Advice on '73 Rick requested, please

[Dave W]

Great! It really didn't sound like there was a serious neck issue, still it was worth it in this case to have an expert look at it.

[ilan]

Yes! Great news!

[Denis]

Well, I picked it up last night and it sounds fantastic! The new pup is STRONG and I'm really surprised how different the bridge and neck pups are on it. They sound totally different. It's really cool how "woody" the 4001 sounds compared to my other basses.
The new chrome ring around the bridge pup has a cutout so the action could be lowered and it's really pleasant to play now. The neck is nice (not too wide or thick) and is easy to navigate. I like it and know that this one's a keeper!
Mike said i was really lucky because the 4001 had no truss rod issues at all and all the electronics were in excellent shape (other than the dead pup). He thought the flats were weird on it and pulled out a scungy '70s J-bass with rounds on it and proceeded to show off. It was a good time!

[dminer]

Denis, glad that all is well with the 76. I love the neck on my MapleGlow 76, one of the nicest feeling necks of any bass I own. Does yours still have the mute/foam...that's kind of fun to play around with for that McCartney sound. ...and did it have the .0047 cap bypassed?
All you needed was a neck tweek and a new pup. I think you got a pretty good deal. ENJOY!! David

[Denis]

Oh, boo. The neck pup faltered, came back, then quit over the weekend. I'll have to operate because I suspect a wire is out of place and causing a short or something.

[Dave W]

Doesn't sound like anything major. The bass is good on the whole and you got it at a great price, that's what matters.

[dminer]

Aren't you going to take it back to Mike? After all, he checked out the electronics and told you they were in excellent shape.

[Denis]

I would have but tonight I whipped the pg off, fiddled around with it and determined it's definitely a wiring issue to at the neck pup.  Didn't remove the pup from the pg but that's next. Boy is the new bridge pup a lot stronger than the neck pup.

[ilan]

I'd lower the bridge pickup until it matches the neck pickup. I hate it when I flip the switch and the volume drops. If you want to raise the neck pickup, don't over-tighten the adjustment screws, over-tightening sometimes results in cracking the pickguard.

There's another neat trick that I learned from Ted Staberow. Get a neodymium magnet like this one and attach it to the back of the neck pickup. You will get an instant boost in the neck pickup's output.

[gearHed289]

If they put a new bridge pup on there, it's going to be way hotter than a 70s one. I personally would either look around for an old one, or replace the neck pup with a new one as well. It will sound great either way. I kind of prefer the newer ones. They're way ballsy-er, but they still sound like a Ric. Not quite the same "clank", but that's OK for me.

[hieronymous]

If they put a new bridge pup on there, it's going to be way hotter than a 70s one. I personally would either look around for an old one, or replace the neck pup with a new one as well. It will sound great either way. I kind of prefer the newer ones. They're way ballsy-er, but they still sound like a Ric. Not quite the same "clank", but that's OK for me.

+1! I probably mentioned it earlier in this thread, but my '76 4001 pickups have VERY low output - they sound great, but definitely the quietest bass I own. I've also got an '04 4003 which sounds awesome. You can't go wrong with either, but it would be nice to have them match, huh?

[Denis]

Ilan, that's a great idea! I'll try that first and see what gives. If I can keep the original pup I'll do it, but as in the case of the bridge pup, I'll replace it if necessary.
The bass sounds fantastic but as Hieronymous mentioned, it's pretty quiet, about the same as my '74 P-bass. However, that's what the "V" knob on the amp is for!