Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

badeggs wrote:
These are magic...

The combination of the green hi-gain and toaster are one of my favorites!

teeder wrote:How does the new adjustable pole hi-gain compare to the HS's?

Very, very similar to the RIHS. Which is a little strange considering the difference in design and construction.

badeggs wrote:
These are magic...

I've never seen those for sale. Must be pretty rare.

gearhed289 wrote:

teeder wrote:How does the new adjustable pole hi-gain compare to the HS's?

Very, very similar to the RIHS. Which is a little strange considering the difference in design and construction.

My experience too, Tom and Kevin.

coolhandjjl wrote:I've never seen those for sale. Must be pretty rare.

The green bobbins replaced the HS in 1969, and changed to black by 1972, or maybe late 1971? I don't know for sure...

badeggs wrote:The green bobbins replaced the HS in 1969, and changed to black by 1972, or maybe late 1971? I don't know for sure...

What's with the extra holes by the E and G pole pieces?

coolhandjjl wrote:What's with the extra holes by the E and G pole pieces?

Maybe from the mold they used to make the bobbin, not sure...but see the poles, how they've been unscrewed? You weren't supposed to do this because it can tear the windings (they're not meant to be adjustable)...Rick probably should have switched to button-tops earlier, I'm sure a number of these were ruined back in the day!

There are three versions of the screw-top hi-gain: these green ones with the small magnet (69-71), the same pickup but black (71-72 or early 73) and a black bobbin with a large magnet and slightly bigger, flatter screws (early to mid 73). Then they introduced the button-tops, and they've had those ever since, albeit with changes over the years.

Regarding this pickup, I actually screwed the poles back down and nothing happened, it still works! But I only attempted it because Sergio (in the pickup forum) agreed to rewind it for me for a nice price if I messed it up...

Also, the green bobbins all have a strange drip mark/"thumbprint" in them...look at the lower-left edge of this pickup: Ronbo once posted on here that maybe it was from where they were held when they were sprayed with some sort of lacquer, but I always thought it looked like a burn mark, like the plastic melted a bit...they all seem to have this!

Some of these early high gains had magnets that degaussed. I don't know how common this was but I have seen it. This makes me wonder if some of these were needlessly rewound or rewound hotter to try to restore the pickup. Some may have been replaced with aftermarket pickups such as the SD's in which case the originals may be lost or discarded.

badeggs wrote:

coolhandjjl wrote:What's with the extra holes by the E and G pole pieces?

Maybe from the mold they used to make the bobbin, not sure...but see the poles, how they've been unscrewed? You weren't supposed to do this because it can tear the windings (they're not meant to be adjustable)...Rick probably should have switched to button-tops earlier, I'm sure a number of these were ruined back in the day!

There are three versions of the screw-top hi-gain: these green ones with the small magnet (69-71), the same pickup but black (71-72 or early 73) and a black bobbin with a large magnet and slightly bigger, flatter screws (early to mid 73). Then they introduced the button-tops, and they've had those ever since, albeit with changes over the years.

Regarding this pickup, I actually screwed the poles back down and nothing happened, it still works! But I only attempted it because Sergio (in the pickup forum) agreed to rewind it for me for a nice price if I messed it up...

The extra holes are for the screws that hold the pup to the magnet and same for top and bottom plates.

The screw poles when new were level to and touching the magnet, thus giving the best possible magnetic transfer, they are not sitting in the magnet, screwing them out will only in effect, weaken the pickup output and possibly take them out of the bottom plate itself, much easier to raise the pup in the normal way to get closer to the strings.
Edit, just noticed the screwed back down part.

badeggs wrote:

coolhandjjl wrote:I've never seen those for sale. Must be pretty rare.

The green bobbins replaced the HS in 1969, and changed to black by 1972, or maybe late 1971? I don't know for sure...

...No, that was 2011, by Sergio! (see my pic below) The greenish bobbin contrasts the bezel too much!

Seans wrote:

badeggs wrote:

coolhandjjl wrote:...
There are three versions of the screw-top hi-gain: these green ones with the small magnet (69-71), the same pickup but black (71-72 or early 73) and a black bobbin with a large magnet and slightly bigger, flatter screws (early to mid 73). Then they introduced the button-tops, and they've had those ever since, albeit with changes over the years.

Regarding this pickup, I actually screwed the poles back down and nothing happened, it still works! But I only attempted it because Sergio (in the pickup forum) agreed to rewind it for me for a nice price if I messed it up...

The extra holes are for the screws that hold the pup to the magnet and same for top and bottom plates.

The screw poles when new were level to and touching the magnet, thus giving the best possible magnetic transfer, they are not sitting in the magnet, screwing them out will only in effect, weaken the pickup output and possibly take them out of the bottom plate itself, much easier to raise the pup in the normal way to get closer to the strings.
Edit, just noticed the screwed back down part.

... before I got mine, actually dead , the pole pieces(rusty! ) had probably been unscrewed a liite bit, which killed the wiring! However Sergio rewound them and also protected the coil inside, so the screws can no longer damage it , hence the pole piece screws are fully adjustable to the string height. When I did this, the output was not weakened but it gave a litte bit more brilliance/bite to the strings. Due to Sergio, this is an extreme improvement to this PUs!

Eh,...my slotted pole piece PU had a greenish bobbin AND the large magnet. Maybe again some of these RIC specific model transition issues.

heinpete wrote:

Seans wrote:
The extra holes are for the screws that hold the pup to the magnet and same for top and bottom plates.

The screw poles when new were level to and touching the magnet, thus giving the best possible magnetic transfer, they are not sitting in the magnet, screwing them out will only in effect, weaken the pickup output and possibly take them out of the bottom plate itself, much easier to raise the pup in the normal way to get closer to the strings.
Edit, just noticed the screwed back down part.

When I did this, the output was not weakened but it gave a litte bit more brilliance/bite to the strings. Due to Sergio, this is an extreme improvement to this PUs!

Stick a nail on a magnet and it takes the power of the magnet to the end of the nail, hold the nail just off the magnet and watch the power decrease dramatically. What you probably experienced here was a loss of low end.

Seans wrote:

heinpete wrote:

Seans wrote:
The extra holes are for the screws that hold the pup to the magnet and same for top and bottom plates.

The screw poles when new were level to and touching the magnet, thus giving the best possible magnetic transfer, they are not sitting in the magnet, screwing them out will only in effect, weaken the pickup output and possibly take them out of the bottom plate itself, much easier to raise the pup in the normal way to get closer to the strings.
Edit, just noticed the screwed back down part.

When I did this, the output was not weakened but it gave a litte bit more brilliance/bite to the strings. Due to Sergio, this is an extreme improvement to this PUs!

Stick a nail on a magnet and it takes the power of the magnet to the end of the nail, hold the nail just off the magnet and watch the power decrease dramatically. What you probably experienced here was a loss of low end.

...as my uncle (electrician) always said: "The current goes miracle ways!" No, the low end is still the same (no compromise here !), only some more brilliance was added. The screws were not removed drastically from the coil, only a nuance. With the big magnet below there might be some tolerance to play without losing the balls!