Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello. I have a 1982 Rickenbacker 4003. Yesterday, I had attempted to adjust the truss rods and at one point the wire popped off the neck pickup attached to the pick guard. I had a feeling this might happen, but didn't have the foresight to snap a photo to remember how everything was set. In any case, I soldered the wire back on today, but it doesn't seem like there's any response when I try to use the pickup. There's a little black wire coming from the top right-hand corner that I'm unsure of what to do with. Is it supposed to reach the solder joint? I'm pretty inexperienced with this stuff, it just seems like a simple fix. I'm attaching a couple of links to photos for reference, maybe someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

http://s16.beta.photobucket.com/user/ju ... sort=3&o=1

http://s16.beta.photobucket.com/user/ju ... sort=3&o=0

Welcome to the RRF!

The wire coming from the corner is supposed to go to the center conductor of the cable (white wire). The other wire and the cable shield go to the ground solder joint on the pickup frame...

Ah! So leave the wire coming from the middle of the pickup where it is, soldered onto the frame.. and take away the white wire from that spot and solder it to the wire in the corner? Sorry, like I said - I'm pretty inexperienced. I feel like who ever had it before me had soldered the white wire down in place and just kind of stuck in in place on the corner wire. The pickup always seemed a bit unreliable, now that I'm thinking about it.

Yep, you've got it right. Get a piece of heat shrink tubing to put over the connection to the corner wire so it won't short on anything. Some electrical tape will work too (or just about any tape), but doesn't look as nice and may come loose sometime in the future...

Thanks a lot. Really appreciate the help. Will probably get on that a bit later and I'll update with the results.

after soldering, you can also coat the wire with brush on liquid tape, so the wire doesn't break trying wrap tape around it.