Off-Centered Pole Pieces Problem

[ParadeChili]

While playing my Rick this morning, I noticed the the pole pieces of the bridge pickup are not in-line with the strings. For reference, my Rickenbacker is an '09 4003.



As you can see, the E string pole piece is slightly off center, and the pole pieces gradually become more off-centered up to the G string.

The reason for this occurrence, I believe, is that I put the bridge pickup assembly together incorrectly after having removed the pickup cover last night. Whether or not this is the case, how would I go about fixing it? Thanks.

[antipodean]

You may have reversed the pickup - i.e. what was the "E" pole piece is now under the "G". To Fix, you would need to take the assembly apart again and rotate the pickup 180 degrees before reassembly.

[jps]

If it sounds fine I'd leave it alone.

[johnallg]

You may have reversed the pickup - i.e. what was the "E" pole piece is now under the "G". To Fix, you would need to take the assembly apart again and rotate the pickup 180 degrees before reassembly.

'Twood be my guess.

[scott_s]

Pickup is adjusted to the same height(s) as before? If the G side is tilted away from the string, it could give the illusion of being off-center.

Although I'd agree that if each string is coming through the amp loud and clear, it's not a problem. Remember that the toaster pickups didn't have the polepieces aligned with the strings.

- Scott

[rickenbrother]

If it sounds fine I'd leave it alone.

+1
It hurts nothing to leave it alone as long as it sounds fine.

[cassius987]

If it's not because you switched the pickup around, it's probably because the saddles are cut a little off center, which I have seen multiple examples of.

Definitely follow the hard rule "if it ain't broke don't fix it". But if you have volume balance issues, you need to find the problem and resolve it either by flipping the pickup or cutting new saddles to better match the poles. How does it look with the neck pickup?

[ParadeChili]

How does it look with the neck pickup?

The strings are centered with the pole pieces on the neck pickup.

[aceonbass]

Assuming that pic is taken directly over the strings, then it looks to me like the treble surround is 1/8"off center, which would take the pickup off center with it. With the cover on, you might not have noticed this. The solution is to remove the 4 surround screws, slide the whole assembly over and re-drill. This kind of stuff bugs the heck out of me, and since it's an easy fix, I'd do it. I realize it probably won't make any difference in the sound, unless you do a really big upward string bend, but I expect my RIC's to be "blueprinted" during a setup. This qualifies as something I'd take care of.

[bigbajo60]

What about loosening the screws UNDER the plastic baseplate that hold the magnet/coil assembly on there and sliding the pickup over towards the bass side as far as it will go? IIRC, there's a bit of "play" there that can be "played" with.

[antonius]

I think the advice to leave it alone if things sound ok is sound. However, if it bothers you it might be worth rotating the pickup 180 degrees. On my 1975 4001 the poles line up fairly well with the strings if the pickup is oriented one way, but they are quite a long way out if it is put back in rotated the other way. I only discovered this accidentally when I put it back in the 'wrong' way once. Either way it didn't make a huge difference to the sound, but my OCD tendency made me put it back how it originally was

[jps]

The first time I pull out the bridge pickup on my Ricks if I do any work on them, for example, I mark the underside of the baseplate which direction it goes relative to the neck to be sure I put it back in the same way.

[FretlessOnly]

Judging by the small section of grey wire you can see in the picture (coming into the pickup from the pots), it looks like the pickup is correctly positioned in terms of 180 deg on or off. The surround is also correct (wider portion on the bridge side), so this is likely how your bass always has been (assuming the screw holes matched up OK). As Dane says, you might want to fix it, but if you didn't notice this before (and you wouldn't with the cover in place) and, more importantly, your ear didn't notice it, don't mess with it.

Whether or not there is "wiggle room" to slide the PU on the smaller baseplate (see the slot on the left of the PU in the photo?); I'm not sure, but it's worth a look. I'm not sure if the whole shebang is somehow soldered or otherwise made immobile.