Rickenbacker 660/12 Pickup Question

[Medicus1963]

hi all,
i recently purchased a fireglo 660/12 from 1999 and i have Seen that the pickup Corner screws are Phillips screws! Does this indicate that These are Hot Toasters with 12k resistance instead of 7k Scatterwounds ? I always thought that the 660/12 models are always equipped with Scatterwounds! Did they Chance the Pickups during Time?

Thanks
Peter

[iiipopes]

Possibly. The only sure way to tell is with a meter.

[jdogric12]

Yeah, and does it have its original case? That early, IIRC, could be a Petty overrun (silver case).

[Medicus1963]

Hi and thanks !

No, it has one of the newer plastic cases, It has a Tom Petty signature Pickguard but it is no limited edition.
I do not now how to include ebay auctions in this forum, so i could send you pictures !
http://www.ebay.de/itm/271872979686?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT

oh i just found out ! Please have a look !!

Peter

[Medicus1963]

Hi,
I will meter this out after i got it !!

Thanks

[JakeK]

Peter,

A very strange beast indeed. Definitely with Jdog here, perhaps a Petty overrun. In order to be a Petty overrun, however, it would have to have a birdseye maple body/neck, because that was the wood used for the Petty models for the run from 1990-1997. If it is a standard 660/12, it will have flame maple, which appears to be the case just from looking at the auction photos. Hot toasters didn't come around until October 1999, so depending on when this guitar was made, that'll be the determining factor.

As for the Petty signature guard, I've seen them occasionally pop on eBay in the 7 1/2 years I've been on this forum, with some story as to what happened to the rest of the guitar. Perhaps the guard is simply one of those that has a new guitar.

Please be sure to report when you have the guitar in your hands. You wouldn't happen to be a Tom Petty fan, would you? It'd sure make the purchase all the more fun for me if I was in your shoes!

[sloop_john_b]

The first Rickenbackers to have the 7.4k ohm scatterwound Toasters were the 325/12, 425, and 450 reissues produced at the end of 1999. Anything produced before that (80's and 90's) will have hot Toasters.

[Medicus1963]

Hi,
Due to The serial number it was made in Week 27 in 1999. The seller says it is no TP Signature and someone put the Signature pickguard on it for fun! Tom Petty is an Artist who i respect very much, but having his Signature model is not that important for me. I am a great John Lennon fan but would prefer a guitar with is not a signature model! Anyway, €1700 is a good Price in Europe for such a guitar even for a non signature model. If i have the guitar i will use my multimeter and will Tell You!

thanks!

Peter

[gregw9]

I have an early, non-TP, 660/12 from 1998. It has a birdseye maple body and "hot" toasters. It came with a vintage case (I called RIC to verify), but I think the dealer switched out the case on me to make a little extra $$. I got it with a standard case. He was dropped as a Rick dealer a year or so later.

[Medicus1963]

Hi,
Now it is clear, it measures 12k, Hot Toaster. I think i will swap them for Scatterwounds !

Peter

[gregw9]

Some people like those hot toasters, so you shouldn't have a lot of trouble selling them if you switch to scatterwounds. I have the '98 660/12 with hot toasters, and a new 1993+ with scatterwounds. Yes they sound different, but they both sound like Rickenbacker 12 string guitars. It's like two slightly different shades of a beautiful color. Personally, I wouldn't go through the trouble of changing them. Just my opinion.

[Ric5150]

No disrespect to Greg and his opinion, but personally,I found changing my 360/12v64 from hot toasters to scatterwound to be a huge improvement. To me, it was as least as much of an improvement as later switching to TI flats. Also note that the magnets and especially the windings on those hot toasters vary, so every pickup is a little different - though the scatterwounds are quite consistent.

If you decide you want to swap and sell the hot toasters, either I or someone else on here would buy them. Many of us like them in 6-strings. If you happen to have a Rick 6-string, maybe try them in it.

Also, if you want to trade that eyesore of a pickguard for a plain one which hasn't been defaced with graffiti, I'd be willing to help you out.

[Medicus1963]

Hi all,
I swapped them, no great deal if you can handle a soldering iron. A few years ago i had a 2007 660/12 in midnight blue with scatterwounds. It sounded very beautiful, but at least i did not like the color!
I prefer fireglo and jetglo, but that is, like sound, a matter of taste! I also changed to TI flats, sounds great and plays with ease ! But changing the strings took me about an hour, including two broken strings, of course those in the slot !!

greetings

peter

[iiipopes]

I have observed that the 7.4 kohm scatterwounds seem to have more clarity, and bring out the signature tone better, when used with a 12-string; but that the 12 kohm hot toasters have more drive and do better on 6-strings. I recommend keeping them in case you get a 6-string guitar to go with the 12-string.

[gregw9]

I also have the hot toasters in my '96 325V63, and I put TI flats (12's) on it, too. I love the sound of that little guitar. To my ear, it gets very good Lennon-like early Beatles tones. But, it can do a lot more with the higher output - as long as I stay at or below the 9th fret! BTW, I'll probably be putting my 660/12 up for sale before long. It's one of the very first non TP 660/12's, and the only '98 in the register. If anyone's interested let me know. I don't need two 12's and the 1993+ is - in my opinion - the best 12 string RIC has ever produced.