Rickenbacker toaster availability

pocaloc · Post by **pocaloc** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:22 pm

Curious if anyone knows if the toaster pickups are just temporarily unavailable for purchase? I know I should just ask Rickenbacker, but my work computer won't let me on the site and I figured maybe people here are in the know. They are out of stock on the site and I was just wondering if they are typically hard to get a hold of, or if they come and go. Sorry if this is an annoying question.

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:33 pm

I believe the factory produces pickups in bunches .... so if they are temporarily out at the Ric boutique, they should have them on the calendar, for winding a batch of Toasters at some point in the future.

Did you check with POTR and one or two other dealers who stock factory parts ?

pocaloc · Post by **pocaloc** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:39 pm

Oh, no I didn't check them out. I'll check out POTR's. Thanks for the response.

collin · Post by **collin** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:41 pm

At one point, a few years back, the back order for toasters was so far back that people were hoarding them and flipping them on eBay for $250+

It was like Tulipomania or something, very strange..

pocaloc · Post by **pocaloc** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:12 am

I'll have to pick some up as soon as I get the money together then.

POTR's has some available at the moment.

RonLovesRic12strings · Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:31 am

For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:04 am

RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:17 am

but the "hot" toasters have six alnico slugs, rather than the bar magnet that hi gains have.

The only difference between the "Scatterwound" toasters and the "hot" toasters is the output, and the screws...

Seans · Post by **Seans** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:04 am

jps wrote:
RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.
Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).

Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.

Folkie · Post by **Folkie** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 7:40 am

pocaloc wrote:I'll have to pick some up as soon as I get the money together then. POTR's has some available at the moment.

Matt,

You'll enjoy doing business with Pick of the Ricks. Chris Clayton is an expert and is very pleasant to deal with. I order all my strings and parts there.

Robert

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:09 am

Seans wrote:
jps wrote:
RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.
Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).
Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.

We'll have to leave that question to the more savvy Rick experts.

Seans · Post by **Seans** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:41 am

jps wrote:
Seans wrote: Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.
We'll have to leave that question to the more savvy Rick experts.

Yes, I think it may be a little ott, I seem to remember though making relief holes on the back of my 80's 4001 pickguard to try and raise the pup up even more. I think around that period there was a lot more air between the strings and the body.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:10 pm

Hmmmmmm I changed the corner screws on mine to Philips because I preferred the look

RonLovesRic12strings · Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:52 pm

Jeffrey,

Thanks for the clarification regarding bass vs guitar toasters. I was not aware of the difference in the pickup height adjustment screws.

Coach · Post by **Coach** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:18 am

Shoot I got all excited reading this post and went to the POTR site this morning and they are also out of stock on the Toasters, who else is recommended as a source for these pickups?

Thanks,
Harry

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