360c63 6-string dilemma

Vintage, Modern, V & C Series, Signature & Special Editions

Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4

Post Reply
JeffE
New member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:26 pm

360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by JeffE »

Long-time lurker, first time poster.

I recently picked up a 360c63 6-string on Reverb - one of the Guitar Center exclusive models. The guitar is essentially new, and I can't say I've ever seen a better looking Rickenbacker.

But...my previous Rickenbacker 6-strings have had high-gain pickups. I had a Jetglo 360WB in the early 90s which I foolishly sold, and more recently I had a midnight blue 330 which I sold to fund the 360c63. In comparison, the toasters seem a bit "thin" on the 360c63, and I like the meatier sound of the high-gains better.

I also bought a Jetglo 1993 plus earlier this year, and the toasters work marvelously on that guitar - seems like the perfect match for a 12-string.

So, my question is...would it be sacrilege to put high-gain pickups in the 360c63? Based on what I've read, the toasters and high-gains are interchangeable, so I should be able to restore the toasters in the future without issue. Are there any technical reasons why the high-gains wouldn't work well in the 360c63?

Thanks,
Jeff
User avatar
wim
Intermediate Member
Posts: 1486
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 1:37 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by wim »

Should work fine.
Make sure first it isn't some kind of capacitor draining the lows that bothers you.
User avatar
jps
RRF Consultant
Posts: 37132
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:00 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by jps »

Wim makes a good point. Do the C63 guitars have the .0047µF cap in line with the bridge pickup? How is the tone from the neck toaster solo'd?
User avatar
jdogric12
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 10853
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:00 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by jdogric12 »

Another thing to be aware of is that your 360WB and 330 MID had 24 frets, but your new C63 has 21, so that neck pickup placement makes a difference as well. But you're right to first suspect the pickup type, as that's a bigger difference. Before messing with that nice C63, I'd try some subtle compression and EQ to see if you can get it where you want it. You might like it better!
JeffE
New member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:26 pm

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by JeffE »

Thanks all! I will check the capacitor value when I get home tonight. That's an easy mod I can do myself.

jdogric12, could you please expand on your comment about 24 vs. 21 frets and the neck pickup placement? Would it make the neck pickup sound more bassy/muddy?

Jeff
User avatar
jps
RRF Consultant
Posts: 37132
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:00 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by jps »

JeffE wrote:Thanks all! I will check the capacitor value when I get home tonight. That's an easy mod I can do myself.

Jeff
You are aware this cap is not the tone cap for the tone roll off control, right? It would be a third, physically smaller, cap that is in line with the bridge pickup to the selector switch. If present, you can bypass it with a piece of wire attached to either side of that cap. No need to remove the cap at all.
User avatar
jdogric12
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 10853
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:00 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by jdogric12 »

JeffE wrote:Thanks all! I will check the capacitor value when I get home tonight. That's an easy mod I can do myself.

jdogric12, could you please expand on your comment about 24 vs. 21 frets and the neck pickup placement? Would it make the neck pickup sound more bassy/muddy?

Jeff
Eek, I'm not quite sure... I just know I like the 21ers better! It has something to do with the fact that on a 21-fret guitar, the neck pickup is sitting beneath the 1st octave harmonic (where the 24th fret would be if it had it). I think that gets referred to as a "node" if you want to do some internet searching... I'm sure there are lots of discussions on it.
xpitt
Intermediate Member
Posts: 1082
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:38 pm

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by xpitt »

You might also consider to get your hands on a pair of hot toasters. They measure about 12 K. I have a 360V64 with those Pups, they doin fine, not so "thin" like the 7,4 reissues, as you said they are perfect for 12 strings.
Knave101
New member
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:41 am
Contact:

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by Knave101 »

I had 3 325c58 ricks all with extremely low output (making the stock guitar unusable IMO). Those pickups are a bit different with short magnets and came stock at 3.5k. But the solution I did on the one that I kept was unique and could be used in your model. I sent two pickups to Tom Brantley pickup rewinding. He unsoldered the end of the winding and added winding to it to increase the pickup output to about 7k each, which was appropriate for those models. In this way the pickups could be returned to stock if absolutely necessary (with some difficulty). The output was night and day difference and the guitars sounded great. So that is something to try as well. He can also simply rewind them as hot as you ask. In this way, they will be the same pickup. It's cheaper than a new pickup. I have two of the GC 360c63 6 strings, both unplayed and mint but I will likely sell them. As I have an original 67 and 62 double bound and they are so wonderful, I couldn't pass on the GC models). These reissues are in my opinion, the best Rickenbacker 360's ever, shy of the originals, and truer as written elsewhere than the 360WB model...which I owned until the GC models came along. However, the finish on the older WB model looked better to me, deeper.
User avatar
jps
RRF Consultant
Posts: 37132
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:00 am

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by jps »

I have a flat bottom (short magnet) toaster in the neck position of one of my basses. Yes, the output is lower than that of the scatterwound toaster in the bridge position, but the tone is totally amazing. I wouldn't trade that tone for a hotter output (for bass, anyway). Apparently, it is a different story on a 325, from your report.
Whipsaw
New member
Posts: 21
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by Whipsaw »

This is an old thread but here goes anyway......Do you still have the 360 c63 6 string Jeff?
JeffE
New member
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:26 pm

Re: 360c63 6-string dilemma

Post by JeffE »

federete wrote:Hi, Pickups varied a little (at least) three versions of toasters, newer high gains have adjustable pole pieces. Hopefully this will help
My original post was almost 4 years ago. Not long after posting, I ditched the toasters and installed high-gains. Much better.

I like toasters for 12's and high-gains for 6's.
Post Reply

Return to “Rickenbacker Guitars: by John Simmons”