Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I addressed this before and can't find the link someone sent me to all the Rickenbacker setup info, but I have a 2010 4003 Fireglo. My G string does not have the same volume as the other 3. I believe that I was told that the pick poles are what controls the volume. Unscrew them and it should increase the volume? Any advice/direction appreciated.
Jack

Turning the new style polepieces counter clockwise unscrews them and makes them closer to the strings. That gives you more output from the string through the polepice you've raised. Sometimes it's also an adjustment of the overall pickup height that helps.

What Joey says, Jack.

Hail to adjustable polepieces!

Unscrewing the pole on the weak string *MAY* solve your problem, but generally a better approach is to screw down the poles on the louder strings to make them softer, but then raise the entire pickup closer overall to increase the overall volume.

The poles over more volume adjustability as you screw them closer to the bobbin, whereas unscrewing them tends result in less change. It's a hysteresis thing related to how much of the screw mass is in the magnetic field at any given point.

+1

Words from the prophet! Welcome back Mr. Hall.

BTW - it's been a little while, we have missed you.

johnhall wrote:Unscrewing the pole on the weak string *MAY* solve your problem, but generally a better approach is to screw down the poles on the louder strings to make them softer, but then raise the entire pickup closer overall to increase the overall volume.

That's been exactly my experience. Thanks for chiming in.

paul_yan wrote:What Joey says, Jack.

Hail to adjustable polepieces!

Seriously! I love the adjustable pole HG I dropped in my 4003S.

I was reading John Hall's comment without reading the name and thought to myself, "now here's a scientist."

My C64 has the same problem on the E string. I thought at first it may be just a dead string, but when played with the amp off, the problem goes away. How can I get at the bridge pickup pole pieces on a C64 without taking off the horseshoe?

1boominrick wrote:I was reading John Hall's comment without reading the name and thought to myself, "now here's a scientist."

It certainly is nice to have a real authority sharing that kind of information with players.

1boominrick wrote:My C64 has the same problem on the E string. I thought at first it may be just a dead string, but when played with the amp off, the problem goes away. How can I get at the bridge pickup pole pieces on a C64 without taking off the horseshoe?

In this case I think you'll be way better off by working on pickup height, lowering one side and raising the other until you hit a balance. I don't believe Horseshoes have adjustable poles (aren't they alnico slugs?) anyways. Modern 'shoes are super hot so a little adjustment of the height will likely get you a long way.

cassius987 wrote:Modern 'shoes are super hot so a little adjustment of the height will likely get you a long way.

A bit of shoe bending helps give even more range of adjustability, as one usually has to lower, as opposed to raise, the RI HS pickup.

1boominrick wrote:My C64 has the same problem on the E string. I thought at first it may be just a dead string, but when played with the amp off, the problem goes away. How can I get at the bridge pickup pole pieces on a C64 without taking off the horseshoe?

With the reissue horseshoe lower the pickup so the loudest strings are about right (which will probably be the A and D strings) then use little steel washers on top of the G and E strings to sort of raise them. Uoy can use a drop of superglue if you wish to ensure they dont fall off. This works quite well.

In truth the difference between the pole height between the E,g and A,d needs to be about half of what it is at the moment to get the correct radius. (ie make the E&G a bit taller and the A&D a bit shorter.
I find the reissue horse to be as wonderfully crude in its own way as the original ones...

Eden.

In this case I think you'll be way better off by working on pickup height, lowering one side and raising the other until you hit a balance. I don't believe Horseshoes have adjustable poles (aren't they alnico slugs?) anyways. Modern 'shoes are super hot so a little adjustment of the height will likely get you a long way.[/quote]

Thanks for the tip. I think I'll try this first.