Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

After trying for 'The Waiting' sound since I got my Ric a year ago, I finally came to the conclusion Toasters were the only way to go. I thought it was a hell of a lot of money to pay for something that would be a slight improvement on the high gain's - but its not, this is the sound I have been looking for.

I never play much on the neck pickup, and only every so often on the middle position, so the neck pickup is a modified high gain with toaster head. I had to cut the pole pieces, then make a 'slit' down them so I could screw them back in like a flat head. Not got the poles perfect yet, but it'll do for now.

I am going to see how I get on with the toaster and high gain, and if I think its worthy, then I'll change the neck pickup also, but for the time being I am wanting to save again to get toasters for my 330/6FG - which would benefit more for double toasters as I do play on the neck and middle with this.

Incredibly chuffed, with the look and sound. Nothing beats a Ric with toasters.

Some pics:

How it was:



Now:




With my Gretsch



And my 330, which is in line next to be Toasted

Oh yeah!

Congrats Kyle ! !

Toasters are cool !

Kyle,

Lots of folks here prefer hi gains on their 6-strings and toasters on their 12-'ers. Hi gains can give your 6-string Rick a larger tonal palette, especially if you sometimes play with a fair amount of distortion. Do keep us posted on your pickup swap experiments.

Good luck,

Robert

The happy medium for toasters are the hot toasters from 1984-1998, which have the concept of toasters, but wound closer to 11k or 12k. Of course, there are purists here who believe that hot toasters aren't the best choice for a 12-string, making a Ric sound more like it has hi-gains.

The hi-gains are better left on the 330 because if you play with a lot of overdrive and distortion, you may find that the toasters may make the heavy sound appear thin and a little shrill.

For a 12-string, however, the scatterwounds will definitely get you what you want, which you have discovered. Throw a Janglebox into your setup, and you're ready to go! Congrats on finally nailing THE tone, Kyle.

Congrats on the swap (oh, and BTW, nice looking White Falcon). I prefer Hi-Gains on my 6-string, but admit that it would be a tossup as to whether have Toasters or Hi-Gains on a 12-string (the higher output, and crunch factor of Hi-Gains vs the better note definition of Toasters).

Also recently put toasters on my Rickenbacker 330/12. Turned a good sound into a SURREAL sound.
It wins no comparison.

If I had my time again, I would have just purchase the 360/12C63.

The Gretsch Falcon looks nice.
Are Rick fans also turning to Gretsch??

Here is my Rickenbacker 330 with toasters and friends

Congrats Kyle! It's toasters for me too on my 12-strings! On my '02 360/12 I oscillate between using the scatterwounds (what you have) and the 12K toasters mentioned by Jake earlier, depending on the sound I'm going for.

rowbo777 wrote: Are Rick fans also turning to Gretsch??

Here is my Rickenbacker 330 with toasters and friends

Yes indeed !!!
Added to my 330/6 JGlo, I also have a 6118LTV Anny Jag Tan !!!
(and a RI52 Telly, of course… )

In fact, aren't we turning to historic musical monuments lovers ???

Never tried Toasters so can't comment but if so many Ric users think that they're more suited for a 360/12 then why don't they come from the factory as standard. There must be a good for reason for it? (so i would have thought)

rowbo777 wrote: Are Rick fans also turning to Gretsch??

I have. And I've seen some familiar names on a Gretsch board, too.
JimK

david/wales/u.k wrote:Never tried Toasters so can't comment but if so many Ric users think that they're more suited for a 360/12 then why don't they come from the factory as standard. There must be a good for reason for it? (so i would have thought)

They used to come standard from the factory. All of the pickups have changed over the years...the early toasters had a much lower DC resistance and may have used different wire thickness which would result in a different sound. Later toasters standardized on 44 gauge and around 7.5k DC resistance. At some point in the 80's that changed to 12k or thereabouts. So within the toaster family that is 3 different sounds right there that at one point were all standard factory issue. THey also used different bobbin arrangments over the years. The toasters use alnico magnets which are more expensive and at times been prohibitive to get due to the price of cobalt.

They came out with the high gain in 1968, and those have changed at least 4 times that I can think of as far as different bobbin material, different winding strength, etc. Again each was factory standard at the time.

Currently the toaster seems to be a premium option in the Rickenbacker line, so the hi gain comes with the 360/12 because that isn't one of the higher priced guitar models that come with the toaster pickup stock.

Greg

I can not understand why a lot of folks say "toasters are not appropriate for 6-stringers".
Playing a 330/6 with 7,4k toasters and (011) TI flats I just can say: , and again: !!!

From warm and mellow to rough and dirty - the sound is always perfect. Single coil technique at its best!

My advice: learn more about the potentialities of your guitar's and amp's pots. (That's what the abbreviation "pots" really means, IMHO!).

david/wales/u.k wrote:Never tried Toasters so can't comment but if so many Ric users think that they're more suited for a 360/12 then why don't they come from the factory as standard. There must be a good for reason for it? (so i would have thought)

I'm just guessing but they (RIC) probably has a ton of them along with those Schaller Tuners they need to put on guitars.
I've noticed the toasters have been out of stock many times over the years.

Wurlitzer wrote:

david/wales/u.k wrote:Never tried Toasters so can't comment but if so many Ric users think that they're more suited for a 360/12 then why don't they come from the factory as standard. There must be a good for reason for it? (so i would have thought)

I'm just guessing but they (RIC) probably has a ton of them along with those Schaller Tuners they need to put on guitars.
I've noriced the toasters have been out of stock many times over the years.

The high gain pickups are made with ceramic magnets (cheap) whereas the toasters are made with 5 alinco poles (not so cheap)... So maybe resource availability and manufacturing cost are a factor too?