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What was last year of the horseshoe pick-up?
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 8:57 am
by wwittman
I recently saw an add for a 1973 with a Horseshoe.. yet i recently played a 1972 WITHOUT one.
so, what year DID they switch to the later style treble pick-up?
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 9:51 am
by ken_james
Was the bass fireglow by chance?
Basses after 1969 shouldn't have one.
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 11:06 am
by leftybass
I would have to say 1968 was the transition year, yes.
Andy Winter's 1968 4001 has a factory high-gain bridge pickup, original to the bass.
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:08 pm
by wwittman
That's more or less what I would have thought (1968).
so this one is suspicious, at best...
anyway it's in Mapleglow :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2577774602&category=4713
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:32 pm
by leftybass
That bass has the same mods my '72 4001LH did before I put it back to original spec.---I started a thread that's below this one describing it, and a pic is coming soon....
I'll bet that this '73 sounds pretty good with the horseshoe---I wonder if the toaster is a reissue as well??? Looks like a lot of parts from a V63 on this one......
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:47 pm
by ken_james
I had a 73 fireglow that was exactly the same, v63 guard, toaster and a horseshoe. It looks like there is an extra screw on the guard though.
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:45 pm
by wints
68 is the year in my experience, but as mentioned before YMMV. I,ve seen a 69 for sale with a horseshoe. I played a 72 M/G 4001 the other week that had a V series horseshoe installed. Great sound and low action..the guy wasn,t selling though...
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 3:29 am
by bottom4
ded, I'd say there are two extra screws
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 3:54 am
by cheyenne
Pickguard definately looks kinda funky, its a cool bass though. I'd bid on it if I had the cash,love that checker binding. But its the Christmas season you know.....ho...ho...oh well.
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 7:04 am
by wwittman
Not the most honest and forthcoming description... so it makes me reluctant to bid.
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 8:22 pm
by basshawk
That's the one discussed on another thread. The gaurd is definately too big for that bass and overlaps the treble surround.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 2:08 pm
by rictified
Yeah those are all V63 parts on the bass, the toaster could be original but it looks too shiny to me, I e-mailed the seller and asked him what happened to the V63 he got the parts from and he said he bought it like that and had no idea what was done to it, yeah right. He said that it was the best sounding Ric bass he had ever played.
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 8:48 am
by wwittman
It may BE.
I tend to think the ones with toaster and horsehoe DO sound much better... so it may actually improve the bass.
But it's still not really forthcoming, know what i mean?
He could at least acknowledge it's been modded.
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 9:55 am
by squirebass
You guys don't know what you're talking about. I got a '97 Rick 4001 and it has a horseshoe..., toaster pu too! ;~)
I'll bet one of those ole skunk stripe 4001's from the '70s sound really wicked with a modern horseshoe and toaster on it! I'd love to hear or better yet, play one!
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 10:16 am
by jwr2
The modern horseshoe looks similar to the old one but it is quite different ...
The original horseshoe was developed in the 1930's and used by Rickenbacker until about 1968-70 range ... The whole assembly was part of the magnet for the pickup ...
The modern horseshoe pickup is really a modern design with alinco magnet slugs and windings around them ... the horseshoe cover is purely for looks, and not magnitized like the old one ...
So if you bought a 4001 new in 1997 you got a reissue model ... and I must say a fine bass in its own right ... but not quite the same as an old 60's bass.