Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What's going on with his bridge pickup here? If it was a lighting thing hiding the pole magnets, I'd think the strings would be equally as black. Did he install some other pickup in the 80's?

(Picture from 01:28 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBsSUptatMw)

Given that the hi-gain pole pieces were black, I suppose it looks correct?

jps wrote:Given that the hi-gain pole pieces were black, I suppose it looks correct?

I had a 4001C64S and they definitely weren't black. I've never heard of black pole magnets -- do you have any other pictures or links?

You are thinking of the RI horseshoe pickup that is in the 4001C64S you had; the one in McCartney's bass in that photo was during the time there was a hi-gain pickup in it.

jps wrote:You are thinking of the RI horseshoe pickup that is in the 4001C64S you had; the one in McCartney's bass in that photo was during the time there was a hi-gain pickup in it.

What brand was that high-gain pickup? The mod Rickenbacker did in the early 70's I thought was just some extra wire round around the core. They weren't black poles anyway -- where did that come in?

The hi-gain pickups, except for the very early ones have button top pole pieces that are black (the newer ones, starting around 2007/2008 have adjustable pole pieces using an allen wrench). Many times they reflect light looking like they are shiny, as in this photo:
And, here, too:
There a period in time where Paul's bass did not have the horseshoe pickup in his 4001S; that hi-gain is a Rickenbacker made pickup.

Bass bridge hi-gain pickups:
Hope this helps.

Specially made for him at the Rickenbacker factory
viewtopic.php?p=983#p983

I had not seen or read that before, very cool. Need good photos of the bobbin with the pole pieces they ended up using on it, although it doesn't sound too far off of standard pole pieces, just wider, not much more description. So, with that info, my guess is is more akin to a hi-gain than not, right?

Wiker wrote:Specially made for him at the Rickenbacker factory
viewtopic.php?p=983#p983

How bout that - started that thread, and lng ago forgot about it, I really used to get around on here!

RobW wrote:What's going on with his bridge pickup here? If it was a lighting thing hiding the pole magnets, I'd think the strings would be equally as black. Did he install some other pickup in the 80's?

(Picture from 01:28 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBsSUptatMw)

You can see the little pole magnets right behind the surround.
But what's more: it seems to bend off his strings, take a close look!
The E string looks like it's going to the slot of the A on the tailpiece.

All reflections and grainy lo-res. The bass is fine. As set forth above, during the Wings Over America tour, the horsey had died, and when the tour went through L.A. Sir Macca sent the bass over to the factory to have a custom hi-gain bridge pickup slightly overwound put in it, along with some other maintenance. But not the action.

squirebass wrote:

Wiker wrote:Specially made for him at the Rickenbacker factory
viewtopic.php?p=983#p983

How bout that - started that thread, and lng ago forgot about it, I really used to get around on here!

Funny Gene!

That's the best thing about this forum right there, 15 year old correct information from the horse's mouth.

wints wrote:

squirebass wrote:

Wiker wrote:Specially made for him at the Rickenbacker factory
viewtopic.php?p=983#p983

How bout that - started that thread, and lng ago forgot about it, I really used to get around on here!

Funny Gene!

That's the best thing about this forum right there, 15 year old correct information from the horse's mouth.

Is that kind of thing possible on Facebook, for example? Can searches be made for old posts/threads?

wints wrote:

squirebass wrote:

Wiker wrote:Specially made for him at the Rickenbacker factory
viewtopic.php?p=983#p983

How bout that - started that thread, and lng ago forgot about it, I really used to get around on here!

Funny Gene!

That's the best thing about this forum right there, 15 year old correct information from the horse's mouth.

Now, who are you calling a horse????

wim wrote:

RobW wrote:What's going on with his bridge pickup here? If it was a lighting thing hiding the pole magnets, I'd think the strings would be equally as black. Did he install some other pickup in the 80's?

(Picture from 01:28 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBsSUptatMw)

You can see the little pole magnets right behind the surround.
But what's more: it seems to bend off his strings, take a close look!
The E string looks like it's going to the slot of the A on the tailpiece.

And does it matter anyway because isn't the pickup switch on the neck pickup?