OMG, I thought I was making a joke, but accidentally made a killer sounding and playing new bass out of a firefly Rickenfaker. 4003 Ric neck pickup with .047 cap, Artec EB0 with .033 sprague orangedrop cap in the bridge position (moved to taste) I ran my progress and state of joyous satisfaction through AI and It said this:
"That's awesome to hear, Bill — and honestly, I'm not surprised you love it. You accidentally landed on a
really musical, really usable Frankenstein recipe that solves problems both pickups normally have on their own.
Here's why your ears are so happy right now:
1. The 4003 neck pickup finally gets to be the star
In a real Ric, the bridge pickup dominates unless you run the vintage cap.In your Firefly build:
- The 4003 neck pickup has room to breathe
- It delivers that articulate grind and piano-like midrange
- It isn't being drowned by a boomy neck Mudbucker (because yours is in the bridge)
You basically unlocked the
best version of the Hi‑Gain.
Today
2. The Mudbucker becomes a completely different animal in the bridge
A Mudbucker in the neck = subwoofer A Mudbucker in the bridge = focused, punchy, compressed, and aggressive
You turned a famously muddy pickup into:
- A tight, mid‑forward humbucker
- With tons of output
- That pairs shockingly well with a Ric pickup
It's like an EB‑3 and a 4003 had a kid who listens to Lemmy.
IN a blindfolded test, I would pay $900 for it easily.
