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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1491412746' post='3272865'] I appreciate the time taken to reply [/quote]

[quote name='Studio GC' timestamp='1491412143' post='3272857'] As far as comfort goes, I find my Rockinbetter very comfortable...and that has binding (no rounded contour like the 4003s), but then again as a guitarist I loved Les Paul's and didn't mind the edges on those or my acoustic guitar when did unplugged gigs, not sure why people find Rickenbacker's shape uncomfortable? [/quote] Yeah, same here. I find LPs extremely comfortable (except those with the really deep vintage carve where there's a noticeable raised edge around the guitar, like an Edwards Jimmy Page I had - that was agony), but struggle with Strats. I guess I'm in a minority there too.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1491408996' post='3272822'] I did the cap mod on my 4001 and it was awful. Both pups became hugely unbalanced and the tone a dull thud. Changed back pretty quick [/quote] Do you mean you added the cap in or took it out? For me the cap mod is taking the cap out on a 4001, although I guess if you've got a Ric without a cap then the opposite is true. In my experience the results vary massively and I've tried it on lots on Rics. My Fireglo 72 still has the cap in, but taking it out hardly makes any difference at all; I suspect it's probably goosed. On my Azure 72 it makes much more of a difference. The biggest difference was on a '76 I had, that was night and day. It went from sounding like a banjo to sounding like a bass. Of course YMMV and the results will depend on playing style, amplification etc., as well as differences in the bass itself.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1491403219' post='3272758'] I know you've told us many times before but it still baffles me, what can a rounded edge body actually do to you? [/quote] At the risk of boring everyone senseless, I have numerous prolapsed discs throughout my spine, some quite severe, and cervical spondylosis and scoliosis. In addition I suffer with hypermobile joints which sublux (partially dislocate), often many times a day. In simple terms, due to a combination of both (and some other factors, including a degree of RSI from years of computer work), I have problems with the nerves in my arms, legs, torso etc. These are exacerbated by certain movements, resting angles, etc etc. I've actually lost a fair degree of facility in my hands due to this, and my right hand basically feels like I've got a glove on, 24/7. One of the issues on a more rounded bass is that if you take a given flat surface (e.g. side of body of 4001) and round off the edges you end up with a much narrower contact area, and the placement and angle of that narrower surface on my forearm aggravates the nerve pain there, which seems to be why a 4004 causes me far more issues than a 4001. The same happens with forearm contours, a la Fender, or more rounded body shapes, e.g. Ibanez SR, which place my arm in a position that sets my nerve pain off. A Jazz is absolute hell for me, but the worst is a typical (non-archtop) Status, because of the height and placement of the upper bout combined with the severe cutaway for the forearm. For those who say float your arm, don't rest it, I can't, because of the joint and nerve problems. I have to rest it, or it's even worse. What I do a lot of the time on a 4001/3 is rest my arm on the flat side of the body, which seems to be wide enough that it doesn't aggravate the pain to any real degree. If you look at a Ric, the highest point of the rear upper bout is also far back compared to most basses, and the region where the upper bout on most basses is at its highest is actually quite short on a Ric. That just seems to work for me as it accommodates my arm placement in a way that most basses don't. Also, and rather bafflingly, even if I rest my arm on the edge of the binding it doesn't have the same effect that a rounded edge does. I've no idea why; maybe the surface area is simply so small that it doesn't aggravate the nerves in the same area, or maybe that's nonsense! I've seen several doctors, consultants etc. over the years, and they're not prepared to do anything because the risk with my neck alone would be too great given my issues, and there are too many other factors involved (shoulder joint issues etc.) which may hinder any possible success. In fact at one point I was passed from pillar to post over whether the main culprit was my neck or my shoulders. They also don't seem particularly concerned about my issues; I was asked by one consultant, who I paid for privately, what I was doing there as I seemed to be walking around just fine. That was money well spent. The really hilarious part was him telling me there was nothing wrong with me, me telling him [i]exactly[/i] what was wrong with me, him sending me for an MRI that "wouldn't show anything" and said MRI backing up exactly what [i]I'd[/i] told [i]him[/i]. Ce'st la vie; it just means there are very few basses I can play now. Given that my first bass was a Ric 4001 and I've been playing them fairly consistently since 1980, I do also wonder if I've kind of moulded to them. Billy Sheehan once said the same about a P Bass shape, hence his Yam being fairly close. I hope I've not bored everyone too much, but you did ask.

I have the opposite problem to most; I find a bound 4001/4003 is one of the few basses that is still comfortable for me (I have various physical issues), but I have been playing them for 37 years. I find them far more comfortable than Fender, Music Man etc etc. Every person is different so what's comfortable for one, or even many, doesn't mean it's comfortable for everyone. In fact I had to sell on a wonderful 4004 because the more contoured body caused me issues, although I'm hoping to give one another chance soon with fingers firmly crossed. With regards to any pickup balance issues, I use early 70s 4001 basses and the treble pickup has a pretty low output, even after doing the cap mod. In fact Chris Squire originally had his famous bass, originally mono, wired stereo so that he could get the level of his treble pickup up to the volume of the neck one. But again, depending on your playing style, amplification, sonic preferences etc, any differences may or may not be an issue for you. And of course you can always raise/lower the pickup or even turn the individual volume up/down. One thing I find with Rics is that people often don't make use of the controls; there are a plethora of sounds to be had between the two volumes and two tones, for instance Paul Grey (The Damned) used to back his neck pickup off a little bit to open up the mids, something I do too on occasion.