Ric humbuckers --> 200 vs. 650 series guitars

richs · Post by **richs** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 7:07 am

The 200 series guitars had a humbucker pu that looked like a black block, with the RIC logo screened onto it.

Was that 200 series guitar pickup the same HB-1 as used in the 650 series...or are these two different pickups?

Thanks in advance...(for helping me learn new things)

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Mon Apr 19, 2004 9:26 am

I was told by John Hall they are the same, except for the outer packaging of course.

Although it hasn't "caught on," I've dubbed the 200 Series pickups the "monogrammed" 'buckers.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:49 am

That's correct, they're virtually identical except for packaging. However, the HB-2 as used on the 200 Series is quite a bit more resistant to squeal at high volume levels due to the rubber shock mount design.

richs · Post by **richs** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 1:43 pm

Thanks Andrew and JH...Much appreciated.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Sat May 01, 2004 9:39 pm

John, are the ones in the Model 230 Hamburg guitar humbuckers or single coils? I am assuming the ones you are talking about with the monogrammed RIC were in the Glenn Frey model am I right? I had sent you an email years back asking about the pickups in the 230 and you said they were Samarium Cobalt magnets and single coil, but hum cancelling since they use 2 hum sensing windows or something like that. Were they actually humbucking pickups or am I getting the models mixed up?
Thanks!

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:59 am

Some of the very earliest 230 pickups were single coil but the majority of production- certainly all the monogrammed ones- are dual coil humbuckers. Still with Samarium Cobalt magnets, I might add.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon May 03, 2004 11:35 am

Thanks John! So if my 230 is from 1989, does not have the RIC monogram, and is the black, sealed ones which adjust from the back, which would mine be? Single coil or humbuckers? I know they are very quiet so I am going to guess they are humbuckers. Am I right?

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon May 03, 2004 1:13 pm

That's right around the changeover period.

The most reliable way to tell for sure is to pop the pickups out of the body. If the back is metal, they're single coils. If the back is a small circuit board, they're humbuckers.

Also, the end of a paper clip will be attracted to each side on the face of a humbucker but only to the centerline of a single coil.

Noise level isn't enough to tell as both types are very, very quiet.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon May 03, 2004 9:01 pm

hi John, thanks again for the quick response!

I'll check tomorrow after work. I know there is a circuit board in the control cavity, but not sure about the pickups since I've never had them out.

They ARE very quiet, and they sound GREAT! Especially for distortion and high gain stuff, and especially with flatwounds too. If they ever self destructed I would be without my favorite guitar with no way to fix them!