This will probably be the longest of the installments in this series. In hindsight I probably should have done it in two parts.
Apart from the inevitable threads about strings and amps, one of the most discussed topics on this forum is pickups. By my count Rickenbacker has used 14 different pickup types since the 4000 series was first offered back in 1957. Each type has its fans and detractors and all provide us with nearly endless discussion. I probably missed some variants or details so please feel free to fill in the blanks. Be sure to click on the pics to see larger versions.
I have broken the pickups down into these groups.
2 Horseshoes Vintage and VRI (2 or 3 versions)
7 Hi-gains Transition, 70/80, 80/90, 5 string v1, 5 string v2, plastic bobbin, adjustable
2 Toasters Long and short magnet (standard and scatter wound)
1 4002
2 Humbuckers HB1 and HB2
The coil impedance values listed below are a summation of my own measurements and those reported by others. They are not intended as an absolute reference nor do they necessarily describe any official RIC specifications.
Horseshoe Pickups
The very first bass pickups were offered long before there was a 4000 series. In the 1930s Rickenbacker made retrofits for upright basses. This rare surviving example has since been restored by Jason Lollar and currently belongs to the Smithsonian Institution.
Unlike Fenders, Rickenbacker basses have sported very little true bass hardware over the years. In the beginning, nearly all of the hardware used on Rickenbacker basses including the pickups started out as guitar parts. The first 4000 series basses have horseshoe pickups that were more or less lifted right out of the steel guitar line. I don't know why the Horseshoe model was chosen over the Toaster at the time but that decision set the standard for the 4000 series that has endured to this day. This is why the treble pickup looks and operates at it does. There is really no practical reason anymore for the surround and the deep body route. It has simply become the “look” and the expectation of Rickenbacker players. Of course there were a few practical modifications made to the horseshoe like a four pole bobbin and a symmetrical surround but the original pickup is essentially unchanged. A vintage horseshoe consists of a bobbin and coil wound to about 6K ohms inside of two tungsten steel horseshoe magnets. The bobbins are molded black plastic with four fillister head screws as poles. The poles are not meant to be adjusted. They were cut to length so that when turned flush with the bottom of the bobbin they are at the correct height on top. The entire assembly is mounted on a rectangular aluminum plate with threaded holes at each end that accept the height adjuster screws.
Vintage Horseshoe Pickup
In the mid 80's Rickenbacker introduced the model 4001V63 and with it a new version of the horseshoe pickup. While cosmetically it is an approximation of the original, it is entirely different functionally. The magnetic field derives from four ALNICO poles not the shoes themselves. The horseshoes serve as covers and apparently also shield the pickup from electrical noise. Some have said that the pickup sounds different with the shoes removed. I have not tested that theory but I suppose it could be so. The overall design is very similar to that of the Toaster so it is not a total departure for Rickenbacker. It is just the first time the idea was applied to the bass treble pickup.
The sound of the VRI horseshoe is not a constant because there were at least two different versions produced. The version used in the 4001V63 is quite hot – close to 11K ohms by some measurements. Some feel it is too hot and overpowers the Toaster.
Many 4001CS players who have also played V63s seem to feel the CS has a different sound. I don't know if this is true but it would not surprise me if turns out that the CS has tweaked pickups. The horseshoe used in the 4001C64 is not nearly as hot as the earlier version but is otherwise of the same construction.
On early VRI horseshoes, the upper and lower sides of the U are parallel. The original horseshoe magnets are slightly open – the sides are not parallel. At some point the factory took note and started shaping the shoes to look more like the originals.
To my ear, the VRI horseshoe is a bit fatter sounding than a Hi-gain with about the same punch. It overdrives nicely, if you are so inclined, and cuts through the mix. I normally remove my treble pickup covers but leave the shoes of my VRIs in place. I guess I just like the look.
Vintage Reissue Horseshoe Pickup
Hi-gain Pickups
By mid 1968 Rickenbacker dropped the horseshoe pickups on both their steels and basses in favor of a more conventional under-string design called the Hi-gain.
The first Hi-gains have pale green or white resin-board bobbin flanges painted black with screws used as poles. As with the horseshoe bobbins, the screws were cut to length and not meant to be adjusted. The coils were wound to about 7K ohms, a bit hotter than the previous model. The horseshoe magnets were replaced by a thick piece of flexible magnet material placed directly under the bobbin and held in place by adhesive.
These first Hi-gains are often called transitional Hi-gains by players and collectors. This example sports an owner-applied coat of black paint that also covers the aluminum base plate. Note the shape of the base plate and how it differs from the ones used on horseshoe pickups.
Along with the new pickup design Rickenbacker also introduced the rounded rectangular pickup surround and the plastic cover / hand rest.
In late 1972 or early 1973 an improved version of the Hi-gain was introduced. Gone were the screw pole pieces - replaced instead by type U drive screws. This was done presumably to prevent people from trying to adjust the height of the poles. Turning the screws on the earlier models could actually damage the coil windings or even cause the lower flange to fall off (messy business either way). Drive screws are typically used when the fastened parts are intended to never be disassembled. It seems logical then that Rickenbacker meant for the poles to stay put. The aluminum base plate was replaced with one of black plastic. I believe this is also when the treble surround lost its scalloped front and rear edges. Around this time or shortly after the coils were stepped up to about 8.5K ohms.
