Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've only posted once, a few years ago,, I'm a novice with technical bass info.. However, trying restored my 68 Ricky bass, born August '68. I got it in 72 and the original horse shoe magnetic pick up I believe was replaced. Looking for that vintage part.. Does it exist out there anymore,?
Thanks

Hi James, It's extremely unlikely that you'll find an original '68 (or any year for that matter) bass HS pickup.

I would say the odds are 99.5% against it.

The closest you'll get to it, is to convert a 6 pole lap steel pickup bobbin to a 4 pole.

The bobbin would be either the black raised lip or the flat green phenolic type.

In August it could be either or, but I think chances are it's the black raised lip variety.

Either one will be correct for your bass.

Black bobbins usually came with the flanged surround & the green came with the rectangular surround.

This is not gospel, I've seen a rectangular with the black bobbin.

Is the pickup surround rectangular or flanged?

Can you post some pics of your bass?

jimmybass27 wrote:I've only posted once, a few years ago,, I'm a novice with technical bass info.. However, trying restored my 68 Ricky bass, born August '68. I got it in 72 and the original horse shoe magnetic pick up I believe was replaced. Looking for that vintage part.. Does it exist out there anymore,?
Thanks

Wasn't 1968 a transition era where some had HS PUs and others had hi-gains? You say the pickup was replaced when you got the bass; do you know for certain that yours had a HS PU in it, originally?

jps wrote:

jimmybass27 wrote:I've only posted once, a few years ago,, I'm a novice with technical bass info.. However, trying restored my 68 Ricky bass, born August '68. I got it in 72 and the original horse shoe magnetic pick up I believe was replaced. Looking for that vintage part.. Does it exist out there anymore,?
Thanks

Wasn't 1968 a transition era where some had HS PUs and others had hi-gains? You say the pickup was replaced when you got the bass; do you know for certain that yours had a HS PU in it, originally?

Jeff, August basses were equipped with HS's. Hi Gains came in late in the year, Nov/Dec.

Thanks, Tony.

opticnerve wrote:Can you post some pics of your bass?

This. Big, clear pics please!

I was less than a month old in August 1968.
I want to see pics too!
Curious!!

jps wrote:Thanks, Tony.

Y'welcome Jeff.

August basses were equipped with HS's. Hi Gains came in late in the year, Nov/Dec.

Didn't Wints have an odd-ball mapleglo '69 with a HS?
IIRC, his and my 4000 were sequential serial numbers. IB101 & IB102

Maybe it wasn't original to the bass.

Hey Kevin,

Yes, there were a couple of basses after late '68 that had factory HS pickups, but those are anomalies.

Did your '69 4000 have a factory HS pu?

No, it was the Greenie, Higain.

Nice Kevin!