Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In the photos of the 1958 330F that is currently listed on ebay, it looks like the lead on the neck pickup is wired directly to the ground tab, which has then been bridged with a black-shielded wire over to the connection point near the center of the pickup -- see bottom two photos below. Don't know if this wiring approach is unusual, but the Olivia's description suggests that the neck pup has not been disturbed. The photo of the rewound bridge pickup shows a more traditional connection where the lead is split between the ground tab and the center. Is it possible that the 1958 neck pickup illustrates a "better way" to wire toasters?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26otn%3D2

What they did is hook the shield directly to the casing and also one end of the coil. Electrically they are the same; shield wise the neck may be a tad better for RF rejection, but the one with the black jumper has a full bottom plate which shields better than the pole magnets sticking through. Probably in everyday use no difference.

thanx for those pix ! i've never seen a solid bottom plate on a toaster before. when did they start use of the universal open slotted plate for all toasters ? and a single truss rod ? interesting !

Going by the pickup corner screws, I believe this guitar is an early '59 example and not a '58. YMMV.