdriver counterclockwise... and remove all the screw from he plate. It'd be simpler.
It's easier with the strings either off or really well slackened...
Turn each "big" screw (holding the p/u) anti-clockwise completely until the p/u drops down and you can remove the 2 screws.
If you have a good squizz you'll see that there is a spring slipped over each screw (and on one side a grounding wire) that keeps tension for the p/u height - make sure these go back in! The cover is sandwiched between the p/u mount and the p/u itsself.
Once the screws are out remove the cover, and reassemble with the springs and ground wire. Adjust the p/u height to suit!
And there may be little plastic washers in there too - I can't remember where exactly - under the spring? -under the pickup? - under the plastic cover?
hi guys,
I stumbled on to this web site doing a search for rickenbackers. man this thread is crazy!
I got bit by the ric bug and want one real bad.
I want to order me a 4003 maple glo with black trim, what do you guys think, would that look sweet or what?
I play bass at church in front of a couple hundred people 2 times a week. it would be sweet to knock 'em out with that ric tone.
my local shop has a brand new fire glo 4003 and a used jet glo 4003. the fire glo is just a bit to flashy for me, I'm willing to wait 6 months and get one I'll keep for the rest of my days.
I've been asking the guitarists I play with if they've ever heard a ric bass, and they all say no. I cant wait to show up with one some day.
anyway, I think this question may have been already answered, but I think the answer was kind of vague. in order to get maximum chug from the bridge pup, will I have to do the bypass surgery on a brand new 4003?
thanks for any help guys and any suggestions would be most appreciated.
I stumbled on to this web site doing a search for rickenbackers. man this thread is crazy!
I got bit by the ric bug and want one real bad.
I want to order me a 4003 maple glo with black trim, what do you guys think, would that look sweet or what?
I play bass at church in front of a couple hundred people 2 times a week. it would be sweet to knock 'em out with that ric tone.
my local shop has a brand new fire glo 4003 and a used jet glo 4003. the fire glo is just a bit to flashy for me, I'm willing to wait 6 months and get one I'll keep for the rest of my days.
I've been asking the guitarists I play with if they've ever heard a ric bass, and they all say no. I cant wait to show up with one some day.
anyway, I think this question may have been already answered, but I think the answer was kind of vague. in order to get maximum chug from the bridge pup, will I have to do the bypass surgery on a brand new 4003?
thanks for any help guys and any suggestions would be most appreciated.
chump stain, get your rick, you wont be disappointed!
No, the new 4003 models dont have the third cap anymore, so there's no need for the "surgery". Your new rick will already have "maximum chug" on the bridge pup . As for the custom paint job, i dunno if they'll do it for you.. or how much extra $$ that would be.. I might be wrong though.
When you get it, i strongly suggest medium light boomers. Some people really like the strings that come with it (used to be rotosounds, i dunno if that's still on), but i prefer the boomers.
No, the new 4003 models dont have the third cap anymore, so there's no need for the "surgery". Your new rick will already have "maximum chug" on the bridge pup
. As for the custom paint job, i dunno if they'll do it for you.. or how much extra $$ that would be.. I might be wrong though.When you get it, i strongly suggest medium light boomers. Some people really like the strings that come with it (used to be rotosounds, i dunno if that's still on), but i prefer the boomers.
Chump stain, the maple glo with the black trim was a color option in the mid to late 80s. I don't think Rickenbacker is currently offering that color scheme new. I have seen those for sale on Ebay and at a website called pickoftherics.
Link Removed
Sorry for the mispelling. This is a mom and pop outfit and they are real nice folks.
Sorry for the mispelling. This is a mom and pop outfit and they are real nice folks.
max,
on the rickenbacker website it still has "BT" for black trim as a option. but, I dont know if its for the guitars only, its not very clear. if I cant get the black trim, maybe I'll just order a maple glo from musicians friend. their site says they have 'em in stock.
I think I'll email rickenbacker and ask them about the black trim.
O... from a question way back in the thread:
my favorite ric tune would have to be Anesthesia (pulling teeth) by Cliff Burton.
on the rickenbacker website it still has "BT" for black trim as a option. but, I dont know if its for the guitars only, its not very clear. if I cant get the black trim, maybe I'll just order a maple glo from musicians friend. their site says they have 'em in stock.
I think I'll email rickenbacker and ask them about the black trim.
O... from a question way back in the thread:
my favorite ric tune would have to be Anesthesia (pulling teeth) by Cliff Burton.
Is the 4001's neck pickup in a different location to the 4003?
I picked up a Ric bass pickguard that had been ready-shielded around the control area (my 4003 is having fun with EMF hum at the mo').
Funny thing was that nothing lined up compared with my 4003 pickguard - no screw holes matched, the controls were in a (slightly) different place, but the main thing was that the neck pickup was about 1/2" further up towards the neck...now I couldn't fit it like this as the routing for the neck p/u on my 4003 doesn't extend far enough.
Is this a 4001 pickguard or something weird?
In the end I stuck a sheet of tinfoil on the back of the 4003 pickguard...which now hums whenever I touch anything metal on the guard...typical...
I picked up a Ric bass pickguard that had been ready-shielded around the control area (my 4003 is having fun with EMF hum at the mo').
Funny thing was that nothing lined up compared with my 4003 pickguard - no screw holes matched, the controls were in a (slightly) different place, but the main thing was that the neck pickup was about 1/2" further up towards the neck...now I couldn't fit it like this as the routing for the neck p/u on my 4003 doesn't extend far enough.
Is this a 4001 pickguard or something weird?
In the end I stuck a sheet of tinfoil on the back of the 4003 pickguard...which now hums whenever I touch anything metal on the guard...typical...
Hey guys I'm a new guy here and I own a 97 4003 so I thought I would post. Anyways, in 75 they changed the 4001 took more like the current day 4003. Before then, the bass looked totally different...had the toaster pickup which was a 1/2 inch higher or so, and had the horseshoe pickup at the bridge...about the only differences I could tell. The knobs used to be like the Jazz bass ones. Look at the 4001V63 and thats the differences except real 4001s have the binding.
Now lookie here:
Link Removed
> "Ask a Rickenbacker Luthier"
> "Pickups in a 4003"
-look about half-way down page - putting old 4001 pickguard on a 4003
Link Removed
> "Ask a Rickenbacker Luthier"
> "Pickups in a 4003"
-look about half-way down page - putting old 4001 pickguard on a 4003
well well well...
Dunno if i'm gonna destroy my Ric to move the pickup 1/2" closer though!
The pickguard was pretty damn cheap ($35NZD) so I might just keep hold of it "just in case"...
On another note I took the existing guard off my 4003 last night and foiled the underside around the control cavity (making sure all pots had a common connection). Now, with it back together, touching any part of the bass that is in contact with the foil shielding (pots, p/u switch, even the screws!) gives me gound-hum that i'd expect more from an old Fender...
All I can think is that i've (somehow) managed to get a connection from ground to hot in the process...or perhaps a ground loop? The only other shielding is the ground wire to the bridge p/u mount.
All this to stop EMF interference...
Dunno if i'm gonna destroy my Ric to move the pickup 1/2" closer though!
The pickguard was pretty damn cheap ($35NZD) so I might just keep hold of it "just in case"...
On another note I took the existing guard off my 4003 last night and foiled the underside around the control cavity (making sure all pots had a common connection). Now, with it back together, touching any part of the bass that is in contact with the foil shielding (pots, p/u switch, even the screws!) gives me gound-hum that i'd expect more from an old Fender...
All I can think is that i've (somehow) managed to get a connection from ground to hot in the process...or perhaps a ground loop? The only other shielding is the ground wire to the bridge p/u mount.
All this to stop EMF interference...
hey nil!
1) Know ye of a place in NZ where Ric parts are easily/cheaply obtainable?
2) You seem to know a lot more about these things than me, so: if I make a metal scratchplate that houses BOTH pickups, will this cause any problems with hum/whatever and will connecting that bridge pickup grounding wire to it be OK?
1) Know ye of a place in NZ where Ric parts are easily/cheaply obtainable?
2) You seem to know a lot more about these things than me, so: if I make a metal scratchplate that houses BOTH pickups, will this cause any problems with hum/whatever and will connecting that bridge pickup grounding wire to it be OK?
Ric parts? Ha! 
There is no Rickenbacker dealer in NZ...the nearest is in Oz.
I've used Mainline Music here in Auckland mainly...that's where my 4003 came from, and they were able to source a replacement bridge/saddle assembly from Oz really quickly. Good thing I got the replacement free, 'cause Ric parts are super-duper expensive.
A metal scratchplate would work OK, but you'll have to watch a couple of things:
- make sure that the ground wires (from everything, pickups, pots, etc) are all common (check with a multimeter, but you can see by tracing each ground wire) - they should all connect to the volume/tone pot bodies.
- make sure that the new scratchplate doesn't touch any other wire.
That should be all you need...you might want to heat-shrink or tape up any exposed wires in the cavity though - one brush against the hunk-of-burning-conductor-scratchplate will cause hum (you can also be super anal man and stick a backing of Coverseal or something on the back of the scratchplate as an insulator).
There is no Rickenbacker dealer in NZ...the nearest is in Oz.
I've used Mainline Music here in Auckland mainly...that's where my 4003 came from, and they were able to source a replacement bridge/saddle assembly from Oz really quickly. Good thing I got the replacement free, 'cause Ric parts are super-duper expensive.
A metal scratchplate would work OK, but you'll have to watch a couple of things:
- make sure that the ground wires (from everything, pickups, pots, etc) are all common (check with a multimeter, but you can see by tracing each ground wire) - they should all connect to the volume/tone pot bodies.
- make sure that the new scratchplate doesn't touch any other wire.
That should be all you need...you might want to heat-shrink or tape up any exposed wires in the cavity though - one brush against the hunk-of-burning-conductor-scratchplate will cause hum (you can also be super anal man and stick a backing of Coverseal or something on the back of the scratchplate as an insulator).
cool, I just got an email from rickenbacker saying that I could order a maple glo with black trim. the pickgaurd and name plate will also be black, sweet. although that midnight blue with white trim looks mighty awesome! I think I'll go with the MGBT.
now I just got to convince the wife to let me shell out 1000 smackers for it.
now I just got to convince the wife to let me shell out 1000 smackers for it.
Welcome to TalkBass Intrepid!
This got to be the longest running thread on the board, It's great to see allot of people rediscovering RIC basses
This got to be the longest running thread on the board, It's great to see allot of people rediscovering RIC basses
