Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I know - just look down...

But seriously - I have recently acquired an '86 4003 and since I can't play it with the pickup cover in place I have decided to try out the plastic surround that Pickguardian makes. I may rig up a finger rest on it.

My question is this - I noticed when assembling and disassembling the pickup cover there is a black wire with a lug on it coming from the pickup that is the first thing to go over the large screw beneath the metal surround and make contact with the metal. Will changing to plastic have any effect? My sense says no because the pickup cover is plastic and when it's on the bass and you rest your hand on it (either pick or fingerstyle) you're not completing the ground anyway. Touching the metal surround would.

I'm new to Ric's so I want to ask you guys how to go about this the right way. In a Fender the wire comes up under the bridge so touching the strings completes the ground. I don't really get how this is supposed to work - frankly it doesn't make sense to me, but the bass is very quiet.

What say ye?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Vasyl

I have the Pickguardian surround on one of my basses and it has no effect on the sound.

Rick basses also have a ground wire underneath the bridge. It's on the bottom of the mute bar.

Thanks - that's what I needed to know.

You could put shield copper on the bottom of the Pickguardian plastic cover and then the eyelet would touch that and the pickup area would again be top-shielded. A thought....