Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have a question about pickup mounting on Ric guitars. From the Ric guitars that I've seen, it looks like vintage, Vintage Series and C-Series guitars all use rubber grommets for pickup mounting. The modern Ric guitars that I've seen use a foam ring for pickup mounting. Were foam rings used on any vintage Rics? Did the Tom Petty Signature guitars use a foam ring or grommets?

I didn't buy it new, but the Tom Petty I have has foam rings.

My 381 V69 has the rubber grommets along with my 1997 made in 86. The lastest 620 made in the past year that I looked at had the foam ring. Looks like they started using the foam in the 90's on new models and keep the old rubber grommets on the vintage reissues. The 1993 TP 660 in the Bacon & Day book shows the Foam Ring

I've seen photos of instruments going back to the '70s I think that have the foam. Does anybody know when RIC started using the foam ring? John Hall perhaps?

Thanks for your input guys. I looked at the cover of Damn The Torpedos and noticed that Mike Campbell's 620/12 has rubber grommets. Maybe the Petty Signature and 660 guitars have foam because they are not true vintage reissue models. Or, maybe because the fretboard sits higher off of the body on the newer 600 series guitars and would require multiple grommets? All of the 330, 320 and 360 vintage series guitars I have seen all used 6 grommets per pickup (1 for each screw). If my new 660/12 used grommets instead of foam, it would need 12 grommets per pickup (2 grommets for each screw) to match the pickup height with the foam.

Maybe Ric decides on which is cheaper to buy from year to year. This year foam is on sale, next year rubber is on sale. It all does the same job. Whichever is more cost effective works.

My 1997 has 12 grommets (Double stacked) it was made in 82 for export to the UK.

It appears to me the gromments are used on the guitars with toasters. My 96 1997 & 360/12 CW has gromments, whereas the 360/6 has the foam pad.

Foam has been used for at least 25 years on standard pickups. Vintage reissues use the grommets because these are what the original guitars used.

I would say that foam has been is use as long as 30 years now, maybe even longer.

Foam costs about 20 times as much as the grommets but it is so much more effective in controlling feedback and is so much more adjustable.

Grommets are used only for vintage appearance.

Foam padding was used under the high gain pickups of my 1993 Model 350. When I replaced my high gain pickups with toasters I was worried that the foam padding (almost 10 years old at that point) would leave marks on the mapleglo finish. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised, however, as the foam had not changed the finish in the slightest.
And yes, the pickups were more easily adjusted for height with the foam padding.

Wooo Hoo! Thanks for "The Dirt" Mr. Hall

PS My 381 that Steve Soest setup just ROCKS!

Thanks again for the extra assist

Thank you for your input, Mr. Hall. I greatly appreciate it! The Montezuma Brown finish on my new 660/12 looks fantastic. MB is my favorite color of the year that has been offered so far. I also like the operation and feel of new vintage style tuners on the 660/12 (although I do miss the push in bushings).

Peter - when you replaced the high gains with toasters on your 350, did you keep the foam rings or switch to grommets?

I switched to grommets Roger.