Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm fairly new to the forum and have learned a great deal from you guys here. However, I'm still confused about the treble pickup surround. Some have a lower cutout and some don't. Is there specific years for this?
Does neck thickness have anything to do with it?

The strings of the early 60's era 4000 series basses run closer to the body than those of the later basses. The surround was relieved slightly in to allow the strings to pass through without hitting. As the geometry of the 4000 series evolved, the surround changed into the unrelieved 1970's look. The string height was raised a bit making the extra cut on the suround unnecessary. Rickenbacker returned to the relieved surround around '84 when the the vintage look came back with the V63. At some point, the relieved shape became the standard look eventhough there is no longer any danger of the strings hitting the surround.

Here is the treble pickup on my '63 showing the relieved surround. I don't have a picture handy that shows how necessary the relief is but I can make one if you are interested in seeing it.

Ted, A little off topic but is there a way to tighten the horseshoes?
On my C64 the left horseshoe wobbles back and forth while the right one is firmly in place.

Each shoe is fitted to the pup with a screw under the pickup. remove the pickup and just tighten it. It happened to my v63 too.
Lift the whole thingby unscrewing the four screws that go into the wood to get to the underside.

Does anyone know what metal the pup surround is made of?
Is it nickelplated brass?

I don't think it is nickel plated because it does not require polishing like the older (or current C64) tuning keys do. Magnets will stick to them so they are probably chrome plated steel.

Thanks for the info Ted. No other photo is needed. I'm working on two projects... a 72 4000 and an 80 4001 and noticed that the surrounds were not interchangable. Your explanation clears things up perfectly.

Speaking of which...Has anyone noticed that there are at least two or three different surrounds for the reissue horseshoe pickups on the V63's and C64's as well as the 4001CS? The earlier ones were more correct but the later ones just look kinda goofy with the big rounded corners on the front and the misshapen back. I considered reshaping and replating mine to be more correct before I sold it. Also, why are the screw holes reversed between the 4003 and Vintage surrounds? It just makes it harder to retrofit one to the other.

along with the cutaway the surround has changed shape too look at mine and teds very different

It is hard to say which surround shape is correct because no to vintage surrounds look alike. Ken's (above) is very different from mine. His does look a lot like one of Wint's though.

Here is a shot from the Smith book showing a '63 Horseshoe:



Notice that it looks just like the later V63 surround.



Certainly close enough!

Hmm...well those two are similar but the rear of the repro part is still to long and the corners at the rear are to rounded. If you look at the earlier 4001CS's you'll see they are different too with the later ones looking like the one above.

Right Jeff, I believe that '63 in the Smith book is part of the RIC factory collection. Perhaps they borrowed some of it's details when they made the V63. That '63 is very different from mine.

or Ted the 63 in the smith book has a newer horseshoe and surround,too rounded for an early model they were always kinda square even mine is not that rounded i know yours is original i know mine is too.