Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

is there any easy way to brighten up a higain, other than change the pot value to 500k or up?

I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

You can put in a capacitor at the existing pot or at the output jack if you want to brighten the whole instrument.

parker_knoll wrote:I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

It may increase output and some treble but will probably place too much magnetic drag on the strings and give you funny overtones for free....

emac.

I unwound one of my two 14kohm highgains down to @ 8kohms, and it's in the bridge position of my 360-12, bright as can be; another one opened up and I had it rewound to @7.5kohm, and it's in the neck position. My 320 has three factory underwound highgains (including the one that used to be in the bridge position of my 12-string) that are each about 6.1 to 6.2 kohms, and they're so bright they border on shrill.

i must measure mine to see what they are. do you just put a resistance metre across the cable and the shield?

Yes, ideally with at least one of the wires (if not both) disconnected from the rest of the circuit.

parker_knoll wrote:is there any easy way to brighten up a higain, other than change the pot value to 500k or up?

I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

ceramic magnets...but then it wont be ricky !!!

Paulie A. has beefed up the magnets on several of his rewound Toaster pickups... maybe he'll chime in and explain.

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:

parker_knoll wrote:is there any easy way to brighten up a higain, other than change the pot value to 500k or up?

I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

ceramic magnets...but then it wont be ricky !!!

The hi-gain pickup always had ceramic magnets.

You could add more madnetic material to it, or you could carefully take the pole screws out and drill out the holes and stick alnico magnet slugs in their place, but this is a very delicate job and would likely ruin the wind, so is best done a pickup that needs a rewind.

Greg

soundmasterg wrote:

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:

parker_knoll wrote:is there any easy way to brighten up a higain, other than change the pot value to 500k or up?

I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

ceramic magnets...but then it wont be ricky !!!

The hi-gain pickup always had ceramic magnets.

You could add more madnetic material to it, or you could carefully take the pole screws out and drill out the holes and stick alnico magnet slugs in their place, but this is a very delicate job and would likely ruin the wind, so is best done a pickup that needs a rewind.

Greg

You can do that (very carefully!!!) and turn it into a toaster, or using short enough rods leave the ceramic under it. I have converted several higains into toasters. Unwinding a 12-14k higain to the 8k range also will brighten it to a 70s sound.

8mileshigher wrote:Paulie A. has beefed up the magnets on several of his rewound Toaster pickups... maybe he'll chime in and explain.

I've added extra magnets to the underside of the 12K bridge toasters on a few of my Ricks for a more balanced output; this does not make the pickup brighter, however.

I would just turn the treble up on your amp; Ricks are plenty bright sounding, IMO. After getting in some serious playing time on a 360/12 C63, I DO NOT advise soldering in an .0047 cap to the bridge p/up pot; the result is tinny, shrill, and thin, not to mention ridiculously low. With the cap in place on the C63, the 7.4 bridge toaster has far less output than the 3K short pole neck toaster does.

Unwinding your hi gain will make it brighter sounding; Rich Ferguson's 370 WB came with either underwound or degaussed hi gains that were brighter sounding at atbout 5-6K ohms.

soundmasterg wrote:

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:

parker_knoll wrote:is there any easy way to brighten up a higain, other than change the pot value to 500k or up?

I remember someone saying something about an extra magnet

ceramic magnets...but then it wont be ricky !!!

The hi-gain pickup always had ceramic magnets.

You could add more madnetic material to it, or you could carefully take the pole screws out and drill out the holes and stick alnico magnet slugs in their place, but this is a very delicate job and would likely ruin the wind, so is best done a pickup that needs a rewind.

Greg

not ceramic...rubber compound with magnetic particles. the japanese copies use ceramic.

Thanks for the correction. In many circles these types are still referred to as ceramic as they perform similarly.

Greg