Rickenbacker 4004cii with VVT mod

[johnallg]

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19521-HB1%20Wiring.pdf

This shows that the north inside pole(?) is grounded in their normal applications. It sounds like the pickup was wired backwards internally, like happened on mine. It doesn't seem to be an unheard of occurrence, but is an easy fix.

Glad you fixed it!

Or the magnet polarity is 180 out between the two pickups. I remember someone posting their 4004 HB1s magnets were reversed from each other and RIC replaced it.

One of the pickups on my 650C came with a magnet reversed. RIC customer service sent me instructions on rewiring the pickup to solve the problem. I was able to determine this with a Schatten Magnet Polarity Tester.

I remembered your experience when I suggested it could be the magnet on backwards. Thanks for the confirmation.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

My 2008 4004 came with the pickups out of phase from the factory. The wiring was correct according to the wiring diagrams, but something internal was reversed. I went ahead and sent it back for repair so that I wouldn't void the warranty on it and RIC installed new pickups in it and now it sounds fine. I think if the pickups are internally out of phase, you will need to swap a couple of the wires on one of the pickups... the red and blue, maybe?

It's weird to me because Brian May's out of phase sounds a whole lot better than my bass did out of phase, but I figure 1) his guitar has single coils, and 2) he's Brian May.

remember that brian may's pickups have the north and south poles on the same coil mixed as he had forgotten to keep all the magnets in the same polarity when he and his dad made them. that made that phasing/swooshy sound.