Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Sorry, this is probably the 1000th time you have seen this thread but i posted it on the official Rick forums and not many responsense's:

"Well, i decided today was the day i was gonna remove the pickup cover (as good as it looks) as that area of playing is my 'sweet spot' so to speak and i need it ;(

Anyway first of all yes i went on joeys bass notes, im trying the second option (reccomended by the CEO here) now i have loosened the two screws to the point where they actually came out >.< (i know im not suppose to, which im also worried about) it then says simply pull it out from both sides? Well im pulling pretty damn hard and it seems like its gonna break (again it says on there it wont) but still...im actually using a hell of a lot of force and its not coming out...If i ever do this im also worried i've done something to the screws or ground wire i hear, i dont have a clue about any of that kind of stuff O_O

Anyway i need your help guys!

Edit:
Ok i have literally tried pulling it out as hard as i can and it isn't coming out, i can only assume i have done something wrong, god knows what or how to fix it "

Which pickup cover? I assume you mean the bridge...You've gotta remove the four screws holding the pickup surround and remove the surround. Then pull the cover off (since you've already removed the pickup adjusting screws and springs, right?), reattach the surround to the pickup bottom plate using the screws and springs again (the screws run through the middle of the springs, remember...), and reattach the surround and pickup to the body with the four small screws.

You'll notice that you have limited range to work in, as the pickup wires limit things. Be patient and work carefully. Put a towel or two down on the top of the bass if you're worried about scratching it.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/bpickups.pdf

Take it all off, put it back together.

Easy.

It's really simple...

First, undo the two big screws at the ends until the pickup falls off the bottom of them. This will also lower the cover right down into the cavity. Take the screws out.

Second, undo the four small screws that hold the surround to the body, remove the surround (you should be able to do it even with the strings on, if you lift them slightly), then the springs which should be in the cavity, and remove the cover. Put the surround back on.

Third - and this is the only slightly tricky bit - you need to get the big screws back in through the springs, making sure the ground tag is on the treble-side one as well, and back into the pickup.You should be able to hold the springs under the ends of the surround while you pass the screws down through them. You can lift the pickup by grasping the coil gently at the ends and holding it high enough for the height screws to thread into the baseplate. You don't need the two small rubber washers (if they're there), but don't leave them loose inside the cavity.

You can do this in about five minutes.

I just put one back on... the above advice is spot-on. If I can do it, any doofus with opposable thumbs can do it!

Yes, lots O good info in this thread. Take that thing off and don't look back! I've removed at least 10 of them and I gotta say...I always remove the strings and the 4 little screws that hold down the mounting plate. I remember reading JH's post that said the cover could be removed without removing the 4 little screws, but I've never had any success with that method. Taking the 4 little screws out is nothing major and allows easier access to the springs, ground, pickup base plate, and (on the 4001's) the plastic and/or rubber washer/spacers so that you can easily get the whole thing back together. I like Paul's towel idea, too. You can never be too careful when wielding a screwdriver near your Rickenbacker!

Speaking of the towel thing, here's a tip for those of you who work on your own Ricks:

Take a bath towel--new or old doesn't matter, but should be soft--and fold it in half the short way so it covers the face of the guitar or bass. Now slice through both thicknesses with a sharp X-Acto knife or razor blade, right in the center if the towel, at a right angle to the fold you just made. The slit should be about 7" long. If you are a super-neato, stitch around the slits, sewing the two layers together like a big buttonhole.

You can lay this on top of your guitar or bass to protect it while working on the bridge or while you're soldering/unsoldering pickup wires from the selector switch, which must be done with the lower pickguard flipped over on top of the guitar, due to the length of the wires limiting how far from the guitar the pickguard can be laid. Prevents scratches and nicks and keeps solder spatter off the varnish. The guard sits on the towel, the wires pass through the slit, and when you're done, you can slip the guard through the slit and fasten it into place...