Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, I'm new here. I've just bought this off eBay to fit to my '01 4003 but having since looked at photo's on this forum of other folks 4001 horseshoes, both reissue and original, they all seem to have 4 polepieces whereas this one has 8, and they're flushmounted. Anyone know what this is likely to have come off ? I'm pretty sure it's fairly recent (i.e. not vintage) as the horseshoes aren't magnetic which I gather from the excellent info on here would've been the case for a 60's pickup.



Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Steve.

the shoes and the mounting plate look like a bass-but the p'up...

Sergio!

oh yeah-Welcome!

Yeah, odd isn't it ? I can say that now having looked at the photo's on here ! Wish I'd looked before. I'm going to install it tonight and see what it sounds like, at a push I might be able to use the existing 4003 bridge bobbin in here but that wouldn't sound like the 4001 I was hoping for without at least rewinding (and more ?)

Steve.

That's off an 8-string lap steel... the wiring is also not original. My guess is mid-50s judging by the overwinding of the pickup.

Welcome Stephen.

It is a lapsteel horseshoe. The question is are the magnets 1& 1/4" in which case they drop straight into your bass, or, 1& 1/2" and they don't...

Here I am. Welcome, Stephen.
Well, in my book "8 polepieces" means "steel guitar". Someone correct me if I'm wrong. That bobbin sure looks like a legit Rick part to me. I'm not 100% sure it is original to those 'shoes though. Now you say the 'shoes are not magnetized. It can only mean that they have lost their magnetic charge over time, regardless of whether they're an original '60s set or an early re-issue. Anyone?

I agree with Sergio ... I was thinking lap steel guitar ...

Welcome to the Forum Stephen.

Sergio,
Weren't the original shoes a one piece assembly, these look like the cosmetic shoes seen on the v63's and c64, if so then they were never magnetised.

That is a pickup right out of a steel. The shoes are right but the bobbin height may be too great and not allow adequate string clearance. If not, you can replace the bobbin with one from a High Gain without a problem. Just remember to reverse the polarity on the coil leads otherwise it will not sound right when combined with the neck pickup.

The original 'shoes, being a one-piece assembly?
How do you mean?

No, Jim. That is how the originals look. There are two shoes (one agape slightly more than the other), one aluminum base plate, one bobbin, two wires, and 4 screws (two for the shoes and two for the bobbin).

Sergio,
in the picture above the shoes are made from two pieces of metal that have been bent over and then mated to the base.

I was under the impression that the original pickup used a single bar that was bent over then magentised, with the coil sitting inside, with that then sitting on the base.

Thanks Ted, I've a fuzzy memory of seeing a picture of the original patent drawing and it seemed that the shoe was formed from a single piece.

It's two (identical) metal parts. With only one piece you couldn't magnetically charge the pickup properly.