Cosmo Valdemar

16 hours ago, 4000 said:

Did you change to tone pots to 500k too? That should give you even more top. 

I didn't think to change the tone pots... I'm very happy with the new pickups though, I'd be surprised if I could get more treble out of them!

16 hours ago, 4000 said:

BTW, noted your earlier comment about the ergonomics. I must have the weirdest body in the world as I find them pretty much the comfiest thing out there! Although I did learn to play on one…..

It's certainly not as bad as I remembered it! I think I was unconsciously trying to come up with reasons to dislike it as I had a chance to sell it, and the lure of cold hard cash is hard to ignore! Having played it again I realised it is certainly odd, and very different to all other basses, but not 'uncomfortable'. 

But that's the Rick - a jumble of oddball ingredients that probably shouldn't work, but combined makes the most incredible sound.

With these new pickups, it's finally giving me 'that' tone that I've always wanted from a Rickenbacker. CLANK. I HIGHLY recommend them!

Poor Twisted Me - Metallica 

Johnny Blade - Black Sabbath 

1 minute ago, 4000 said:

I bought a CA treble pickup for a project I had a few years back, but the project  died a death (long and highly unpleasant story) and I donated some of the parts to the repairer involved who’d lost money on it (no fault of mine, I lost even more), so never got to hear it. I wasn’t 100% sure CA were still in business, so that’s good to hear. 

He's retiring later in the year, I think. I'm thinking of getting a set in 4004-style covers for a future project.

European Super State  - Killing Joke

No Fronts - Dog Eat Dog

I've just installed a pair of Classic Amplification pickups into my 4003... VAST improvement on the tone. It's a cliché but it's like taking a blanket off the speakers. 

I've now got all the clank I could ever want - with everything on full in vintage mode it sounds like Jon Camp, real presence and growl. I am very pleased.

The only downside is a slightly lower volume on the E, thanks to the non-adjustable poles, but I'm hoping a tweak of the action and pickup height will remedy this.

Dread and The Fugitive Mind - Megadeth

White Hammer  - Van Der Graaf Generator 

Creepy Green Light  - Type O Negative 

Terrible Lie  - NIN

Fragile Dreams - Anathema 

Kiev - Renaissance 

Whipping Piccadilly - Gomez

Nuclear Holiday  - 3 Colours Red

Snooze Button - Snot

Big Gun - AC/DC

29 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@Rich - any idea of the key bits of his signal chain to get that tone?

Most of it is Spector on the P pickup only, and digging in hard! 

I can't remember the exact gear but I remember an interview where EH mentioned driving a cab so loud to distort it had to be isolated in a case or something... sounds a bit daft to me! A Gallien Krueger will grunt like that. 

Deeper Underground - Jamiroquai

1 minute ago, 4000 said:

The only thing I’d add is YMMV with the neck on the Vintage Pro. Whilst typically tapered and therefore narrow at the nut, the necks on those I’ve tried - which were pretty nice basses - are way rounder and deeper than what I’m used to, contrary to many of the comments here, and I found were a bit of a handful. It depends what you’re used to, of course. And how much time you spend on the first few frets; not a lot, in my case. 😉

This is true. Narrow nut width but a nice deep curve with it. 

Running Hard  - Renaissance 

Shapes of Fings - Yardbirds

Cheap Sunglasses  - ZZ Top

Take Me To Church - Sinead O'Connor

Dog-Like Sparky