Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ok forgive me if this dead horse has been beaten to death...

I am about to start routing the pup cavities on my FenderRickenBird project, using the HB1's I have.

Would one of you be kind enough to measure from the relative mid point of the saddles (all will be different because of intonation) to the center of each pickup? Specifically, the basses where the neck pup is not right against the fretboard.

I realise with a 34 inch scale vs the 33 1/2 scale of a Rick they will not be exactly placed- I can always work up a formula to get a comparable spacing.

For this project I'd like the close approximation of the 4004 pup spacing, rather than a Jazz bass or Thunderbird spacing.

I have the neck mounted and will post pics if anyone is interested.

Thanks
-Dave

Neck PU - 8 1/2"

Bridge PU - 3"

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate it.

another way to look at it is ... put the neck pickup under the double octave harmonic and put the bridge pickup about an inch in front of where a jazz bridge pickup would go ...

I have a p-bass body with no pickup routes and a nice quilted maple top ... and I have 2 hb2 pickups from a 4004CII5 ... it will be a 5 string frickenbacker p-bass ...

I don't think you need to work up a formula for the placement of the pickups. 1/2" is not much to worry about in the scale length, so those figures should work just fine, if not just move them forward around 1/8" to 1/4".

FWIW, here is how it looks so far, I am in the process of mocking it up, both string height and other things.

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=26944

Oooh! Is the body going to be that coral pink color? That looks really cool!

Yupper. The body will be Fiesta Red, with a tinted clear coat all in nitrocellulose lacquer.

Courtesy of Guitar Re Ranch. They sell good stuff.
Go to this link and go to the bottom of the page. I am doing a replica in the spirit of John Entwistle's Fenderbird.

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear-71-74.html

I've posted this before, and they are approximates...but gives you a feel for the PU placement:

1975 4001 (1/2" spacing): 73% N, 87% B
2004 4004: 75% N, 90% B
1992 MIJ J Bass: 81% N, 91% B

Percentages are percent of scale length from the NUT. Use a (1-x) conversion if you want to measure from the saddles, but as you said with the intonation issues from the nut is likely to be more accurate.

And note that my Laredo is the recently abandoned PU spacing. The older 4004's and the new ones are a little bit lower.

Well, I've measured up and decided on the measurements I got from Jeff (thanks also Ed!) See attached links on how the pickups look, where they will be placed:

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=27059

Also:

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=27060
You can just make out my penciled markings etc, using the edge of the fretboard as a reference to square up the location of the pups.

More to follow!

That's going to look and sound awesome, especially with those special "ropecore" strings!

It's just me, but I'd like to see a better bridge on that bass.

The rope cores are easy to work with- when I had it all mocked up for string height I had the Roto 66 swings on it. It was real fun to play and I expect it will be as well.
The bridge is actually a left over I had- it is from a 1995 USA Fender Precision I had before- I'm using it because that's what I have on hand now. A Badass II is a direct drop in replacement and if I can get one at a good price I might go that route, I have them on two other basses and I like them.

If I stick with the Fender Bridge, I might set up the bridge to have a Precision Ashtray cover over it, at least the holes will be drilled for that before paint.

Thanks for the compliments- if it is done before September (god I hope so) I will probably bring it to the NY confluence, if that materialises (and if I can go)

-Dave

NOw, I know this is borderline hero worship (my apologies) But John is playing one of his black Fenderbirds in this footage. It can be seen on the older WHO: 30 Years of Maximum R&B Movie. They play Substitute, Drowned, and one other song at this particular show.

It takes some time to load but it is cool and worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/w/The-Who---Bell-Boy-%28Live-1974%29?v=dbPSrnWa5OU&search=%22the%20who%22

hey we all have our rock n roll heros ... I love Entwistle's playing ... I really wish he would have stayed off of drugs and lived longer so we could all enjoy more of his playing ...

Yeah, actually, it's a little ironic, but the night that he died (I heard about it the morning after), I was watching that "Concert for America" thingy that they did in 2001 . . . at least, I think that's when the concert was . . . I think they were playing it on TV because their new tour was about to start . . . but yeah, I thought it was really strange because I was watching the Who and going "Wow, John Entwistle is crazy!", and then the next thing I know, he's been found dead of heart failure with massive amounts of cocaine in his bloodstream the day before their new tour.

Such a pity.