Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Bob, any info on the history of Ric humbuckers. I had a '85 230 with the single coils, but the later ones, I understand, were humbucker equipped. When did this happen & what models were they available on. The 230 'buckers were obviously different (in shape anyway) to the standard available now. Were these replacements to the 230 style, or did they run at the same time?

Maybe they are older than 1980 & out of the topic area...if so, apologies.

No, not older than '80.

The '84 catalog lists the 230 with single coils, as you say, and 4 controls, along with the 2030 bass.

The 1991 catalog (my sentimental favorite) still lists these guitars, with identical pictures, but now lists them as having the "latest" humbucking pickups.

By 1993, the catalog has of course dropped the 230 and 250, and replaced them with the 220 and 260. These guitars featured the humbuckers.

I have owned a handful of these, all with humbuckers. Based on the time period and other things that were going on at Rickenbacker, I would hazard a guess that the pickups developed for the John Kay 381 and Susanna Hoffs 350 were looked at, and it was decided to adapt these for fitment in the 200 series guitars. In any case, sometime between 1986 and 1989 or so, the pickups changed.

Anyone out there with a 200 series guitar want to try to narrow it down a little further?

In previous coorespondance with John Hall regarding the pickups on my 1989 230, he had said that 1989 was right around when they switched from single coil to humbucker, and you can tell which is which if you pull them out and look at the bottom, because the humbucker will have a circuit board on the bottom and the single coils won't. Mine happen to be humbuckers.

Bob, didn't the 4002 have them? I know that instrument was all by itself....

John, I was under the impression that the humbucker in the 4002 was of a completely different design, without the circuit board and other cool features of the "modern" humbucker.

Right...being that I've never owned one I'm hazy on the details. JH has posted about them at times as well, I just never got into the spec's on them...

I have only had 1 4002 and I am pretty sure it was totally different. John designed the HB1/HB2 and I think he did so with teh John Kay guitar in mind. In any case, the fact that the connections are on a circuit board, allowing you to do things like coil tapping without getting into the guts of the pickup, is well executed. It's a very very good humbucker.

I'll try to find out more about this. Great thread. Certainly challenging questions..first acoustics and now humbuckers. I will surely learn more from y'all than you will learn from me!

Wouldn't bet on it Bob....your knowledge is superb & it's great to be able to pick your brains officially!

Kind of you to say. I hope to not embarrass myself, is about all.

the 86 2030 basses have single coils ... the 93 2030 basses have humbuckers ...