Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

How would the sound change?

Not exactly an "apples and oranges deal, but, OK, imagine a Strat[has 3 PUs] that Didn't have a mid PU.Without the mid PU, you couldn't get authentic Dire Straits quack, or Clapton quack, or...
with a 3rd PU on a 360, if you wired it to get usable combinations, hey, you'd get "Rick-O-Quack".Not that there's anything wrong with that. Is that what you want?

I guess I was just looking to see if it would be different enough to make it worth it. I've never played a 370 so I don't know what it would sound like exactly.

I was hoping slightly more aggressive but still ricky.

I guess I'm ot sure what rick o quack would be....

I do it to all of mine John & would heartily recomend it. It is still 100% Ric sounding, but gives that little bit extra. Imagine a two pickup gtr forming a 'figure of 8' around the pickups sound wise, then imagine filling in with an extra pickup where the 8 crosses to form more of an oval! I don't know if this makes sense, but it's the only 'visual' way to describe the sound! You also get a neck/mid sound that is impossible to get with a two pickup model. If you give the mid it's own volume control, then you have the best of all worlds.

Whilst the 3-pickup option looks sweet (nice one Tony!), I find it gets in the way of my playing style, even on a 21-fret neck where the spacing is greater. I personally only ever use the bridge pickup anyway, so I would be looking to take a pickup off rather than add one. Although that would look a little strange.

I would suggest you put something pickup size in the location where the additional pickup would be and make sure it doesn't get in the way for you before altering your guitar.

You VERY quickly get used to it Clive. When I first did it, I thought I'd made a massive mistake, but by the end of the second gig with it, I was playing it like I had done all my life. Just stick with it, as you WILL adapt very quickly & it's worth it!

I LOVE the middle pickup in my 1997SPC/VB. It's never been in the way for me.

The only 3-pickup Ric I have is my 325, and I never had any trouble getting used to it.....

When I got my 370, I adjusted quickly to having the middle pickup "in the way". If anything, it forced me to play with a lighter touch, which improved my playing. Now I've got a 370/12 on order!

OK, so I think I am sold on adding the pickup...

So toggle up is neck and middle, and toggle down is bridge?

Or...something else?

You are correct.
Up = neck/middle, Center = full on, Down = bridge

Keep us posted on your progress.

John: There are lots of innovative ways to wire for three pickups.

To my way of thinking, at the very least you should have the up position wired so that it uses neck and bridge pickups. This will allow you to maintain the sound of the two pickup Rickenbacker to which you have become accustomed.

You can always turn down the bridge pickup to give you the neck and middle with the switch in the middle position.

I favour other wiring arrangements for a three pickup model but to have a Rickenbacker without using the neck and bridge is to lose out on an essential tonality.

I agree with Peter. The neck/bridge combo is classic Ric and in my opinion, should always be available. On my 360-12, I wanted to add a middle pickup, but preserve that mix. I also wanted to be able to isolate the neck pickup (toaster) because it has a nice, sort of "woody" tone and I wasn't keen on ganging the mid pickup (converted high-gain) full-time with either the neck toaster or bridge (another converted high-gain for extra brightness) pickups. So, I added another switch - a three-way mini-toggle. Instead of running the mid pickup's hot wire to one side of the regular toggle (which permanently combines it with another pickup) I ran it to the mini-toggle. Two wires then exit the mini and go to either side of the normal toggle. The three positions on the mini-toggle then will either #1 - mix it in with the neck pickup, #2 - mix it in with the bridge pickup, or #3 - turn the middle pickup off. Between the two toggles I can now have the neck pickup alone, bridge pickup alone, neck and bridge combined, neck combined with middle, middle combined with bridge, neck combined with middle plus bridge and neck combined with bridge plus middle, all in a system that's simple enough to work that you don't need a map to operate it.

Note that I am a certified idiot when it comes to wiring and this system may violate every principle of modern electronics, but it seems to work and does produce a wide range of available tones and textures. Mostly, I still use the neck/bridge, classic combination. The biggest advantage I've noticed so far of mixing in the middle pickup, especially through a compressor (JB) is that it produces a full, but extremely smooth and even rhythm guitar sound. Your mileage may vary, especially on a six, but I like it. Doesn't look half-bad, either.

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/gt%20004.jpg