Current horseshoe vs highgain

[henry5]

I’d be interested to hear people’s thoughts on the differences tonally and in terms of output - assuming there are any - between the current incarnations of the reissue horseshoe and higain. I’m thinking of trying one of them in one of my other basses and obviously they’re not cheap. I’ve had the older, hotter horseshoes, but I’ve only briefly tried a later one in a C64.

[henry5]

Anyone?

[jps]

Wish I could give you some kind of answer but my only experience with RI horseshoe pickup is with two of the earlier, hotter ones; regarding hi-gains, the two basses that I had that came with them were replaced with scatterwound toasters upon arrival.

[ram]

My brief experience here -

I have never played an original HS. I have heard many played over the years but I personally not played one. I have an original Lollar (Law Suite) HS, Which I have on my '74 4001. I played a RI HS about a year after they first cam out.

So to me the original Rickenbacker HS and the Lollar have a similar sound. A warm almost microphonic effect to them. They both have magnetic shoes, maybe that has something to do with it.

The RIHS seemed to have a harsher kind of sound to it. To me almost like that of a HG, a bit brighter.

I can't help you with that output too much as I don't worry too much about that. I use volume and tone knobs on the Bass, SansAmp and regular amp. I do think the RIHS has a hotter output to the ear.

HTH

[bluewhale]

Sorry for the slow reply.

I have a modern horseshoe in a 2011 4001C64, and I had another in a 2009 model, now sold. I think they are louder and fuller sounding than the hi-gain in my 1978 4001. It is always fun to turn down the neck toaster, favoring the horseshoe, and compensating by increasing the bass on the amp eq. Extreme aggression. (But I usually favor the toaster - I think that's where the magic is.) With hi-gains, that doesn't really work for me.

In comparing pickups, the cap might be one of the variables to consider. My basses have them.


bluewhale

[Korladis]

Sorry for the slow reply.

I have a modern horseshoe in a 2011 4001C64, and I had another in a 2009 model, now sold. I think they are louder and fuller sounding than the hi-gain in my 1978 4001. It is always fun to turn down the neck toaster, favoring the horseshoe, and compensating by increasing the bass on the amp eq. Extreme aggression. (But I usually favor the toaster - I think that's where the magic is.) With hi-gains, that doesn't really work for me.

In comparing pickups, the cap might be one of the variables to consider. My basses have them.


bluewhale

I pretty much always use the bridge pickup by itself for my usual basic tone when playing rock/metal. I solo the neck pickup for quiet sections (which is a toaster on both my Rickenbackers).

I have a horseshoe in my 4001 but I think it came out of a V63 so it's likely a bit different spec to the C64 one.