Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have big hands so I have an easy time resting my thumb on top of the surround and playing fingerstyle, plus the separation gives me 2 very distinct tonal areas.

I didn't notice a difference in tone when removing the shoes from both my V63 and my C64S, Robert. And when I was over at Ted's I compared my shoeless V63 to Ted's shoe'd V63...none of us could tell a difference.

I like having the horseshoe on. It has never bothered me once. Same with the hi-gain cover too. The shoes feel more solid when used as a handrest though because they are made of metal.

the re-issue horseshoe sounds a lot like a 4003 high gain ...

The reissue's on the C64's sound closer to the 60's Ricks, since they come w/ the cap.

I like having the shoes on my basses.

Philip,

You can put the HS on any bass that will physically fit it. I have one on my '73 4001:

They sound great on the 4003's

When I first got my C64 last year I wanted to remove the HS's because they were right where it was most comfortable for me to play. I discovered they were going to be harder to remove than one with just a cover so I planned to take it to a local shop and have them removed. So I just continued to play it and I found it was very comfortable to use the HS's as a hand rest so now I'm going to leave them on. I love them!!

Rich

When I got my c64s I thought about having the shoes removed, but then I recorded some tracks and realized that the shoes make a huge difference.

Maybe not by themselves but they make you pick closer to the neck, which is a very different sound than picking over the treble pickup where I had always picked on any other rick bass I had. The strings are floppier closer to the neck and you end up picking lighter and getting a better tone, IMO.

Once the horse's are for sale I'm getting one for my 4003!

I love the shoes on my V's! Most of the time I rest my thumb on the shoe and play near the bridge, but for mellower tones, I'll rest my hand on the shoe and play between the neck and rear pu with just the toaster on. There's plenty of room for my boney little fingers.


Someone commented about McCartney prefering the Hi-gain. You know, you're assuming he even noticed that the horseshoe was gone!

As far as McCartney prefering the hi-gain, at some point in the 90's he put a horseshoe back in so who knows really? Chances are if the original Horsey on his rick didn't stop working he'd still be using it. Well, since he doesn't seem to play his rick much anymore, it'd still be there. Or something.

I wonder if it's his original or a reissue? Maybe Sir Paul has enough pull to squeeze a new one out of RIC!

It most likely is a reissue. Some had posted here about a website that has details of when McCartney sent his 4001s to be worked on at the factory. The article described how the old horseshoe had lost it's magneticism and how they replaced it with an over wound hi-gain.

I doubt they returned the old busted pick up! They also did some fret work, made a new nut, and I don't know if the whole tailpiece was replaced, but the bridge was. Or at least the saddles.

In the "off the ground" cd booklet there is a pic of paul playing his 4001, and it still has the hi-gain. So sometime after that the horseshoe went in.

I know when he was recording "driving rain" John Hall brought him a 4001c64s to play, did McCartney keep that?

The reissue horseshoe for the V, (early years excepted..) CS and other pre C series basses are exactly the same as the hi-gain from the period soundwise to my ears. You just have a different cover. They sound tremendous with that power, much more hotter than the toasters and are a completely different animal from the C series reissues and especially the originals, which are far weaker and where the toaster is often the dominant sounding pick up.

Andrew, the V63 pickups (early years excepted) have alnico magnet slugs for the polepieces, not exactly the same as the hi-gain. Did you just meant the same soundwise? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever played a modern hi-gain treble pickup...

All four of my basses have the V63 shoe-ed pickup - the shoes never get in my way as I play in front of them. I LOVE THAT PICKUP!