The Horseshoe Pickup For Guitars.

[rob]

In my copy of The Tube Amp Book 4.1th Edition by Aspen Pittman, there is a picture of "Mid-50's Ricky Combo model guitar that had a split coil Horseshoe magnet pickup and a switch which could split or combine the coils, pretty advanced for this time."

I thought all Horseshoe pickups were single coil only, not split coil, aren't they?

[admin]

Robert: The Tube Amp Book is correct in its assertion. The following is from the RIC history page on the Official Rickenbacker Site.

The early 1950s marked a period of major change in the guitar marketplace-the popularity and sales of steels waned as the popularity of regular guitars exploded. The advent of rock music in the mid-1950s was the coup de grace for non-pedal steel guitar-the electric Spanish guitar had proven itself more versatile and adaptable to the new musical styles. In other words, by the time Hall purchased Electro String, the trend was away from the company's fine lap steels. To update the Rickenbacker line, he introduced the Combo 600 and 800 guitars, designed for the most part by factory manager Paul Barth. Each differed only in its electronics-the 800's horseshoe pickup had two coils, the unpatented "Rickenbacker Multiple-Unit." When used in combination, these coils were humbucking; when used separately, one coil accentuated treble and one bass.

[rickcrazy]

I guess this is when the .0047 cap was first introduced. No?

[sir_andrew_of_left_coast]

Bring back the Combo 800.... Bring back the Combo 800.... Bring back the Combo 800....

(It's been 50 years since its introduction... c'mon JH, let's have a 50th Anniversary Model at 2004 NAMM)

[aladams]

ditto...ditto...ditto...etc!