What is the timeline on the horseshoe pickup?

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:18 am

Hello everyone. I was looking through my Rickenbacker book and wasn't finding what I was looking for, so I thought someone can shed some light here?

I was wondering when Rickenbacker stopped making the 60's style horseshoe pickup like what was on McCartney's bass and when they started making the style that was on the V63 and what the differences are/were? I know the '73 4001 I used to have had the modern under-string 4003 style pickup so they must have switched designs before then but have no idea when? Anyone?

Thanks!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:16 am

the horseshoe pickup was the first pickup for an electric guitar ... the first one was made in the 30's ...

they stopped putting them in basses about dec '68 or jan '69 give or take a month or 2 ... I had a september '68 that came from the factory with the horseshoe pickup ...

the re-issue horseshoe pickup looks the same as the 60's horseshoe pickup but is quite different ... the 60's horseshoe had mangnetized steel shoes ... steel tends to loose it's magnetic charge over time ... this makes for weaker pickups ... the V63 horseshoes have 4 alinco slug magnets in the pickup and the shoes are steel I think which modifies the magnetic field ... I thoght I read something about the re-issue horseshoe pickups for the C series being a little different ... having non-magnetic shoes ...

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:41 am

All horseshoe pickups degauss rapidly if not protected by "keepers". Weak pickup shoes can be regaussed. Jason Lollar is the man for that.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 11:12 am

I meant to say "horseshoe magnets degauss rapidly" not pickups.

I think the first ones were from around 1934 though there may have been earlier trials and prototypes. The patent date was later, I think around 1937. The pre-war types had wider magnets - about 1 1/2" wide. The post-war magnets were narrower at about 1 1/4" wide. The bass pickup first appeared on the '57 4000 but I don't know when it was actually designed. The horseshoe bass pickup is very similar to the steel guitar pickups from the 50's and 60's. Many parts like the base plate and mounting screws are interchangeable. Screw hole spacings are the same. In fact, the spacing between the two small screws on either side of the bass pickup surround derives from the width of the bridge used on many Rickenbacker steel guitar models. The vintage pickup surround is really just a modified version of a steel guitar surround. Rickenbacker has always been a practical company.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 11:59 am

I think the first modern re-issue magnetic horseshoe pickups were made around 1984, not positive though

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:15 pm

I think the 4001V63 was introduced around 1984-5. The first ones had magnetic shoes?

bottom4 · Post by **bottom4** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:18 pm

Yup!!!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:18 pm

Actually that was a mistake but I think the first few years did have magnetic shoes.

wints · Post by **wints** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:25 pm

The originals bow out around the fall of 68. Jeff,s old 68 must have had one of the last made. There was another Sept 68 sold a couple of years ago that had a hi-gain as does my Dec 68.
John Hall once said in a post that a few of the early original V63,s possibly had magnetic shoes. I would have thought that these were probably left over from the 60,s.
Who knows what is still locked away in the RIC vault....

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:17 am

I thought the originals were used into the early 70's but not exclusively. A friend has a early 70's with the HS, toaster, and checkerboard binding. The original HS lost it's gaussing long ago so it now has a V63 pick up (replacing an interm SD).

Prior to that one, he ordered a 4001 and a 4000 in 69' he took the 4001 which had a high gain in it. I bought the 4000 which had a HS. If the time line was cut off as Jeff and Andrew have stated I really need to kick myself in the a** for selling it all those years ago. I don't have the ser# but if it was a 68' and not a 69' as I have assumed all these years, then it was one of two Jetglos from 68' according to the Smith book.

Now if I can just swing my foot around......

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:24 am

Here"s a shot of it from 69'. It's hard to see the HS in this pic. I have a couple more at home I will have to look.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:37 am

During this time period at Rickenbacker, instruments sometimes had a tendency to hang around at the factory for extended periods of time, especially slower-selling models--sometimes years in isolated cases. It was entirely possible to get a 4000 bass in 1969 that would have had a HS p/up, even though high-gains were being phased in for fresh production. That bass could have been made months before the jackplate was stamped/installed.

One member of this Forum bought a 360/12 new in April 1970, and the jackplate had an October 1968 stamping....the guitar was called in as an order to Rickenbacker, it hadn't been hanging in the store.

wints · Post by **wints** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:10 am

John,s comments are right on, especially for your old 4000 Ken. They were probably waiting for an order for a J/G 4000 and it had been made some timer earlier. The real nice M/G 68 4000 that was sold a few weeks ago had a hi-gain.
I dare say back then if you special ordered a bass and wanted a horseshoe, you probably could have still got one. It was a creative and open time at the factory, and as we all know there are no absolutes from this period...

baltimucho · Post by **baltimucho** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:19 am

"It was a creative and open time at the factory..."

What are you referring to in regards to the "environment" at the RIC factory in the late sixties?

:

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wints · Post by **wints** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:01 am

I,m sure that could be interpreted many ways Mitch, but I was actually refering to the period of lightshows, slant frets, ebony necks, bound headstocks and "groovy" colours that were green and if legend is true orange...
I,d call that creative... :-}