Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK....I get to make my first post a potentially stupid question.

I've used a couple of old 4001s over the years when I needed a Ric sound, borrowed from friends. They were late 60s ones with old style horseshoes. I recently decided to finally buy my own 4001 but it is an early '71 and lacks the horseshoe PUP I'd prefer, although it has all the other late 60s cosmetics I like.

So.....what all is involved if I want to use an old Ric lap steel horseshoe PUP in a 1970-71 4001?

I'm assuming the lap steel PUP has six pole pieces and not four? Anyone know if they were wound with the same wire and
output as 60s Ric bass PUPs? I'm thinking that, since the early Ric basses used converted guitar bridge parts, that they also likely used converted or actual lap steel HS pickups?

Do the two horseshoe halves simply fit onto/under the existing four-pole Ric 4001 pickup on a 1970-71 or is that PUP a totally different animal from a 1968-69 4001 ?

Are the six pole pieces spread out in a way that actually covers all four bass strings and be used as-is? Sort of like a blade type PUP with enough continuous coverage across all four strings, where there is no dropout ? Or would the lap steel PUP definitely need to be rebuild and converted to a four-pole?

Also, are there certain model Ric lap steels with horseshoes that fit into a 4001 surround and some that do not? Does an Electro model B work?

I figure someone here has tried this. Just wondering what the pros and cons are?

BTW....What is the latest 4001 found to have been made with an original HS? Not sure when the changeover date was or if Ric continued to drop in original HS pickups by special order for awhile?

Jon,

Wow, you picked one heck of a question, or series of questions, to introduce yourself to the forum! That's one heck of an entrance!!

Lot's to answer here. Give me a while.

The latest year a horsie was in a 4001 was late 1968 early 1969. No official cut off date.

There were several different bobbins used during the horseshoe in a 4001 era. Lap steel parts can be used but the pole pieces will most likely not be where you need then so they will need to be modded.

Oh btw, the lapsteel guys will all hate you for implying that lap steels be gutted for their parts. You now have that going for you too!!
Sepp

Welcome, Jon.

There's a little bit about making a HS out of a lap-steel here.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=407260

HS's were phased out from late '68 to very early '69.

AHHHH....that link clears up some things, visually. Thanks.


Oh....BTW....besides being a LONGtime bassist, I also did a stint as the editor of one of the main MI music trade during the '90s and was the NAMM-TV news reporter for much of that decade.

For Rickenbacker's anniversary back in 1991 (I think) I decided to run my Winter NAMM cover feature on John Hall and the company. We became the first ones to be given access to Ric's photo vault in decades. Quite a scoop to beat every major guitar magazine to that! I almost lost my job over it because Ric was never an advertiser with us and to give them the NAMM front cover and the major feature did NOT sit well with my boss/publisher. But I stood my ground and explained the trade-off of the buzz from landing the story would pay off. Told him more readers would see his advertisers ads. Fortunately for me, I was right and still had my job after NAMM.

Jon and I both are looking to do this..me in need of a late 50's, early 60's and he with a late 60's...

That's it....hijack my first post ever Baz.

Good thing we're buds

LOL! Jon...good to see you here! Good group of guys here!

Welcome to the forum, don't forget to add your bass to the register,pictures would be cool.

If anyone is interested in looking at this, but it's been in our local Craigslist for a long time. I also see the same guy trying to sell an amp that my buddy flipped a couple years ago, and his description of that amp is a little less than honest/complete:

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/msg/4368844504.html

Another thing to consider - with a collector as avid as Wints nearby to this guy, the fact that this Lap Steel has been languishing makes me wonder...

Jon...go for it. I'm on another lead at the moment...
Baz

That lap horsey won't work in a bass without routing and modifying the surround. That one has 1 1/2" shoes. The basses use the 1 1/4" shoes.

johnallg wrote:That lap horsey won't work in a bass without routing and modifying the surround. That one has 1 1/2" shoes. The basses use the 1 1/4" shoes.

If that's in response to the CL ad I put up I say "thanks - that explains a bit"

Thanks John!

edski wrote:

johnallg wrote:That lap horsey won't work in a bass without routing and modifying the surround. That one has 1 1/2" shoes. The basses use the 1 1/4" shoes.

If that's in response to the CL ad I put up I say "thanks - that explains a bit"

Thanks John!

Yes it was and yes it won't fit.

johnallg wrote:

edski wrote:

johnallg wrote:That lap horsey won't work in a bass without routing and modifying the surround. That one has 1 1/2" shoes. The basses use the 1 1/4" shoes.

If that's in response to the CL ad I put up I say "thanks - that explains a bit"

Thanks John!

Yes it was and yes it won't fit.

The horseshoe won't fit, you must not try to make it fit.

Who are the Ric pickup gurus who would be the go-to guys for this, to make sure I get the right HS and have it modded correctly?

Either forum members or off-forum experts.