Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I received my set of reissue toasters (the new 7.4k Ohm versions) this morning and installed them in my 330.
Before I did so, I recorded the guitar with the stock Hi-Gains. After installation, I recorded the guitar again, taking care not to change any of the variables, the only exception being the recording input level, which I had to increase a little to pick up the slightly quieter signal of the Toasters.
Not a particularly scientific experiment by any means, but I think the clip makes for a nice comparison.
It starts with Hi-Gains clean, followed by Toasters clean.
Then the Hi-Gains are back with a crunch setting on the amp, followed by the Toasters with the same setting.
I have panned the Hi-Gain tracks slightly left and the Toaster tracks slightly right just to help keep them apart a bit better.
Personally, I really like the toasters and probably prefer them overall. Although I hadn't heard any in person before, they have come as little surprise.
As some of you might have read, I'm also waiting on a pair of "P-90 style" pickups Seymour Duncan makes in a Rickenbacker format. I'm very intrigued to hear those and it should be interesting comparing.
All I need now is another couple of Ricks so that I have a permanent home for all three sets!
Hope the clip is of some interest.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=532103&songID=5245881

Richard: Thanks for taking the time to explore these very different pickups in your model 330.

To me, in a six string Rickenbacker the high gain is the winner. It is much more responsive to picking, to my ear, and I love the fullness. You have ably demonstrated why I removed the toasters in my Model 350 and put in the high gains. I believe RIC was on the right track when they developed the high gain.

For 12 strings, I consider that the toaster is the king.

What is so nice is that we have a choice. Different amplifiers and body styles will also bring out different qualities in these pickups.

Thanks for posting this, and taking the time to make the recording. It is very instructional. And I prefer the sound of the toasters, particularly on the clean setting. I hear the possibilities of using such a sound for rockabilly, or C&W playing.

JimK

Good point on the rockabilly use, Jim.

I think the exact opposite. I find Higains more compressed and less responsive to pick attack and such...

Different strokes! nice sound test! I believe someone did the the same with a 12 string once on the Rick forum

Nice comparsion, Richard - but I think I would have preferred all the clips panned in the center. I feel that having them panned differently creates another variable, especially those of us who have had our right ears pressed to a Twin Reverb.

I preferred the dirty Toasters - but i'm not sure about the cleans, oddly enough.

There are so many factors in the tonal chain that it is difficult to assess fully the range of differences between toaster and high gain pickups.

The interaction among picking, strings, pickups, body type, number of strings, tone and volume circuits, cables, amplifiers and speakers and then the manner in which the resulting sound is recorded is more complex that we probably will ever know.

Testing both sets in the same guitar, as Richard has, is a good start. Learning what others hear through their sensory system continues to be a enriching experience and one that I find to be of considerable interest.

Thanks for the clip. Now I wish for some clips of 650's with no effects, clean, and amp-distortion.

On your clip, I prefer the clean toaster sound - much more sparkle. Don't favor either on dirty, though. The meatiness of the high-gains is nice, but I prefer other pickup's tones for distortion. I wonder why Rick sixes aren't more prevalent in Country music?

...anybody else notice that the toasters are faster?.... Smoother airflow over the slots creates less drag on the player's hand???? (well, I am a sailmaker after all)

I gotta say I'm with Peter on this one. I liked the high-gains better - at least on that guitar and that piece of music. It's also fun to play with mixing the two types and seeing what you can do with blending via the fifth knob.

I liked the Hi-Gains better too.Maybe it's because I was listening to the clips in Mono(Back to Mono!)and the Hi-Gains sounded louder.

I wonder why Rick sixes aren't more prevalent in Country music?

Now there's a good question. And I tried to hint at that in my comment above. It seems like the obvious choice to me if you don't want to play a Finder or a Gubson.

JimK

James: If you are referring to a lead instrument, I consider that it is all about the twang and bending. The narrower fretboard of the Rickenbacker makes bending somewhat more difficult. Also, the twang factor is not there with most of the 300 series instruments.

I have to say that my 480 with the high gains has the brightness and approaches the twang that is often associated with country. I consider the the 480 has perhaps the closest sound to the Tele of the Rickenbacker models. In any event, the solidbody guitars are going to approximate the lead country sound better than the semi-acoustics. Also, I find that winding the high gains a little hotter is also helpful.

I accually think the tiny frets bug me for bending more than the width. you just gotta know how to mute.

Yeah, nobody does it on a Ric, because nobody does it is what I'm hearing.

Can't wait to get my Ric. There are all kinds of experiments I'd like to try. Some of 'em wont' work, others may. But I'll have fun. And that's what music is all about to me.

JimK

Hi folks,
Thanks for all the comments. I'm glad the clip provoked a little bit of discussion. It's all good fun ...
Since I recorded the clips, I've raised the toasters a little and found what I consider a more ideal height. It's given me a little more volume and bottom end, without loosing any of that nice clarity and definition, and I like them even more.

Incidentally, whenever I've tried writing/recording anything in more or less country style, I've always reached for the Rick first, and find it handles the genre really well. Here's the 330 on a recent rough demo of mine, still fitted with the Hi-Gains ...

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=532103&songID=4986870