Standard rick pickups
Moderator: jingle_jangle
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d_funkie
Standard rick pickups
HI, THIS QUESTION IS FOR ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT RIC PUs. HOW COME THEY SOUND SO DIFFERENT? IS IT HOW MANY TIMES THEY ARE WOUND OR THE SIZE OF WIRE OR THE MAGNETS?
With the bass pickups and the guitar pickups ...that is a lot to explain and can be involved ....so this is the simple version.
Height and width of coils with the same amount of wire will change the sound even using exactly the same magnets.
More windings ..less treble , more bass.
Rick has a coil wound with smaller wire than Fender pickups .They are thin by comparision , but wider .They also have less windings.
The button top neck pickup has a different magnetic field than a P Bass pickup .
Why?........Fender uses ALNICO magnets that are the polepieces , Rick uses a Rubber ceramic magnet for these pickups.These Rick magnets are on the bottom of the coil away from the string and the magnetic field is raised by the polepieces .This is NOT as strong as the Fender method , slightly softer sounding .But when coupled with the thin underwound coil ...gives a tight crisp tone .Having the magnet at the bottom removes unwanted string pulling and that has always been a problem of all Fender pickups.
The Bridge pickup is basically the same deal .
The horseshoe pickups were originally a magnet that surrounded the strings ....this had a centered magnetic field and a tight crisp sound with terriffic definition.
The coil was ,spec wise, similar to the
ones used now.
THe new version is a variation on that , different , but the steel shoes do compress the magnetic field and give a similar sound ....not identical , just similar .
The answers to your question require a class , and I don't think you wanted that .
Hope this does the trick .
Height and width of coils with the same amount of wire will change the sound even using exactly the same magnets.
More windings ..less treble , more bass.
Rick has a coil wound with smaller wire than Fender pickups .They are thin by comparision , but wider .They also have less windings.
The button top neck pickup has a different magnetic field than a P Bass pickup .
Why?........Fender uses ALNICO magnets that are the polepieces , Rick uses a Rubber ceramic magnet for these pickups.These Rick magnets are on the bottom of the coil away from the string and the magnetic field is raised by the polepieces .This is NOT as strong as the Fender method , slightly softer sounding .But when coupled with the thin underwound coil ...gives a tight crisp tone .Having the magnet at the bottom removes unwanted string pulling and that has always been a problem of all Fender pickups.
The Bridge pickup is basically the same deal .
The horseshoe pickups were originally a magnet that surrounded the strings ....this had a centered magnetic field and a tight crisp sound with terriffic definition.
The coil was ,spec wise, similar to the
ones used now.
THe new version is a variation on that , different , but the steel shoes do compress the magnetic field and give a similar sound ....not identical , just similar .
The answers to your question require a class , and I don't think you wanted that .
Hope this does the trick .
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
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d_funkie
THe polepieces bring the magnetic field UP .
Having the magnet on the bottom changes the amount of presence the pickup has.This method makes for a smoother sound.
The magnet as a polepiece makes for a harsher sound , and it also increases the amount of direct string pull.
As the polepieces of the 'High Gain'/Button top pickups are NOT the magnets, they do not have the direct pull that a magnet would have .
If you have a Fender Bass or Guitar , adjust the pickup so that they almost touch the string , when you have all the strings pressed down at the last fret .
Now play up past the 7th fret ,plugged in .Notice the warbling sound of any note ? This is the magnet pulling on the string.
Readjust the pickup back down to where it was .That reduces this problem .
The Rick pickup does NOT have that .
At least not nearly as pronounced.
The Toaster pickups , while they DO have magnets that are polepieces have a cover and a bobbin that keep them farther away that the Fender style which allows the magnets to appear through the bobbin.
Again the polepieces ..TRANSFER the magnetic pull.
Having the magnet on the bottom changes the amount of presence the pickup has.This method makes for a smoother sound.
The magnet as a polepiece makes for a harsher sound , and it also increases the amount of direct string pull.
As the polepieces of the 'High Gain'/Button top pickups are NOT the magnets, they do not have the direct pull that a magnet would have .
If you have a Fender Bass or Guitar , adjust the pickup so that they almost touch the string , when you have all the strings pressed down at the last fret .
Now play up past the 7th fret ,plugged in .Notice the warbling sound of any note ? This is the magnet pulling on the string.
Readjust the pickup back down to where it was .That reduces this problem .
The Rick pickup does NOT have that .
At least not nearly as pronounced.
The Toaster pickups , while they DO have magnets that are polepieces have a cover and a bobbin that keep them farther away that the Fender style which allows the magnets to appear through the bobbin.
Again the polepieces ..TRANSFER the magnetic pull.
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
I will give you another explanation of this .
The High Gain pickup is you across the room talking to me With a microphone.I can hear you very well and you can control the volume .
The polepiece pickup with magnets as the polepieces , is you with a microphone standing next to me yelling .Yes you can turn down the volume , but I still hear you yelling , even with out the microphone.
Does that help?
The High Gain pickup is you across the room talking to me With a microphone.I can hear you very well and you can control the volume .
The polepiece pickup with magnets as the polepieces , is you with a microphone standing next to me yelling .Yes you can turn down the volume , but I still hear you yelling , even with out the microphone.
Does that help?
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!