Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey gang. I've been playing the Rutherford without the bass bridge pickup ever since I got it. Only reason was the hassle of removing the strings and assembly. I tried the JH bendy trick once and couldn't do it. So today I finally had a little time and decided to install it. I did it beneath the springs, and it didnt leave any room for the strings! I put it above the springs and it sat way too tall. Is it because I'm trying to use a modern cover with a non-recessed surround? Or do I have something else wrong? I know pics would help but I ain't taking that damn thing off again... Thanks, J

Don't know all the specifics, but it could be that the baseplate of the pickup might be a mismatch to your faux horseshoe cover. The older baseplates had short posts that held the threads for the height-adjusting screws. Later ones had taller posts. Or maybe it was the other way around. I remember encountering this problem with a new cover on an old pickup. I don't have that bass anymore so I can't go and check. Anyone else?

From memory the first 4001s with the "high rise" cover had spacers to sit between the cover and the base plate (around 1/4" high?). At some point, as Paul mentions, the base plate design changed so that the spacers were effectively incorporated into the base plate. Maybe some 4mm thick nylon washers will do the trick....

No horseshoe involved... all regular hi-gain stuff. I just realized I left the word "cover" out of my first line - big difference!!! ha ha ha

When I had the pickup out and in my hand, it had the baseplate, then a big magnet-looking thing, then the plastic bit with the pole pieces and junk. From top to bottom, I arranged it like this:
screw
surround
spring
cover
rubber grommet
ground wire eyelet (1 side only)
baseplate

Doing it like that made the pickup sit so high, there wouldn't have been any room for the strings to pass through.

So I did this (again, top to bottom)
screw
surround
cover
spring
rubber grommet
ground
baseplate

And then the cover sat so high it looked goofy.

Do I need a period-correct "short cover" after all? or is the pickup I'm using something different than what I think it is, like a RIHS without the shoes? Is that even a thing?

I think your first method is correct but you need some spacers/washers between the cover and the ground eyelet rather than rubber grommets. I have found that the grommets compress too much to provide the required height (I tried the grommets and got exactly your result). Nylon washers should do the job.

This link from Ric may help
http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/bpickups.pdf

antipodean wrote:I think your first method is correct but you need some spacers/washers between the cover and the ground eyelet rather than rubber grommets. I have found that the grommets compress too much to provide the required height (I tried the grommets and got exactly your result). Nylon washers should do the job.

I was wondering if the baseplate is the vintage style, with separate the spacers (tall black washers) or the modern style which has spacers incorporated into the baseplate.

rickenbrother wrote:

antipodean wrote:I think your first method is correct but you need some spacers/washers between the cover and the ground eyelet rather than rubber grommets. I have found that the grommets compress too much to provide the required height (I tried the grommets and got exactly your result). Nylon washers should do the job.

I was wondering if the baseplate is the vintage style, with separate the spacers (tall black washers) or the modern style which has spacers incorporated into the baseplate.

Given Jason's description of the problem I assume he has the old-style base-plate. I was trying to put a new cover on my '74 4001 and ran into this exact problem, as the '74 came without spacers, having had the low-rise cover fitted (long since gone, alas!).

nov_1981 wrote:This link from Ric may help
http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/bpickups.pdf

I was going to link to this too.

Different year PU was modified?
Bass Duke is probably the expert here ....
Good luck with the puzzle Jason.

Thanks all! I am missing the little upside down pails on the corners of the baseplate. I guess it's vintage style?

I think that's it, Jdog. As I recall, I "fixed" mine by placing sections of Evergreen plastic tubing on the base plate of that '75.

Thanks guys! I'm sure I can find something in the old tool box that will work.