Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've got a '66 360/12 that has no pickups, but I just secured a set of late 50's/early 60's short pole toasters for it. Would a guitar of that era have had short pole or long pole pickups originally?

John...

IIRC, the short pole toaster is usually the middle p/up in a 3 p/up set up in these 60's guitars. In the case of just a two pick up guitar both usually have the longer magnets, but of course this is the 60's, so YMMV...

Maybe John S. or John W can chime in...

Chime....

More than likely, a long-pole in the bridge position, short-pole at the neck.

My '64 has two long-poles...

John, the routing on the top should be an indicator as to what was in it. A short-pole wouldn't be all the way through the top, the long-poles would be for sure....

Thanks John!

Those bass toasters vary too!

My '67 4005WB has a short toaster with no routing at all at the neck and long toaster at the bridge with the usual route.

sloop_john_b wrote:I've got a '66 360/12 that has no pickups, but I just secured a set of late 50's/early 60's short pole toasters for it. Would a guitar of that era have had short pole or long pole pickups originally?

John,

I would be very interested in a short pole toaster if you end up with an extra!

Thanks,
Kevin

Out of the 60 or so triple pickup Rics I've looked at, most had long magnets in the bridge position only. Of course, there are always anomalies ......

sloop_john_b wrote:I've got a '66 360/12 that has no pickups, but I just secured a set of late 50's/early 60's short pole toasters for it. Would a guitar of that era have had short pole or long pole pickups originally?

The '67 330 I just got has a short pole toaster in the neck position.

My '64 RM1998 has long poles in all three positions....

Representing the bass anomalies - my '68 4001 has a short pole toaster, but the '64 has a long-pole.

It seems there are more "shorties" in the late 60's, compared to earlier. The neck cavities must have been routed slightly shallower at this time...

As ever YMMV...

wints wrote:It seems there are more "shorties" in the late 60's, compared to earlier. The neck cavities must have been routed slightly shallower at this time...

As ever YMMV...

I'm not sure I understand your comment. Short-pole toasters don't require any routing.

I am also confused about long poles, short poles, no poles (no sex ed jokes please)! Are the short poles, the flat bottom neck pickups (or as i call them no poles) that are in the mid-to-late sixties 360, 330, that require no routing (just a wire hole)? I think this requires a nice pictural.

Woodie wrote:I'm not sure I understand your comment. Short-pole toasters don't require any routing.

Routing was/is still required for basses.