Subject: Scatterwound Pickups
Date: 2000/01/14
Question:I'm sure by now, you've all seen the "specifics" about the
soon-to-be-released Carl Wilson Signature model, either at the Beach Boy
site or the RIC Registration Page. The 7.4k pickups are described as
"scatterwound." I don't know whether this is RICs "official"
nomenclature and description, but it is said to be a method that
simulates the pickups being "hand-wound." While it may be a more
accurate attempt to replicate the process that was used back then, it
certainly gives the impression that this method opens
the door to there being more sonic variation between pickups, and
ultimately between guitars, than normal.
Answer: Rather than have the coils wound perfectly uniformly, i.e. row by row and
layer by layer, the computer controlled coil winder was given a random
sequence, just as someone would imperfectly wind a pickup by hand. But
because it's computer controlled, this same "scatter" pattern is used for
every pickup, so they are identical to each other. They are perfectly
imperfect, giving us the best of both worlds.
Subject: Toaster Bass Pickup
Date: 1999/08/12
Question: Is it true that the toaster bass pickup is actually a guitar pickup and that it has 6 pole
pieces?
Answer: It's the same pickup as in a guitar. Unlike humbuckers, for example, this
type of unit has a very wide bandwidth . . . it's high fidelity, if you
like. It works well both for bass and guitar.
The six individual magnets don't act as polepieces per se, but exist only
to
provide the magnetic field to the whole width of the assembly. It could be
made with one big magnet, or 8 or 12 little ones, but this configuration
seems to have worked quite nicely since the 1960's.
Subject: Rickenbacker Humbuckers
Date: 1998/12/22
Comment: The Ric
humbuckers don't lack brightness, they just don't have the scooped out
mids that give the ES guitars that woody/hollow kind of sound. Since I
have a 345, getting that sound out of the Ric isn't a priority, but I
believe Seymour Duncan may be able to rewind the Ric buckers or possibly
come up with something that wouldn't require routing the guitar. I've
seen a few Rics routed out for PAFs - very sad site right up there with
putting a Floyd Rose on a Tele - IMHO.
Answer: I believe it would be impossible to rewind our humbucker. The unit is
completely encapsulated following manufacture to seal it against moisture
and mechanical damage. But all four leads plus a separate shield are
available on the circuit board on the back of the pickup. The possibilities
opened up by this feature for hot rodding are pretty wide ranging, including
coil splitting, phase reversal, active-differential circuits (like we did on
the John Kay model), and so forth. Few other humbuckers offer this
convenience and make you disassemble the pickup to get to the various leads.
I also designed it this way so you have plenty of area to solder on without
having to touch the delicate coil leads.
Subject: Minimizing Pickup Interference
Date: 1998/11/16
Comment: Another thing you can do with the single-coil
equipped Ricks to help some with the noise,
is to take the pickguard off, completely
remove the wiring harness from the lower
pickguard, and cover the entire underside
of the pickguard with aluminum foil tape,
the sticky-backed stuff with peel-off backing,
that you can find in 2" wide rolls at the
local hardware store in the dept. where
the heating/ductwork supplies are.
Response: Done right (and preferably with coil foil tape) this can help . . . a bit.
Unfortunately, if you leave the wiring harness intact with its daisy chain
ground, and then also short out the pot and switch shell with the tape,
you'll have a wonderful ground loop, likely to make the problem worse than
better. Cut the foil back around the pot mounting and make sure the foil
only touches ground in EXACTLY one place.
The far better solution is to remove or otherwise eliminate the source of
hum in the environment. My studio is right on the ocean, for instance, and I
pickup the radar of ships in every piece of gear (especially in bad
weather!). The trip is to have one central ground point to which everything
is connected, even if you have to have to rewire the plugs in the recording
area. In my studio I make sure that I and other guitars players are also
personally grounded with a clip lead to a watch strap or something like
that, but you must be sure that all of your wiring is correctly polarized
and grounded, otherwise you run the risk of electrocution.
Subject: Piezo Pickups
Date: 1998/11/06
Question: Are there any piezo bridges available for the 330/360 series Ricks ? I love
the sound of my 330/6 MG, even unamplified ! It has the feel and sound of
an
acoustic guitar (obviously, with lighter action, and much lower volume). I
have been toying with the idea of experimenting with piezo pickups (like
the
ones for acoustic guitars, possibly mounted under the metal plate that
supports the bridge), but I would prefer an "integral piezo" bridge made
specifically for a Rick, if one was available.
Answer: Unfortunately, the light weight 300 bridge design (which is certainly an
anachronism these days) does not lend itself well to piezo technology, hence
the use of a completely new assembly on the 380 Laguna.
Subject: Piezo Pickups
Date: 1998/11/06
Question: Is there any chance of RIC offering the saddles or bridge assembly and
circuit
pack for us do-it-your-self-ers who already have a 650 series model? I
would
not want to put a completely different bridge assembly (like in the
stew-mac
catalogs) on my Dakota. Is it true that Schaller makes these bridges and piezo saddles?
Answer: Frankly, it's unlikely we'd offer this specifically as a retrofit kit,
although spare parts are always available for order. But it requires a
specially routed slot under the bridge for the circuit board and associated
wiring.
No. Schaller does not make these parts, although the bridge itself is made
in Germany. The saddles, piezo components, and circuitry are made and were
designed by Lloyd Baggs here in California. These piezos and the saddle
material are very special indeed . . . much higher tech than you might
imagine . . . and made under a patent of Baggs. They are completely unlike
the piezo devices made by other well known firms.
Subject: Piezo Pickups
Date: 1998/11/05
Question: From looking at the brochures I have noticed that the 380 Laguna's bridge
looks
identical to the bridges used on the 650 series. Can anyone confirm this?
This leads to my next question. Could RIC offer the 650 series with the
Piezo
option? Would there be any interest and could I add piezo
saddles/electronics to my 650 dakota? I mean does anyone know if the
conversion just involves finding appropriate saddles and swapping them out
and
adding a knob or two? And where would I find these saddles. I've seen
some
in my stew/mac catalog but don't know if they would work. Thanks
Answer: As it happens, I have a prototype 650S PZ hanging on my office wall right
now! However, it (or any other new model) can't be produced until we catch
up with standard production a bit.
These piezo saddles are proprietary, so unfortunately it would be unlikely
if you can find someone else's that will fit, although you may be able to
obtain a complete bridge assembly with integral piezos. In the case of our
bridge, you'd also need the associated circuit pack to make it useful.
Subject: Re: Different PUs in 360WB?
Date: 1998/08/28
Question: Are the pickups different in a 360WB and a regular 360? The
description seems to indicate that the pickups are "high output," but
isn't clear whether they are different from the normal 360 pickups.
Answer: Assuming that someone didn't special order the VP (Vintage Pickup) option,
the pickups are identical.
Subject: Toaster pickups
Date: 1998/10/13
Question: John Hall while we are talking the toasters here, what are these PUs actually
called as far as the Rick company is concerned?
I did not actually hear the phrase "toasters" till the mid to late '80s.
Answer: Vintage Reissue pickups. Guess that would be a problem if we were to release
some of the other vintage style pickups made in the past!
Don't know where and when the term originated, but it seems very apt to me!
Subject: Rewinding Toaster Pickups
Date: 1998/07/10
Question: What happens if the reissues are simply unwound to the DC resistance of
the originals, obviously keeping the reissue #46 gauge wire as opposed to
the #42 of the 60s instruments?
Answer: I'm going to quote from a message I previously posted on this topic:
I don't know about the late 50's . . . I'm not going to destroy one of
those pickups to find out . . . but from the early 60's until today we've
only used #44 wire. If you have measured otherwise, you're looking at a
rewound pickup.
The modern reissues measure about 11.2K with a lab grade ohmmeter.
As I said before, you'll find genuine vintage pickups which have a variety
of specs . . . sometimes as high as 16K and as low as 7K ohms DC
resistance. The modern one is indeed a compromise between output and a
particular type of sound, but not any greater of a compromise than many of
the original, unspecified or less-than-consistent units.
Now let me say it again . . . SINCE THE EARLY SIXTIES, WE HAVE USED NOTHING
BUT #44 MAGNET WIRE. If it's not #44 on your pickup, it's NOT FACTORY WOUND.
We have never used #42 or #46 wire as stated.
During the vintage pickup "redesign" phase, we tested close to 100 pickups
fro a variety of parameters and the current product is essentially an
average or composite of all these units. But beyond this, we even looked
through all of our old production and purchasing records to make sure we are
using materials of the genuine specs. I can tell you that again that nothing
other than #44 wire has been purchased, although several different
insulation materials and other wire coatings have been used through the
years.
Subject: Pickups: Ceramic or Alnico?
Date: 1998/05/28
Question: Are RIC pickups made with ceramic magnets or alnico magnets? Or, does
it vary depending on the type of pickup (single vs. humbucker vs.
horseshoe...etc.)?
Answer: The vintage reissue guitar pickups use cylindrical Alnico magnets . . . like
the originals. The vintage reissue bass pickups use tungsten steel
"horseshoes" as polepieces. . . like the originals . . . coupled to ceramic
magnets (instead of the tungsten being magnetized like the originals). Our
humbucking pickups use Samarium-Cobalt magnets. The modern guitar and bass
pickups use "rubber" magnets . . . which are actually a zillion magnetic
bits supported in a synthetic block.
Each has unique properties for which they were selected to optimize
performance in a given application.
Subject: Humbucker Pickups
Date: 1998/05/23
Question: John Hall,Can you tell me if the humbuckers found on the John Kay and
Hoffs models are electrically identical to the ones found on all the
non-vintage
solid-bodies you make,and what about the HBs found on basses like the
Cheyenne?
While I'm asking, what are all the wiring capabilities of the HB pickups?
Answer: Through the years, there have been three humbucking pickup families. The
first was used on the model 481, the second on the 200 series, and the
current on a variety of instruments including the 350SH, 381JK, the 4004,
and 650 series.
This third series of pickups share the same coils, cover, and printed
circuit board. But the hookup lead varies somewhat depending on the
application. What is nice about this pickup is that both sets of coil leads,
plus the shield lead are accessible from the PC board on the back of the
pickup, allowing any number of hot-rod possibilities.
The second family as used on the 200 series, including the current Glenn
Frey model, also have this same connection arrangement.
Subject: How do I use RIC-O-SOUND?
Date: 1998/04/28
Question: I receintly acquired a 1966, model 370, 6 string. It has 2 output jacks.
I don't know which is a stereo jack and which is mono nor do I know which
one to use for normal operation (mono). The neck position pickup doesn't
seem to be working. Does it only work with the RIC-O kit?
Answer: For normal, non-ROS mono use, you should be using the jack nearest the
tailpin of the guitar. If the treble pickup still appears not to be working,
999 times out of 1000 it's the switching contact on the jack that's been
bent, rather than a problem with the pickup. Simply remove the four screws
from the jack plate, slide the assembly out of the guitar where you can see
the contacts. Insert a guitar plug and make sure the one little switching
contact you see move makes contact with its opposite number. If it doesn't,
use needlenose pliers to bend it slightly so that it does, but still
disconnects when you remove the plug.
All guitar cords . . . or the plugs, more specifically. . . are not created
equally. Unfortunately, many of the cheaper ones are inconsistent in size
and shape and tend to bend the contacts when inserted. The guitar is
actually always working in stereo but when you insert a plug in the mono
jack, it shunts the signals together. When no contact is made, it makes it
appear like the treble pickup isn't functioning.
Subject: Vintage Pickups
Date: 1998/03/11
Comment: From my studies the late '50s and early 60's pickups were about 5000 ohms
of
number 42 wire. the middle to late 60's were about 7000ohms of number 43
wire. The new reissue are about 10,000 ohms of number 45(smaller yet)
wire.
As you go smaller in wire gauge and higher in number of turns and ohms
you
get less clarity, less brightness, more grain in the sound. the AC
current
that a pickup produces follows the skin of the wire not the center like
DC
thus the degrade in sound with smaller dia wire and greater number of
turns.
Of course more turns means higher output but it is a sacrifice. The good
news is that the bobbins can be rewound easily and for a small fee by
Fralin
pickups or Duncan.
Answer: I don't know about the late 50's . . . I'm not going to destroy one of
those pickups to find out . . . but from the early 60's until today we've
only used #44 wire. If you have measured otherwise, you're looking at a
rewound pickup.
The modern reissues measure about 11.2K with a lab grade ohmmeter.
As I have said before, you'll find genuine vintage pickups which have a variety
of specs . . . sometimes as high as 16K and as low as 7K ohms DC
resistance. The modern one is indeed a compromise between output and a
particular type of sound, but not any greater of a compromise than many of
the original, unspecified or less-than-consistent units.
Subject: Re: Vintage Pickups
Date: 1998/03/10
Question: Why aren't the "Vintage" Re-Issue pickups wound with the same wire and
the same output as the old ones? The new ones have a much more prominent
midrange ,breakup sooner and are less clear. Why did this have to change
Mr. Hall?
Answer: They ARE wound with the same wire and number of turns as the vintage
pickups. But the problem is WHICH vintage pickups?
During the 50's, 60's, and 70's, the specs jumped all over the place, the
pickups varied tremendously from model to model, and, regretfully, from one
unit to the next.
When we reissued these pickups, we analyzed every genuine vintage pickup we
could find (dozens of 'em) and the current spec . . . which now is very
tightly controlled with computerized winding gear . . . is what we
subjectively deemed to be the quintessential sound that was within the
range of all those pickups. As it turned out, this is virtually identical
to the standard pickup used on a 360/12 of 1965.
For the record, I even contacted Seymour Duncan, as he has for years kept
records of pickups he's "met" and his recollection is a spec that's almost
identical to standard production.
If one doesn't like the sound of the new "vintage", then you don't like the
sound of that particular old "vintage" either. And my taste might be
different than yours too.
None of this takes into account the effects of pickup aging either, which
is noticeable over time. Do the modern pickups sound like the vintage ones
when they were new? In 30 years, will the modern ones sound like the
vintage ones do today?
Subject: Humbuckers
Date: 1997/12/30
Question: Does anyone know how the humbuckers (found in the 650 series, 380 Laguna,
etc...) came to be?
Answer: As someone else noted, we have made several diferent humbuckers over the
years. However, we had some very specific design goals for these units. I
and Bob Desiderio, a very accomplished guitarist and engineer (who now is
an amp designer for Fender) designed these units to take advantage of the
humbucking principle to reduce noise and increase overall gain. We also
aimed to voice it such that much of the vintage jangle was present but with
a warm overdrive. Finally, we wanted a pickup which had virtually no
microphonics, i.e. you could tap it but not have mechanical noise, which
also has the effect of eliminating feedback. Each unit is completely potted
in an epoxy material, and also, during manufacture each wire is bonded to
the wire lying next to it.
For consistency, we purchased a special winding machine which mechanically
wound each pickup to the exact turn required. More recently, we bought a
computerized winder which also turns to precisely the correct turn but also
perfectly tensions the magnet wire, with the result that every coil is
identical. (This is now used on all models of pickups we make.)
In the end, we found a magnet structure which worked nicely for us, the
right magnetic materials, and perhaps most importantly, a special magnet
wire. As a result, these are some of the highest output pickups on the
market and certainly one of the very quietest as well.
Subject: High Gain and Toaster PICKUPS
Date: 1997/12/14
Comment: The toasters are like Leo Fender's early '50s Telecaster bridge
pickups...absolutely perfect at what they do. Whoever designed them
deserves
to be mentioned in the same breath as Leo or Seth Lover. Maybe
Rickenbacker
noticed the increasing use of distortion by guitarists in the late '60s
and
early '70s and decided to create a pickup with a bit more punch. ?? Even
so,
the high-gain pickups are still fairly low output units. I'll take tone
over
volume every time.
Answer: My dad and Paul Barth cobbled these together. The date was late 1953 and
their main design goal was to get rid of the horseshoe magnet used on other
RIC guitars so that it would be easier to play.
The Hi Gains were indeed directed to the changing trends in music and I, as
a teenage garage band musician, had been pressing my dad for a louder
pickup. I honestly don't know who was responsible for the Hi Gain, but it
could have been the chief engineer at that time, Bob Rissi (later of Risson
Amps). The idea was to preserve the tone but increase the output, with the
capability to overdrive.
