Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

johnallg wrote:Thanks for the update Sean. Love the 70s pickups! Let us know what you find with the original one too.

Thanks John, been playing the bass quite a lot since the fitment of the 73 pup, although the fret buzz from the A string frets is almost too much (that's the next job ), I can't play it live, but I am seriously lovin the sound in comparison to my 79.
On the original pup, the whole thing looks quite tall compared to the 73, I have stripped a few layers of tape and come across more tape, black first then green then masking tape? can this be original, the masking tape is really sticky and quite solid in places, so I've backed off for now.

I can say factory coils would have the masking tape then black electrical tape. No green. They are also not that high. So yours is an aftermarket replacement made for your bass. If it measures around 8k ohms and works, then it will sound Rickish. Your magnet may be the issue. Test the pull on a paper clip of the RIck higain pole screws you just got and the old one's pole screws and see if there is a difference. Not scientific but with the volume difference you report I would think the difference will be noticeable.

The actual magnet itself is not to bad, but I think as I suspected that as the pup is taller because of the extra coils, the poles are not in physical contact with the magnet. I think I'm going in over the weekend, fingers crossed.

Hi Sean,

I recommend you ask Sérgio Silva to chime in for this issue, he is the most experienced PU expert in RRF!!!

P.S. Top and bottom flatwork on that pickup bobbin look original to me. Everything else, including the polepieces on it, does not.

rickcrazy wrote:P.S. Top and bottom flatwork on that pickup bobbin look original to me. Everything else, including the polepieces on it, does not.

The pole pieces? what makes you say that? and the base plate and Magnet too?

Ok, here's an update, decided to go in and unwind to about 7K, here's what I found.

Sean, you have more guts than I do. I just take the tape off, and unwind from the outside - I have never opened a coil assembly like that! That opens you to a lot more possibility of breaking an unwanted winding, especially a more inner winding.

I know, I just wanted to see if the screws were long enough to reach through the whole thing and it kind of went from there. Although I did unwind from the outside.
I am unsure as to how far to go with it, I had thought around 8K, but as it's a non skunk stripe and really a bright sounding 4001, I have I think decided on 6K or below to try and get some more tone and depth. But then again I have my new Horseshoe

Sean, as Sérgio already mentioned in another thread, your PU might die when you rescrew the pole pieces into the coil!
On the other hand you might be lucky, as the coil is somewhat taped inside (another hint for non-stock PU).

Again a very informative thread! So that's what they look like inside out.

It's been fun too, but as sergoi points out the only original pieces are the two bobbin plates , but it gives a rough idea of the insides anyway.

Back in the bass now and we have 5.75K and the Magnet is back up to full strength, sounding lovely and really full.

Seans wrote:It's been fun too, but as sergoi points out the only original pieces are the two bobbin plates , but it gives a rough idea of the insides anyway. Back in the bass now and we have 5.75K and the Magnet is back up to full strength, sounding lovely and really full.

You're just a lucky guy!

Take it apart again, there is something I want to see that you didn't take a photo of.