Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Curious if anyone knows if the toaster pickups are just temporarily unavailable for purchase? I know I should just ask Rickenbacker, but my work computer won't let me on the site and I figured maybe people here are in the know. They are out of stock on the site and I was just wondering if they are typically hard to get a hold of, or if they come and go. Sorry if this is an annoying question.

I believe the factory produces pickups in bunches .... so if they are temporarily out at the Ric boutique, they should have them on the calendar, for winding a batch of Toasters at some point in the future.

Did you check with POTR and one or two other dealers who stock factory parts ?

Oh, no I didn't check them out. I'll check out POTR's. Thanks for the response.

At one point, a few years back, the back order for toasters was so far back that people were hoarding them and flipping them on eBay for $250+

It was like Tulipomania or something, very strange..

I'll have to pick some up as soon as I get the money together then. POTR's has some available at the moment.

For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).

but the "hot" toasters have six alnico slugs, rather than the bar magnet that hi gains have.

The only difference between the "Scatterwound" toasters and the "hot" toasters is the output, and the screws...

jps wrote:

RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).

Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.

pocaloc wrote:I'll have to pick some up as soon as I get the money together then. POTR's has some available at the moment.

Matt,

You'll enjoy doing business with Pick of the Ricks. Chris Clayton is an expert and is very pleasant to deal with. I order all my strings and parts there.

Robert

Seans wrote:

jps wrote:

RonLovesRic12strings wrote:For those who are interested, bass toaster pickups are identical to guitar toasters except that the corner screws on the bass toasters are Phillips head instead of standard heads. You can verify this by contacting Chris Clayton at Pick of the Ricks. So, if you're in a hurry, check if bass toasters are available either at Ric Corp or POTR. Bass toasters have a different part number than guitar toasters, but are the same price.

Actually, the difference between guitar and bass toasters is how they mount to the instrument, as in, the height adjustment screws; bass toasters have threaded holes for machine screws that go through the pickguard, where as, guitar toasters have slightly larger unthreaded holes for wood screws to go through them into the body. The corner screw differences denote whether the pickups are scatterwound, or true vintage toasters (slotted corner screws), or hi-gain toasters (phillips screws, basically '90s toasters, as in the V series of instruments).

Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.

We'll have to leave that question to the more savvy Rick experts.

jps wrote:

Seans wrote: Very interesting, never thought that but it's so obvious. So the ally plate would be the threaded or unthreaded difference. I wonder if the corner screws went from Domed Slots to Philips Pan to allow the bass version to get that little extra height.

We'll have to leave that question to the more savvy Rick experts.

Yes, I think it may be a little ott, I seem to remember though making relief holes on the back of my 80's 4001 pickguard to try and raise the pup up even more. I think around that period there was a lot more air between the strings and the body.

Hmmmmmm I changed the corner screws on mine to Philips because I preferred the look

Jeffrey,

Thanks for the clarification regarding bass vs guitar toasters. I was not aware of the difference in the pickup height adjustment screws.

Shoot I got all excited reading this post and went to the POTR site this morning and they are also out of stock on the Toasters, who else is recommended as a source for these pickups?

Thanks,
Harry