Hi Gain pickups: Bass vs Treble ?

[4000]

Hello,

Someone is selling a HiGain pickup, but unfortunately he can't tell whether it's the bridge/treble or the neck/bass pickup.

Any way to tell ? I'll be getting some resistance-info, I guess that'll indicate something. But was wondering if there are other differences. Magnet polarity perhaps?

Thanks!

[jps]

Are we talking bass, or guitar, pickups? If you mean bass pickups, the neck pickup would have threaded mounting/height adjustment screw holes, whereas the guitar pickup would be a slightly larger hole without threads. However, a 480 guitar, for example, would use the bass hi-gain pickup as it mounts through a pickguard, just as it does on a 4001/3 bass does.

As to DCR or magnet polarity, no difference AFAIK, although there could be a slight difference in pole piece spacing but not enough to really make a difference, IIRC.

[4000]

Sorry, I meant 6 string guitar, so pickups for 330/360. I'll post pics later & RE more.

Thanks!

[jps]

They should not have threaded mount holes. The rest, from above, would possibly apply.

[aceonbass]

The bridge pickups for RIC guitars have wider pole spacing, so since RIC felt the need to do that, I'd make sure to get a bridge pickup if that's what you specifically need.

[4000]

Thanks for the quick responses all, much appreciated!

As to DCR or magnet polarity, no difference AFAIK, although there could be a slight difference in pole piece spacing but not enough to really make a difference, IIRC.

Thanks, I'll check for the polespacing nevertheless.

Pic attached (FWIW)


Thanks!

[4000]

The bridge pickups for RIC guitars have wider pole spacing, so since RIC felt the need to do that, I'd make sure to get a bridge pickup if that's what you specifically need.

I checked the Rick-file ( gpickups.pdf ), and learned that the pickup-size (the chrome surrounds) should be identical, but indeed, then the pole-locations can still be different between bridge & neck. Interesting, I'll check!

Thanks/best regards

[4000]

Just got DCR-info for this pickup: 12kOhm. I'll have a look how that compares with the others.

Bye

[iiipopes]

From the mid to late '70's through the '80's, and possibly into the early '90's (someone else will have to help me with the exact timeline) RIC went through a phase of trying to achieve maximum tonal contrast between the bridge and neck high gain pickups. So the guitars manufactured during this time (and I have two from 1981) tended to have underwound bridge pickups for maximum brightness, and overwound neck pickups for maximum darkness, with the output of the neck pickup tamed by the 5th knob. This usually meant that by contrast to today's high gains, which are moderately wound and roughly the same in all positions, that the bridge pickups of this era of guitars would have @ 6 to 7 kohms' worth of wire on them, and the neck pickups would have @ 12 to 14 kohms' worth of wire on them.

But here's the deal: they are interchangeable. The mounting frame and screw spread is the same, irrespective of pickup position, and the polepiece spread is the same as well. Some folks like the little bit higher drive from the extra windings and the tone of the overwound pickup in the bridge position, and so they move or swap the pickups accordingly. Others, like me, like the jangle, and desire the lesser wound pickups.

[4000]

Thanks for the response, that's interesting, so then the polepiece-spread IS actually the same (should check mine).

(OK, I realize it won't matter much whether it actually is or isn't, but OK, we're in it for the details here )

With all these variations, the R-o-S sound stage spread will have been all over the place, but OK, I figure that didn't pose too much of a hindrance since (at least relatively) not that many people actually using that, as I learned. (And dual amps can be adjusted differently)

Hmm, so that 12 kOhm up for sale here is already a bit dark I understand.

Bye

[4000]

As to DCR or magnet polarity, no difference AFAIK, although there could be a slight difference in pole piece spacing but not enough to really make a difference, IIRC.

Thanks, I'll check for the polespacing nevertheless.

Thanks aceonbass & jps for mentioning this, hadn't realized the polespace-difference so far. I measured and indeed, I found those differences here as well

(center to center of outer polepieces)

46.5 mm neck
49.5 mm bridge

So that makes that 12k-pickup-for-sale most likely a bridge pickup.

Have a good weekend