Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Maybe my memory is really bad, but i swear that the bridge cover on my '72 4001 was metal. I recall that Rickenbackerevensent me an entirely new pickup and cover because the original went dead in six months. I never thought about the spring tension, though.

I thought about cutting a channel in the cover, and having one made of metal but the springs would make it move.Hence why i am looking for full size diagrams,it's amazing to think that such a popular part is not for sale.

So .. the pickup cover is plastic? Was it always plastic, even on the 4001s?

I have two 4001's... a '72 and a mid to late 60's and on both of them the cover was chrome plated plastic.

There were metal covers for the high-gain bridge pickup, but they were used very early in the scheme of things....Mr. Hall has said they weren't metal for very long. Andy Winter has a '68 4001 with an original high gain, maybe the cover on his is all-metal...Andy?

They made high gain pickups in the 60's? Interesting...

Just to clarify, I'm talking about the "fake" horseshoe magnet cover on the non horseshoe pickups, not the cover on the pickup itself. I know the high gain pickups had a metal cover on the pickup body. I mean that "hand rest" contraption!

David, we are speaking of the same part.

High-gain bridge p/ups first appeared in late 1968; this appears to be the time that Rickenbacker made the switch from the horseshoe... 4001s have been observed in 1968 having both style of pickup, I think Andy's was made in Dec. '68, and is maybe the earliest I've ever seen with a factory high-gain p/up in the bridge position.

My 1972 4001LH has a chrome-plated plastic cover and it's factory original as well.

Here's a visual.
64 with horseshoe


The 68 in question with the hi gain


John, I think the cover is plastic. It sounds very "light" A magnet will stick to it, but that's the chrome imo...

Plastic, eh? Well, that proves my memory is unreliable at best. My 4001 was made in 1972. Must've been "Sears Best" plastic.

I think RIC may have made a batch or two of metal ones. It may have been in the early 70's. I remember reading in a post here once where JH himself was looking for anyone who had one of the metal ones that he could borrow. I think he wanted to take a casting of it for some reason.

re-issues!