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How do the Rickenbacker 4004 humbucker pickups compare to 4003 single coils?


der oxenrig

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At our gig on Thursday, the bridge single coil on my Rickenbacker 4003 was humming like a mother{censored}er. Granted, it still sounded great when I was playing, but the hum was as annoying as gnats on a summer night. :mad: So I looked at the pickups on Ric's "Boutique," and the only bass humbucker they sell is the 4004 pickup.

 

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Does this pickup sound similar to the 4003 hi-gain? Also, how does the toaster neck pickup compare to the 4003's neck pickup?

 

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After having lurked for some time, this seems like a good time to jump in. I have a 4004 Cii:

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The HB-1s have less treble bite than the standard pickups, but they are a bit hotter, so they tend to be louder. They sound best with the strings raised up close against them. They still have a Rick-ish sound in the 4004, not sure what they would sound like in a 4003, and I'm not sure how you would balance the two pickups. The toaster you show will have a cleaner sound but a wider range of sounds; usually these are located at the neck position. My favorite is the toaster/horse shoe combination found on the V63s; it's more of the traditional Squire tone.

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The HB-1s have less treble bite than the standard pickups, but they are a bit hotter, so they tend to be louder. They sound best with the strings raised up close against them. They still have a Rick-ish sound in the 4004, not sure what they would sound like in a 4003, and I'm not sure how you would balance the two pickups. The toaster you show will have a cleaner sound but a wider range of sounds; usually these are located at the neck position. My favorite is the toaster/horse shoe combination found on the V63s; it's more of the traditional Squire tone.

 

 

I notice that the pickups are in different locations. That affects the sound, too, and might account for the differences you hear. I doubt it would account for all of them, but I'd think it would for some.

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