My 4001 Bass

[Rick-Sixty-Six!]

Hello,

joined here the other day and mentioned my (only recently reunited with) Rickenbacker Guitars..
I have a standard 330 fireglo , although quite old, and a 1973 4001 Bass which never really drew my attention beyond its sound and looks.

But having read a few posts here it has me interested. Maybe some of you could help with the features.

I will try to get more and better photos if needed, but cant find my camera usb cable.

The Bass is 1973 fireglo, honest playing wear and has Grover USA tuner heads, wavy cloud' shape.

Toaster neck pickup, checked binding, chromed alu tail and has never been tinkered with (by me anyway)...

I always thought it had a standard bridge pickup, but cleaning it the other day I noticed that the pickup does not have a cover (like on my friends old hondo fake 4001...

but has 2 solid metal horseshoes (magnets?) that wrap over and under the pickup coil...

Could this be an addition I was unaware of or a 'hangover' from an earlier model that made it onto my 73...

I understand 1973 was a 'transition' year with all sorts of combinations of parts and binding etc. but my knowledge stops there.

Any insight would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

[teeder]

Welcome, Steve!

Pictures will help identify what you have. How long have you had the bass? If you bought it within the past 20 years, then my guess would be that it's original hi-gain pick-up has been replaced with a reissue horseshoe from a 4001V63 or C64.
I personally haven't seen a factory Rick bass with a original horseshoe in it that was made after Jan 1969.

[Rick-Sixty-Six!]

Having trouble with photobucket and image sizes so had to crop - so just the one here..

shows pickups though...

Bass was got around mid eighties, and out of my hands a while, but as far as I know no changes were made...

Steve

[teeder]

Others here will know better, but I think it's a reissue horseshoe, which, contrary to what Jeff Thomas will tell you, isn't a bad thing.

Love the shading on the '73 Fireglo's!

Nice bass!

[T.A.R.]

Real nice Bass and I second on the shading, Beautiful!

[rickenbrother]

Very nice! More pictures!

[cjj]

Original "real" horseshoe pickups use the "shoes" as the magnets. I believe that the reissues do not have magnetized shoes. So one way to check would be to take some piece of steel, such as a nail, and see it it "sticks" to the horseshoes. I've done this with the shoes on my console steel and you can definitely tell that they are magnets. I'm not sure if there's any magnetism in the shoes on a reissue (caused by the actual magnet under the pickup) though, I've never actually seen one.

In any case, if there isn't and magnetic attraction to the shoes and the pickup works, it's probably a reissue horseshoe...

[Rick-Sixty-Six!]

You know i thought about trying for magnetism. but assumed the newer Horseshoe pickups would also be functional rather than cosmetic...

Will try it now...

and post some more pics tomorrow hopefully...

The 'coil' of the Pickup certainly looks to have age... and I dont know anybody who would butcher a very expensive vintage issue bass to put the pickup on an older one..

Steve

[beatlefreak]

Welcome to the forum, Steve.

[VRICKY63]

Very nice instrument !

[jps]

Welcome, Steve!

I think those may be magnetic shoes; the edges are rounded like the old ones, not sharper edged, like the RI shoes.

[jps]

Oh yeah, disregard those who poo poo horseshoes!

Here is are a couple of shots of the magnetic shoes on my 4003.

[jps]

Here is the RI shoes on my 4001V63.

[Rick-Sixty-Six!]

The shoes are only weakly magnetic....

could be residual.. but not close to the magnetism in the toaster...

I will take some close photos tomorrow, but have read elsewhere that Rickenbacker (at around the time Horseshoes were withdrawn on the 4001) between 1969 and v. early 70's did issue some high gain Bridge pickups with replica metal horseshoes (non functional) in order to look like the old horseshoe...

.... soon after moving to a one piece cover and then the plastic chromed cover...

Anyone able to confirm this as I just don't think that the pickup has been swapped ever..

Will take the photos and maybe have a look under the pickup.. dont want to have to loosen off the strings though.

Thanks

Steve

[jps]

.....have read elsewhere that Rickenbacker (at around the time Horseshoes were withdrawn on the 4001) between 1969 and v. early 70's did issue some high gain Bridge pickups with replica metal horseshoes (non functional) in order to look like the old horseshoe...

.... soon after moving to a one piece cover and then the plastic chromed cover...

Anyone able to confirm this as I just don't think that the pickup has been swapped ever..

Hmm, never heard that before! I seriously doubt that to be the case. Can you get in close and sharp enough to make a photo for us to see the bobbin/pole pieces?