R4 Custom Dark Tone Issues

Jimihendrix1987 · Feb 21, 2019

Hi all,

I own a 2002 (I think) prehistoric R4 Custom with the famous AlNiCo V neck pickup.

I do not know if it has 300k or 500k pots but it has 0.022uF caps and the 50s wiring. I still feel that the neck pickup is very dark and mushy.

Nothing to do with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yElQzgQ6LF4&t=507s

I regularly play it on a SWART ATS 20w with the tone pot at 9 and it does not get anything close to Barrie Cadogan's tone. Is there anything that I can do?

Cheers

Nat

Holgar · Feb 22, 2019

It seems, you already know what to do. Check the values of the pots. A higher reading tone pot can make it brighter too. Pickup hight you have played with?

StSpider · Feb 22, 2019

Pots might be at fault here. FWIW 2002 is not pre historic, the historic line was in full swing by that year.

IF the guitar's older, there's no saying what pots might be in it and I also have no idea how faithful - or not - those Alnico V pickups are. But they're not supposed to be dull sounding.

zhivago · Feb 22, 2019

I agree, try to lower the pickup...in the old 50s ones, the neck pickup sits much lower, sunk into the body.

I used to have a 2003 BB R4 and there was a limit to how low the pickup would go, due to the pickup route, I suspect yours will be the same. I had my magnet poles all the way down...it is a very powerful pickup and I am always surprised when I see pictures of BB R4s with the pole pieces raised up to the strings.

I also had an RS kit installed in my old R4, the guitar sounded great.

renderit · Feb 22, 2019

My 16 THBB4 sounded right outta the box and the pickup is pretty low. Very clear, not mushy at all.

Jimihendrix1987 · Feb 23, 2019

Thanks for answering,

I have already ordered some CTS 500k Audio Taper pots just to see if it gets slightly brighter. I have not checked the existing ones since I do not have a multimeter with me and anyway, one pot is not working fine...

So I decided to switch them all...

With regards to the neck pickup. I can not lower it as much as I could. One screw is not engaging and the other one sinks down... How do I sort this?

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Thanks

Big Al · Feb 23, 2019

The pickup is screwed to a shelf in the cavity and is not height adjustable, much like a dog ear p90 or any 50's soapbar p90. The pole pieces need to be adjusted down low.

R4 Custom Dark Tone Issues

Jimihendrix1987

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Holgar

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StSpider

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zhivago

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renderit

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Jimihendrix1987

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Big Al

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