Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

on a 350..... I'm thinking of maybe replacing the hi-gains with 7.4 toasters.

Has anyone done this?

Sergio may be able to help with that question Kent. He is currently converting hi-gains (to toasters) for my 350.

If you just mean switching pickups, it's a simple half-hour job at most with a soldering iron and #1 Phillips head screwdriver.

Exactly. But if you wish to convert your high-gains into 7.4 K toasters, Kent, then I'm the gentleman to ask...

ah, I see....

I should have said swap. All I'd do is buy 3 new toasters and put them into a 350. I've swapped out pickups before and it's easy as pie.

I guess I was more asking about what kind of sound I'd get. Would it be comparable to a 350v63? I would think that the only difference between a 350 with toasters put on and a 350v63 is the # of frets and the pickup spacing. Are there other issues to be concerned about like pickup height?

Brian, I'm wondering why you are going the conversion route instead of just replacing them. Could you shed light on this?

Kent, I would venture a guess that Brian is having Sergio put toaster COVERS on his higains. Classic look with all the higain tone.

I would imagine that at the very least, the bridge pickup of your 350 would sound much like a 350v63.

I suspect that Sergio is delving into the windings....

Sergio?

Negative, actually. The mod involves only substituting slugs for the "buttons", so that toaster covers can be installed.

I dont think anyone has the toaster covers anymore. If they do I would like to know.

I purchased some from RIC through my local dealer last year. Has anything changed as far as availability? AFAIK they have never been listed in the RIC boutique. RIC part # 02086

I emailed them a couple of months ago and they said they were not selling them.

Mike Parks got some toaster covers in recently. I've got some on the way to me for a project or two.

I've got a 350v63 with toasters on it and I love it. I did take the bridge toaster off and had a friend wind a high gain bobbin (that I modified) to 12k with 44 gauge wire and a scatterwind. The high gain bobbin pole piece holes were drilled to 1/4 inch and some shortie alnico magnets were put in and fully charged. This pickup went in the bridge position and now the volume of all the pickups balance out well and the bridge pickup isn't so crazy bright anymore. I also rewired the pots so the blend knob is a volume control for the middle pickup.

I like the high gain pickups but compared to the toasters, they're harsh in the top end. Winding the toaster hotter gives you the best of both pickups to my ears.

I bought three toaster covers from Mike Parks a couple of months ago.

Two of them will be used to cover the hi-gain pickups that Sergio is working on and the other will go on my HB pickup that is installed in the bridge position.

That way I'll retain the sound that I like and also have the added bonus of the pickups all appearing to be toasters.

>>>The mod involves only substituting slugs for the "buttons", so that toaster covers can be installed.

AH-HA!.... so Brian, would that be best described as "fake toasters"?

"AH-HA!.... so Brian, would that be best described as "fake toasters"?"

That's it in a nutshell Kent! I get the looks, plus the functionality that I currently have. Everybody wins.