Can a horseshoe be installed on 5 string?

roadblock · Post by **roadblock** » Sat Oct 20, 2001 7:04 pm

I've heard that a horseshoe pickup can be installed easily on a 4003. Can a horseshoe be used with a 5 string pickup?

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 2:45 am

Technically, you could probably do it, but for sure, the 4 poles would not line up under the 5 strings.However,FWIW, consider that the neck PU
[toaster,that is] on a 4001V63,is only made one way, always has been, as a Six pole PU.Meaning if you turn one upside down, the backside has 6 cylindrical magnets on the back of it.It works for guitar and bass.Weird, but true.

roadblock · Post by **roadblock** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 5:31 am

Thanks Don. I didn't know if the pickup could be removed from the horseshoe magnet and interchanged with a 5 pole pickup or not, or if the horseshoe is basically a one piece unit with the understring pole area of the pickup permanently attached to the horseshoe itself.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Sun Dec 09, 2001 12:32 pm

Jack,

Having recently converted my 4003S/5 to a horseshoe 'configuration' I can say at least this-the 5'ver had a magnet piece on the back of the p'up, this needs to be removed (carefully!) the horseshoes are just 2 "U" shaped pieces that bolt to the p'up and mounting plate. You will need a thin 0.125" ferrous based spacer plate to go between the p'up and horseshoe. This is because the hot lead coming out of the p'up center does not coincide with the h/s holes. You will also have to shorten the screws that mount the p'up to the h/s.

The sound remains the same-as far as I can tell. But I'm not talented enough of a player to say if the tone has been affected.

Not a 'true' horseshoe set-up but it walks like a duck-talks like...

rgordon · Post by **rgordon** » Thu Jan 10, 2002 8:59 am

See the "Horseshoe Pickup Dimensions" subtopic below in this forum (from 10&11/00 - 6th subtopic from the bottom) for a discussion of the "5-string horseshoe pickup" I found for my 4003s/5 in a store about 1 1/2 years ago... From my description, Mark seemed to think it was a genuine Rickenbacker article... I suspect it was some sort of Rickenbacker prototype, as I haven't heard of/seen another one before or since...

Like Jared, I'm not enought of a player to really assess the subtle tonal qualities, but it sure is a visually striking piece (and it sure does walk & talk like a duck...)!!

rgordon