Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just noticed what seems to be a kind of grounding issue with the horsie pickup on my C64S. Might be something that just developed, or it might be that I just hadn't noticed before. When I touch the half-shoe over the G and D strings... quiet (well, as quiet as is normal for this bass). But when I touch the half-shoe over the A and E strings... a very definite and high-pitched "buzz" is generated. Is there a particular kind of problem that would cause only half of the horseshoe to do this?

BTW, I just recently re-installed the shoes after a couple of years going without. Could I have done something "wrong"? Also, I've got the cap bypassed, in case that detail might come into play.

Any of my fellow forumites' expertise and insight would be greatly appreciated!

Hm, just a guess, but maybe the first one is grounded and the second one somehow isn't? If they have a common ground they should act the same.

cassius987 wrote:Hm, just a guess, but maybe the first one is grounded and the second one somehow isn't? If they have a common ground they should act the same.

My guess also. From the factory only one of the shoes are grounded. A simple way of grounding the other is with a piece of metal cut from a beer can or something, and tightened under the screws.

Wiker wrote:

cassius987 wrote:Hm, just a guess, but maybe the first one is grounded and the second one somehow isn't? If they have a common ground they should act the same.

My guess also. From the factory only one of the shoes are grounded. A simple way of grounding the other is with a piece of metal cut from a beer can or something, and tightened under the screws.

Thats the one! or make an aluminium baseplate for it...

emac.

Ahhhhhhh... so, it comes this way. And the upper shoe is maybe supposed to ground from incidental contact with the surround, maybe? Hmmmmmm...

I'll give Wiker's idea a go and post the results! (by the way, Wiker... did you perform this "fix" out of needing to eliminate the kind of buzz I describe?)

Anyways... now to find some thin gauge sheet metal!

Interesting that they don't ground both shoes...

As for making the connection, thin sheet metal isn't really needed. A piece of bare wire clamped beneath the screws would do the same job just fine...

bigbajo60 wrote:I just noticed what seems to be a kind of grounding issue with the horsie pickup on my C64S. Might be something that just developed

I'll ask our lead singer about this condition, he is a veterinarian.

bigbajo60 wrote:BTW, I just recently re-installed the shoes after a couple of years going without. Could I have done something "wrong"?

Nothing like sweet revenge!

It isn't revenge. It's just karma!

Wiker wrote:From the factory only one of the shoes are grounded. A simple way of grounding the other is with a piece of metal cut from a beer can or something, and tightened under the screws.

Ah, thanks for this tip! You saved me some troubleshooting and frustration.

The FedEx man brought me a package today... but I won't have time to install it until the weekend, unless I call in sick to work. Hmm....

A double eyelet would also work great to ground the other shoe.

bigbajo60 wrote:(by the way, Wiker... did you perform this "fix" out of needing to eliminate the kind of buzz I describe?)

No, I never had any buzzing, but if I remember correctly I grounded the other shoe before first time installing the pickup.