Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

No problem Sergio...

I thought I was going to have to have you labelled as a heretic and exile you to a world of pre-amp activity and dummy canceling hum...

Oh, but I am a heretic - I've been known to stand for the treble-pass capacitor, the chrome handrest, the '70s high-gain pickups, you name it haha!
Seriously, I really was under the impression that your '68 4001 had a 'button-top' high-gain which you claimed to be original to it. I'm sure every 'screw-top' high-gain with the narrower magnet isn't particularly hot with the capacitor installed. The ones on both my August and my November 1970 21 fret 4001s sure weren't. I've replaced them with my own versions.

But as john Hall already mentioned ; all Ohm meters and their leads ...

One thing to remember is to zero your meter before you take a reading. The newer digital meters usually are self adjusting, but I like to touch the two leads together to get a zero reading first anyway.

And don't touch both leads with your fingers or you might throw off the reading!

What's the "Official RIC" ohm-meter model? So we can go apples to apples, that is...

We use Flukes here.

I have a Fluke 8000A with the battery option that I got at the TRW swap meet in Manhatten Beach back in the 80's, great meter. For $65.00!

Can't argue with a Fluke! An Industry standard!

wim wrote:The neck higain on my '74 4001 measures 18.4K
Something's wrong here.
The bridge unit has 9k

I'm not sure, maybe it's meant to be like that. I have a Musicmaster bass, into which I installed a much hotter neck pickup and individual volumes, and I find I still have to back off the treble pickup some.

I once unwound the high gain treble pickup on my old 4003 along with the 12k toaster. Both down to 8k
It did somthing,but did not turn it into a vintage (I was aiming for the 70s) sounding bass. It sounded like a 4003 with it's guts removed... Don't do it!
The newer high gain bobbin (same as toaster) seems to sound better wound hot.
My current 74 4001 with 8k and 8.5k fiberboard 70s pickups (rewound by Sergio) sound just right!
emac.

I've done the unwinding of current high gains, I've gone to a toaster, Had a Sergio wound bridge pup, have RIHSs, and which do I like the best, tonally? The factory 8.4k neck and bridge pups in my late '75 4001. Great tone and response to technique. Uncapped bridge, thank you.

by the way, the Seymour Duncan replacements have a slightly hotter neck pickup, but of course, the best pickups are the ones which get you the sound you want.

I couldn't have put it any better, Ivan!