Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi Guys...Is there anyone here on the forum that has a reissue horse shoe pick up for sale?
Or can give some info of any dealer or so that can have one for sale since RIC dosent offer them anymore...I have looked at E Bay for a long time now...useless I can tell.
You can PM or give answer here in the thread.
Best Frank.

Lots of luck. Horseshoes (reissue or not) are in hot demand, and usually go for a hefty price.

beatlefreak wrote:Lots of luck. Horseshoes (reissue or not) are in hot demand, and usually go for a hefty price.

+1

I was going to post that but didn't want to sound discouraging or negative, but it is the truth. Good luck in the hunt.

There are a number of us needing them but supply is low ...

Actually, I could get by with just the surround with a standard pickup ... it'd go to hiding the bridge pickup goofiness on my modded 1973 4001 FG.

I was fortunate. I found a new RI HS on ebay almost two years ago for my 1982 4001S. I have only seen one other HS on ebay since. I hope you find yours, better yet, I hope somehow these become available again in the near future

Thanks guy´s for your replys...well the reason for me to find a reissue horse shoe is out of curiosity mainly,too see if it differs very much to the current high gain in the bridge,now i have to my ears anyway a very accurate Macca Wings sound whit flatwound strings on the bass.
I bought this bass second hand, a 4001c64s Ric in fireglo finish(Yepp)...a pretty rare one indeed....the said at RIC that they didnt wanna tell me how many they have made in fireglo but they said it was very very few made in fireglo....I have only seen some 4001c64s in jetglo on the net and one other fireglo so...
Well the bass had this plastic cover on the bridge pickup and I removed the cover to look in...and it seems like the bass either way had a 70´s high gain installed in the bridge...or it came whit a highgain when it left Rickenbacker...because some paint on the pickup was missing...the reasons for this can also be that one of the previous owners had the plastic cover removed when they owned the bass and this is due to some pick scratch...I dont know.
Im the third owner of this bass so....it sounds really amazing...well I´ll guess that my Bass in the current state has the accurate Macca early 70´s Wings confurigation or?
Well I didnt put the plastic cover on again...and now it has the Wings look...(ok its in fireglo but otherwise)
Best Frank.

I may have a RI HS for sale, but....it will come with a bass attached to it.

I wish the RIC boutique would carry these.

Well, I have horseshoes in most of my basses. The last one I got off eBay was around $450, and the other one I got was a straight swap for a Lollar horseshoe pickup that was around about $450. (The Lollar is unavailable now, and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future). I've seen them go even higher for older ones, but I suspect you're looking for the new type, which isn't a true horseshoe like the early RIC or the Lollar, but a high output single coil pickup with a split cover. They sound massive BTW, and I like to match them with a RIC toaster, which you can get from the RIC boutique if you're quick when they are available. I'm looking for one more for my '75 4001, but I expect to pay heavily for one if I see one for sale. The funny thing was that the one I put in my '79 4001 cost me more than the '79 4001 I bought new back then. Funny how things work out.

I too, would like them to be available from the RIC boutique, but they are one of those items that are a proprietary RIC piece, and they don't want them turning up on forgeries I guess, much in the same way that they don't sell TRC's only exchange them. That's my take on it anyway. If I'm wrong, I'm sure John Hall will emerge from the shadows here, tell me I'm full of it, and retreat to lurk mode again

However, I have sensed a little flexibility in their attitude on this sort of thing towards restorations in certain cases. It's always worth dropping them a line with the serial number and details of your instrument, and even a small picture. If you explain that you got it in this condition and want to bring it back to stock, you might be in luck if it's Christmas and the planets are aligned correctly. If they say no, at least they'll say it nicely. If they say yes, I'd buy a lottery ticket also, because your luck's in.

I'd love to be able to AB a 4003 with a Hi-Gain in the bridge and a 4001C64 or 4001CS. Frankly my 4003's bridge Hi-Gain is so hot and can already generate so much "Ric tone" I just don't see how the Horseshoe could be much better.

It's not a question of being better. 'Better' is always subjective - It will vary from one person to the next. It's just a different tone.

beatlefreak wrote:It's not a question of being better. 'Better' is always subjective - It will vary from one person to the next. It's just a different tone.

So how is it different?

I had a RI HS on my 4003S, then switched to a new high gain with adjustable poles. They are extremely similar sounding. For the money, combined with the fact that there are no shoes in the way, the standard, current model high gain is the way to go. They just don't look as cool.

gearhed289 wrote: They just don't look as cool.

To some people, that is!