Can somebody give an answer on Ric wiring!

[Iheartreverb]

I keep finding loads of contradicting information on how Rickenbackers are wired.

Pots
Some sources have 2x250k and 2x500 other 4x330k. I read that there isn't much difference between 330k and 500k. With 500 being more common to get hold of is this why some people are using these? How much different will putting 250's in there make?

Caps

Modern Rics now come with push pull on treble tone. I though that it took the 47 cap out of the circuit to add low end but then I read that it is refered to a the 3 cap circuit. Surely if this was the case it would still only have two?

Pickups

From what I can find the options are between Seymour Duncan, Bortolli and Joe Barden. Real Ric pickups are just too expensive for me and Barden's seem to have the better reviews in terms of sounding closest to the originals. If anybody has any more options the. I'll be happy to listen. It's the bridge pickup that needs replacing more than the neck.

I have an Aniversary copy which I'm hoping to mod a bit and get a more accurate sound from. I'm not gonna say a "better" tone cause it's quite useable as is. Anybody who could clear up the above would be a legend.

Thanks

[iiipopes]

Pots: Yes, current RIC production is 330kohm pots for both volume and tone for simplicity of parts sourcing and manufacturing. 500kohm pots will give a slightly higher presence peak, or a slight edge, and 250 kohm pots will give a lower presence peak, or very slightly more mellow tone. The difference is very slight, and a lot of folks can't tell the difference. What you use is up to you to to decide how much peak you desire, but if you want more of the classic Rick edge with Rotosound Swingbass roundwounds, go with the 500kohm pots. If the edge is too much, you can always bridge the pot lugs with a 1megohm resistor later to bring the effective value, and therefore the resonant peak, down a touch. One option would be to use the 500kohm pots on the bridge pickup and 250 kohm pots on the neck pickup to get more contrast.

Caps: when you jumper the .0047 inline cap, it effectively takes it out of the circuit. It is still there in the wiring, just bypassed at will. The current schematic on the RIC website for the 4001/3 shows the capacitor, but not the jumper of the newer instruments with the switch. The current wiring takes a wire jumper from either side of the .0047 inline capacitor to the switch that is the bottom half of the tone pot so when the switch is engaged it bypasses the capacitor. The two .047 tone capacitors are still necessary and are not affected so you retain an independent tone control (treble roll-off) to each pickup. Here is a link to the published factory schematic:
[url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19507.pdf"]http://www.rickenbac.../pdfs/19507.pdf[/url]

Pickups: nothing sounds like a Rick pickup. My advice is to save your money and go for the real pickups, even if you have to purchase only a treble pickup. But if they are simply unobtainable, I'd look at the Bardens first.

Legend? Probably not. But I do have a thread on the RIC factory forum:
[url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7928&hilit=iiipopes+mod"]http://www.rickenbac...it=iiipopes+mod[/url]

Edited November 16, 2012 by iiipopes

[Iheartreverb]

Thanks loads for your help. Tried the Ric forum a while back got a load of abuse for having a copy in the first place. Some people just can't get their head around most people not ring able to spend nearly 2k on a bass (mine cost squire bass part ex + £100) although I have no doubt they're worth it!

For pickups I'm searching eBay on an hourly basis for someone to sell one off cheaply, missed one the other day for £60 rather than the £220 they are new.

Thanks again

[BOD2]

I presume you have already checked this -

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker[/url]

[Iheartreverb]

Yeah, that's what out the doubt in my mind about pots but I assume it's Duncan showing what they would use rather than what is factory standard on the instrument.