pickup selection

[email protected] · Post by **[email protected]** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:34 pm

Hi all

I'm brand new to this forum and was curious as to what everybody's fave pickup position is? It seems like a lot of us tend to stick to the middle position on a Ric. I'd be interested to hear from you guys
Bob

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:34 pm

[email protected] wrote:Hi all

I'm brand new to this forum and was curious as to what everybody's fave pickup position is? It seems like a lot of us tend to stick to the middle position on a Ric. I'd be interested to hear from you guys
Bob

Bridge pickup for me!

JakeK · Post by **JakeK** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:37 pm

Welcome to the forum. What a great first post!

Middle or bridge, depending on what I'm playing. I only ever use the neck pickup on a 6-string for blues or jazz. I also have the fifth knob rolled out halfway, so that there's not too much neck tone to overpower the sound, but just enough so you know it's there.

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:48 pm

Welcome aboard, Bob ! !

I think a key component of Rickenbacker guitar tone is the 5th knob..... It's something that grows on you. Some folks say they ignore the 5th knob when they first get a Ric, and others find its something they are always fine-tuning, depending upon the song, and how they want it to sound .

Go for your Middle pickup-switch position and experiment with lots of 5th knob use !!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 4:00 pm

I have only found the 5th knob useful on Ricks with pickups that have mismatched volume, which is actually why the 5th knob was enacted in the first place. You have a weak bridge pickup and a loud neck pickup, and blending is the only way to get a balanced mix of both pickups in the middle position.

I have finally achieved a balanced neck (hot toaster by John Allgaier) and bridge pickup (Toasterized Higain by Ken Joseph) on my '68 330 and the 5th knob stays put.

Rickissippi · Post by **Rickissippi** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:14 pm

All depends on the tune. Different sounds for different things.

I should add, though, that the neck position is unfortunately ignored by many Rick players. Their loss - it's a best-kept secret. If you're not using all options available to you, you're not getting the full use out of your Rick.

Welcome to the forum.

jimk · Post by **jimk** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:36 pm

I switch back and forth between any of the three positions since I run my 360/12 string using the ROS jack. I have a set of stomp boxes connected to my Vox AC15C1 which is connected to the neck pickup; and another set of stomp boxes connected to the bridge pickup fed into a MusicMan RD110 Fifty. So it really depends on the song which pickup I select. And if I need a little more volume from the neck pickup, the fifth knob gets a turn.
JimK

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:39 pm

[email protected] wrote:Hi all

I'm brand new to this forum and was curious as to what everybody's fave pickup position is? ......
Bob

Sitting on the park bench downtown on the mall........

Oh, wait.......

Middle position with both neck and bridge pups on full.

Oh, and welcome aboard the bus.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:15 am

on my 650C I generally keep it in the middle but do put it on the bridge p/u for some songs , more so lately for stuff like The Cure. on my 360/12 always center position and on my 4003 it depends entirely upon the song... but with the push/pull circuit it's limitless for sounds... sometimes I have fun just playing the same song 6 different ways on my bass

[email protected] · Post by **[email protected]** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:16 am

Thanks guys!
I've been a Tele guy for years and have had a few Rics off and on (a 325 when I was 14 years old.. shoulda kept it!) and a couple of 330's. I got a new 330 earlier this year and have used it on my latest disc and might start playing it out. I like the 5th knob a lot. I tend to dial in a bit of the neck to give the bridge some body.
I was talking with Mitch Easter a few months back and he was saying he clips the .47 cap but I don't know if I want to do that. I think that sound is part of the Ric thing.
Bob

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 3:54 am

For six-string (460 Burgundy), I use mainly the middle position, but there are songs that I use only the bridge or the neck pickup on; for 12-string (370/12RM Fireglo), I use mainly the middle position (all three pickup volume knobs at maximum level), and for one or two songs, the bridge position.

Folkie · Post by **Folkie** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 7:03 am

JakeK wrote:Welcome to the forum. What a great first post!

Middle or bridge, depending on what I'm playing. I only ever use the neck pickup on a 6-string for blues or jazz. I also have the fifth knob rolled out halfway, so that there's not too much neck tone to overpower the sound, but just enough so you know it's there.

Welcome aboard, Bob! Good question! I used to use just the bridge pickup on my 330/12, but now that both my 330/12 and my 360/12 have scatterwounds, I use the middle position and find myself constantly tweaking the fifth knob from song to song, to adjust the blend of the bridge and neck pickups. The knob is usually set anywhere from about 3'oclock to about 10 o'clock. When I want a pseudo-acoustic sound, I either dial in much more of the neck pickup or switch to the neck pickup alone.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 5:09 pm

I find it's an age thing.
The older you get, the more you choose the pickup closer to the neck.

When I was in my twenties, it was ALWAYS bridge pickup on every guitar.
Now I am a bit older and I go for middle pickup setting.
One day, God willing, I will be old enough to select the neck pickup alone.

Colonel Blues · Post by **Colonel Blues** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:19 pm

Tommy wrote:I find it's an age thing.../...One day, God willing, I will be old enough to select the neck pickup alone.

Excellent !!!!

antipodean · Post by **antipodean** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:59 pm

jimk wrote:I switch back and forth between any of the three positions

+1. On my 330, if I'm after some twang or a nasty distorted sound I use the bridge pickup. For a standard rhythm tone I select both (with the balance neutral), and use the neck for a clean jazzy sound or for a thick overdriven sound.

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum