Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello Everyone, Just wanted to get some opinions on the transitional high gain. Differences in sound characteristics and output compared to the next generation high gain.

I have one in my 4000 and it has some heft....the newer ones are wound hotter even than those so...the gain will be a lot greater.

A screw top high gain and a slug top high gain from the same era sound pretty much the same ...

I've never seen a four-pole transitional hi-gain, always the six-pole, like on the 331 and some of the 381 guitars. Do any of you out there in Ric-land have such a thing?

I had a 4 pole screw top ... I've never seen a 6 pole screw top pickup ...

I believe there's some confusion here.
A so-called transitional, screw-top high-gain pickup looks like this:

I don't think there's ever been a 6-pole version of it.
A so-called button-top high-gain pickup looks like this:

or like this

The transitional high-gain Kenny refers to is the so-called 'screw-shaft' pickup, i.e. one that looked like a 'button-top' pickup with no 'buttons'. I don't think there's ever been a 4-pole version of it.
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

Here is Jeff Rath's former transition pickup. It lives in my '75 these days.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh...

Here is the 6-pole version Kenny is refering to:

Is that yours Gary?

Yes, it is Ted!

Heyyyy! Cool, and hot!

That's MY kinda Christmas display!

I think your Rick collection is second to none around here Gary.

Thanks, Ted, but I still need a 4005 and a Capri to feel complete ...