Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Curious: other than the fact that it looks really cool, what is the purpose of the pickup cover on a 4001?

Sure, some keep it on and use it as a handrest, others take it off because it impedes where they like to hit the strings...let's not get into all of that. The question is, is there a particular purpose for this piece other than the cosmetic aspect?

Thanks...and let the thread drift begin...!

It is an anachronism ... it is there to make the high gain pickup look like the horseshoe pickup ... back in the late 60s when they switched from a horseshoe to a high gain they put the cover on the replace the shoes ...

I use it as a handrest. Years of playing Fenders with the covers.

IIRC John Hall once posted about installing the cover under the strings, inside the pickup surround, but I've never seen a follow up pic.

What would the purpose of that be, apart from not losing it?

Oh, I see, so you could pluck the strings on that position maybe, but would there be enough clearance to do that? The height adjustment of the p/up and all that ...

I always remove the bridge pickup cover on my Rickenbacker 4001/4003's as thats where I anchor my thumb while playing, (which is why V63's are such a challenge for me to play). Although Pickguardian makes a kit to replace the stock bridge pickup surround, I've always wished there was a RIC solution.

Is there a way to adjust the gap with the horseshoe p/u? With my '68 4001 it seems like if I have it set high enough to get complete clearance with my low E string, the string will hit the pickup when I play higher than the 12th fret. If I clear it for the string in the higher register, the open string clangs against the horseshoe. Any suggestions?

JH also mentioned that the cover helps shield the pickup from noise.

Javier: my guess is that the bass has a high action. Try lowering the action and flattening the neck (if you haven't already done that).

my old 68 had a similar problem ...

and the cover is supposed to shield the pickup ... but in reality it does almost nothing when it comes to shielding ...

"Curious: other than the fact that it looks really cool, what is the purpose of the pickup cover on a 4001?"

You think it looks really cool? I think that Rick 4001's and 4003's look just as cool without it, and probably more so. I do think that the horseshoe pickup looks more cool with the shoes on, but I'm more concerned with how my bass plays than how it looks.

The action on my'68 isn't really high...but I'll check and see if it can be improved a bit. Thanks for the tip...I wouldn't have really thought of that, since it feels good, playingwise.

I think it looks cool. And I don't seem to have any trouble playing with it there, either. I guess I just adjusted to it.

Javier, you can't do this to a real magnetic HS but with my two RI HS pickups I bent the shoes to gain more clearance. It looks better, too!

the old 60s horseshoes are already shaped like that ...

Not all of them apparently. Chris Squire's is not, for one example.

Chris could be playing a RI horsey - he asked for two of them while at the HOB at the 75th.

Is it possible you saw him playing a 4001CS, saving THE BASS from more wear and tear?