Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've poked around and haven't been able to find Rickenbacker style pickups in standard humbucker, mini-humbucker, or P90 footprints. The Gretsch thing seems to have really taken off and I think you can shove filtertrons in your Les Paul now. I think there are P90s for full HB slots, Fralin makes a p90-ish strat pickup. So, what about 'that' jangle?

The simple answer would be that Rickenbacker wants their pickups used in their guitars.

Grey wrote:The simple answer would be that Rickenbacker wants their pickups used in their guitars.

I know he goes after manufacturers over various trademark issues, however, you can't stop someone from using specific magnets in a certain configuration, and so much Xga formvar. I thought Lollar got pressed because he was advertising Ric pedal steel pickups. If you change the form factor, there can't be any trademark issues, except maybe with Gibson, but that ship has sailed.

Grey wrote:The simple answer would be that Rickenbacker wants their pickups used in their guitars.

We really don't care WHERE you put them! In your case, I know very often where I'd like to stick 'em!

The bottom line is that we really don't have the extra capacity right now to worry much about making pickups for other maker's instruments.

Now that you mention it, making you buy a Rickenbacker to get them sounds like a good idea.

johnhall wrote:We really don't care WHERE you put them! In your case, I know very often where I'd like to stick 'em!

The bottom line is that we really don't have the extra capacity right now to worry much about making pickups for other maker's instruments.

Now that you mention it, making you buy a Rickenbacker to get them sounds like a good idea.

Sure, you can buy Rickenbacker pickups all over the place and i've seen custom builds that use them, but Rickenbacker making toaster tops that fit in Gibsons or Fenders dosen't seem likely to happen.

Grey wrote:Sure, you can buy Rickenbacker pickups all over the place and i've seen custom builds that use them, but Rickenbacker making toaster tops that fit in Gibsons or Fenders dosen't seem likely to happen.

That's hardly what I was suggesting...or more like who I would expect to do it. I have a P90 strat and it might be an interesting change of pace.

jayfbv wrote:

Grey wrote:Sure, you can buy Rickenbacker pickups all over the place and i've seen custom builds that use them, but Rickenbacker making toaster tops that fit in Gibsons or Fenders dosen't seem likely to happen.

That's hardly what I was suggesting...or more like who I would expect to do it. I have a P90 strat and it might be an interesting change of pace.

If you have a strat routed for humbuckers, then you it is very likely that you could get a custom 'guard from Pickguardian to mount a Rickenbacker pickup in either the neck or bridge position (or both). The bass-spec toaster (which is 'guard mounted) would be the easiest way to go, as the guitar pickups would require a little work to get them to mount to the 'guard.

Edit: There's a thread about pole-piece alignment that made me wonder whether Fender string-spacing will work with Higains....

I don't think I'd want my Gibsons etc. to sound like a Rickenbacker and vice versa.



Besides, dropping in a toaster in a strat or whatever is NOT going to make it sound like a Rick.

collin wrote:Besides, dropping in a toaster in a strat or whatever is NOT going to make it sound like a Rick.

Rickocaster. Stratenbacker?

I can tell you that putting an HB-1 into a P-style bass doesn't make it sound like a 4004; it still sounds like a P-bass, with a little extra mids.

What's wrong with experimenting with pickups? I think a toaster in a Strat might sound pretty damn cool.

OP, if you're interested, GFS has taken a shot at reproducing the Rickenbacker sound in a humbucker format:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Memphis-Aln ... c_159.html

I don't know if they sound any good in real life, but at that price they're worth a shot.

deaconblues wrote:OP, if you're interested, GFS has taken a shot at reproducing the Rickenbacker sound in a humbucker format:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Memphis-Aln ... c_159.html

Probably not smart that the page actually reads "Rickenbacker" tone...
They look pretty cool!