Rick 330...whats the deal with the PUPs?

doombuggy · Post by **doombuggy** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:22 am

I contacted the owner and he claims these pickups are original...what do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7374626316&ru=http://search.ebay.com:80/7374626316_W0QQfromZR40QQfviZ1

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:27 am

I appears to me that he has painted high gains to look like toasters.

doombuggy · Post by **doombuggy** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:53 am

yeah I couldnt tell what the deal was the guitar has been pretty jacked around.
Im going to watch it but Im not real sure about paying much.

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:54 pm

I'll bet it's still an okay guitar, if you can overlook goofy stuff like that. I've been watching it for a while, just to see how much it goes for.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:18 pm

I'm gonna guess around $700.

Hard to tell how good the paint job is without seeing it in person. However, the body-neck joint area looks a bit strange ("Impossible to do it without those black lines unless it is factory-done".)

The factory uses joint bleach, one assumes...

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 9:56 am

Interesting addendum: at $809, it not only didn't meet the reserve, the seller relisted it for $1000!

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:34 am

What gives with the black or charcoal color inside the body as you can see through the slash hole? Is that natural?

jim_fel · Post by **jim_fel** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:17 pm

I bought it for around $700 and consider it a good deal.
It has been professionally refinished. It is absolutely gorgeous.
It is a high gloss red (finish seems factory-baked on) that allows the wood grain to clearly show through.
It has genuine "toaster" pickups.
Serial number dates it to March of '97.
I have a Gibson, Washurn, two Fenders, an Ovation 12 string, and a Ric 360/12.
This guitar feels better than those. It sounds great too.
Hope this answers your questions.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:37 pm

Those pickups are Hi Gains which have been painted to look like toasters. Kind of hard to miss that, ha ha.

jim_fel · Post by **jim_fel** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:50 pm

They are "toasters".
They sound soo good, I'm thinking of replacing my Hi Gains on my 360/12 with some.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:32 pm

Welcome, Jim!

How did you get toasters with silver bumps on them?

This is how Rickenbacker toasters look:

This is how Hi-Gains look:

Note the bumps on the High-Gains and the smooth tops on the toasters.

The factory doesn't "bake" finishes, incidentally. It's an air-dry varnish clearcoat that is then hand-sanded and abrasive-polished to a fare-thee-well.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:41 am

Toaster-gains?

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:27 am

Hi-sters?

jim_fel · Post by **jim_fel** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:44 am

Paul,

How 'bout sending me a set of each so I can see it first-hand and try them out

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:59 am

Nice try, Jim.

Nice feller.