Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

(and no, I'm not talking about clip-clop clip-clop before any wag out there asks!)

All,

Is it normal for a horseshoe pickup to make noise if you nudge it or happen to move it when playing? (I have a 4001v63 no mods)

I rest the back of my palm on the top edge (fretboard side) of my horseshoe, and do notice that in normal playing if I move my hand slightly then I get extra noise which can't be attributed to strings being played!

Whilst I realise that if you tap or knock the pickups on any guitar whilst plugged in, you can expect to get a thump - but this isn't really a thump - it feels more like resonance from the bass body getting transmitted into the pickup my physical action as opposed to the strings resonating in magnetic field.

The pickup sits pretty central in the slot with clear gap all around between horseshoe and surround. All the spring assembly is in place and seems to be functioning fine.

Having done a search on the forums, I've not found anything relating to the problem, so was wondering if I'm a one off or this is a common issue.

Thanks for any ideas.

Cheers
Jo

If the shoes are magnitized it will make much noise. I had a Lollar one and it was very sensitive to touch. Pings,pops,etc. If I moved it at all with my hand I could hear the springs move which was amplified on top of that.

Cole

My original CS had this problem (if you can call it a problem; it was for me). That bass was a 95 or 96. The 91 CS I have now has a later V63 pickup installed and it's fine, no extraneous noise at all. My old V63 (which was a 98) was fine too. Maybe they changed something about the pickup, or maybe it was just microphonic in some way, I don't know. I know I never managed to fix it though, and when the pickup was damaged in transit one time, the replacement was just the same.

Make sure the ground wire is firmly connected. It is normally held by the G side spring to the underside of the treble surround.

On my Nov. 2004 4003, the ground wire for the tailpiece is soldered to the back of the mute pad metal.

Yes, there is one there too.

Ted, is there usually more than one to the tailpiece? Mine is only that one wire. Curious, as mine is quiet as a mouse since shielding. I used to get noise from the tv flyback thru the wall and about 6-7 feet away before shielding.

No, just one to the tailpiece. If you lift your treble pickup out you should see a black wire (sometimes gray) running from the circuit ground to one of the adjusters. I assume it is there to shunt off any electrical noise collected by the surround.

Agree on both accounts. It grounds the treble surround and the conductive plastic cover - the one so many of us remove.

FWIW, both my '91 CS and '94 V63FG have one wire to the shoe. AND, no noise from either!

Thanks all. Since posting the question I've had no time to pursue the responses. Work has taken over and no time to play. Boo, hiss!

Shall observe at the weekend.

Cheers
Jo

Jo, any luck?

I just acquired a Lollar-equipped bass, and have noticed the same thing. Personally, I don't think it's a grounding issue. It's kind of like the way sound gets transmitted through a solid object like a table. It's really loud if you thump it, but even resting your hand on it while picking has an effect on the sound.

I need to play with it for a while to see if this is going to be an insurmountable issue or something I can work around. Ideally, it will be something that can be fixed!

Most RIC pickups are not potted and tend to be microphonic. They will hear even the smallest contact and can even pickup room sounds.

So one solution would be to remove the horseshoe. If that's what it takes to make it playable I'll do it, but it seems like a waste. Might change the sound too?

That might help but would not make them any less microphonic. Perhaps a thin insulator between the shoes and the bobbin? JH says there is a sound difference with and without shoes. I have not noticed it but apparently it is the case.