Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

will a toaster fit in my 96 4003 without having to route the hole out?

Yep - same footprint as the higain! Just make sure you get the bass version rather than the guitar version as the guitar mounting holes are untapped.

Ok cool, but here's a better question, will it fit in the 1/2" position like a 4001 reissue?

It will fit anywhere your high gain is.

Sometimes you will need to route under the pickup to allow the Alnico poles of the Toaster to sit (They are a bit deeper than the Hi-Gain)
However if you use the method of cutting the rubber adjustment gromets in half to get the pickup as high as it will go, you may then not have to remove any wood from underneath the pickup.
If you get a Higain too close to the strings it will distort and fart a bit. Toasters thrive being as close to the strings as you dare and they get richer and warmer...

Eden.

I haven't had the problem Eden mentions but there is a bit of variance in cavity depth in pre CNC Ricks (both pickup cavity and control cavity) so I guess it's not surprising. Apologies....

Just put a new Toaster in my 1/2 inch '74 4001. No problems depth problems at all... it just dropped right in. And man does it sound good!

well I obviously have a hi-gain in there now, but I never looked at the cavity. I'm just going from the experience I had in trying to fit one in my 83 4003 and my 4003s. It wasn't having it in 83 bass and the 4003s needed wood removed to fit it in 1/2"spacing. So i'm curious if anyone has done a 1/2" spacing toaster install on a year similar to mine

In your '96, a toaster will fit in the 1" spot, but you'll need to remove wood to put it at 1/2".

Thanks John thats what I thought. I had a feeling that would be the case. Looks like I'll be on the market for toaster now.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/cart.asp?category=Pickups

Make sure you get item #00031. I had my luthier cut the grommets in half and grind down the casing screws so the toaster sits up as high as possible. I think you'll love it. Don't expect a huge difference in sound, but you should get a decent dose of clarity and warmth.

Wwell like I said before, i had one in an 80's 4003s and I liked it. For some reason it over powered the HS pickup as well, even with the cap removed