Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So, I purchase a white pickguard for my '72 Burgundyglo 4001 from Blackrider Guitars on ebay. It has the correct half inch spacing from the top to the pickup opening, and all the screwholes line up nicely. Nevermind the cheap plasticky look, at least it's an improvement over thick green enamel paint...(don't ask).

But when I tried to pop my toaster through the hole to see how it looks, I find that the hole is too small. It won't fit through unless I cut a larger opening. (Insert foul language here.)

DOH!

So who can answer the appropriate question from the following:
Are all toaster pickups the same size?
Should it mount from the outside of the pickguard?
Are there two hole-sizes for toaster vs high gain?

Or was I just kinda screwed?

One size for toasters, high gains, and humbuckers. You push the pickup through from the back. Either contact them or get out a file, I guess.

Maybe that replacement pickguard came from a fake 4001...
Seriously, I find it very odd that a legit Rickenbacker toaster pickup cover will not fit in the respective opening on a repro pickguard. And Lyle, the '72 treble pickup is still nowhere to be seen...

I told you it wasn't going to be pretty trying to send a mysterious package full of wires and heavy metal from Bush's US-of-A to Lisbon! Watch your back, Sergio, you're probably being followed already by mysterious white men in sunglasses and dark socks, all pretending to be reading newspapers. Better stay clean or we'll both end up in the same classified dossier as Lennon...

All seriousness aside, you should see it any day now, I sent it Saturday the 9th.

Well, the pickguard is brand new, but pushing the toaster through will probably snap the plastic---its that tight. Guess I'll break out the file and do my best. Beware of the Blackrider.

A dremel should get you the extra clearance you need. I've had to do that to many a Jazz bass pickguard, shave off a 32nd or 2 to get it just right, Jeff Rath has done it a thousand times!

Thanks, Steve. I will borrow one from my brother-in-law and try my best not to mess it all up.

A file is really slow! Just go easy with the Dremel & you should be fine.

I love my dremmel tool ...

What is a dremmel tool? Can anybody explain or give a pic, please?

A Dremel (Brand name) is an electric motorized hand tool that rotates a shaft quipped with a small chuck (like a pin vise has). There are all sorts of bits that can be purchased for the Dremel - drill bits, sanding bits, cutting bits, polishing bits, etc.

They're also good for do-it-yourself dental work, too! Use Scotch for anesthetic. Once you've had enough anesthetic, drilling yourself will make a lot more sense....

A caveat:

Some of the nastiest damage I've had to repair on otherwise sweet instruments has involved the use of a Dremel tool by an amateur "luthier".

That having been said, I have several of these set up to do different tasks, mostly as micro-routers for detail work, and oddly they get used as only a (careful) last resort.

For the average guy who does not have a complete workshop at his disposal, these can be a godsend, though.

A couple of keywords to keep in mind:

Control. Learn it. One slip and there goes a nice Fireglo factory finish.

Conservatism. Don't use it as a little hogger. See that sanding drum attachment on the one in the picture above? That's probably the biggest offender. It can destroy the value of an instrument faster than you can say, "Pete What'shisname"!