Short-Scale Rickenbacker 4001 Question

[XsoGol]

Sorry for this but my math on these types of things is bad...

If I were to build a 30" scale bass with Ric 4001 neck and bridge pickups, how far from the nut would I put the neck pickup and bridge pickups respectively? For some reason, the whole 33" (or 32.5" or whatever the 4001 scale length truly is) to 30" scale math is elluding me. Thanks!

 

[lug]

Sorry for this but my math on these types of things is bad...

If I were to build a 30" scale bass with Ric 4001 neck and bridge pickups, how far from the nut would I put the neck pickup and bridge pickups respectively? For some reason, the whole 33" (or 32.5" or whatever the 4001 scale length truly is) to 30" scale math is elluding me. Thanks!

The scale of a 4001 is 33 1/4". There is nothing you can do to change that short of refretting the neck to new locations for every fret.

edit: nevermind, I didn't read your post correctly.

 

[XsoGol]

The scale of a 4001 is 33 1/4". There is nothing you can do to change that short of refretting the neck to new locations for every fret.

edit: nevermind, I didn't read your post correctly.

I'm not looking to change the scale of an existing bass...I'm looking to put together a bass with Ric pickups that is 30" scale. I'm looking for the equivalent pickup positions for 30" scale.

 

[GotRoot?]

Sorry..I have no answer to your question but this sounds like a cool project. In fact, I have considered the same thing with a "frankenbuild" that is sitting around my house in pieces till I finalize the design ( and get some needed router bits).
I am gonna search the forums here.....it seems to me this has been discussed before, at least in the regard to pick-up placement differences between say a Fender Jazz and a Ric (others too).
Will be watching this thread...hope you get some answers. If I find anything via search i'll post again

 

[yodedude2]

p.s. try this: take the normal pickup distance from the nut in inches and multiply by 30. then divide that result by 33.25. the result is the distance in inches from the nut for that pickup.

i think.

cheers, ron

Sorry for this but my math on these types of things is bad...

If I were to build a 30" scale bass with Ric 4001 neck and bridge pickups, how far from the nut would I put the neck pickup and bridge pickups respectively? For some reason, the whole 33" (or 32.5" or whatever the 4001 scale length truly is) to 30" scale math is elluding me. Thanks!

 

[Thunder Pulse]

Ric pickups are where the 24th and 36th frets would be. Those are octave harmonic node points. They're easy to find just by plucking the string in the general area until you find them.

 

[xaxxat]

On a 30" scale, the 24th fret will be at 22.500", the 36th fret at 26.250".

 

[XsoGol]

Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!!! I'm using these measurements (especially the neck pickup position) in this build.

 

[Furutan]

f I were to build a 30" scale bass with Ric 4001 neck and bridge pickups, how far from the nut would I put the neck pickup and bridge pickups respectively?

A short scale bass is like a long scale bass with a capo. You could do the math and tweak the positions by around an eighth of an inch or so, but it wouldn't really make much difference.