Rickenbacker 4003 Neck Pickup Height

[acostaa]

Hello all,

I have a 4003 that, despite all my efforts, I cannot raise the neck pickup enough to obtain my desired tone. I've lowered the action and string height as much as possible, and have cranked up the neck pickup as much as possible, even removing the rubber grommets underneath. But I'm still off by a considerable amount. It seems crazy that given the pickup design (screws mounted on top of pickup cover plate, for instance), it can only be raised so much before hitting a wall. I've tried raising the pole pieces but they are jammed in there tight and I don't want to strip them. Wondering if you anybody has had this frustrating experience and what if anything you've been able to do to correct it.

 

[Andy Marshman]

I got this idea from Paul Boyer who published the book The Rickenbacker Electric Bass: 50 Years as Rock's Bottom
He suggested taking the grommets out and carefully slicing it in half to make it 50% thinner. Then put it back together. It's not much of a difference. I did it.

 

[Axtman]

Another trick is to remove the 4 pan head machine screws, that hold the pickup together, with flat head screws. You may have to slightly contersink the metal.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I've tried raising the pole pieces but they are jammed in there tight and I don't want to strip them.

They will move (I too, thought they wouldn't, at first, on the May '08 4003 I had years ago).

 

[acostaa]

They will move (I too, thought they wouldn't, at first, on the May '08 4003 I had years ago).

OK, I just stripped the pole piece attempting to loosen it. FML.

 

[Jeff Scott]

OK, I just stripped the pole piece attempting to loosen it. FML.

Pics of the pickup. It is one with the hex screws, right? You never said. We all know that only the hex screw ones are adjustable, right?

 

[CaptainLeisure]

This is confusing. Doesn't removing (or cutting) the grommets LOWER the pickup?

 

[Jeff Scott]

This is confusing. Doesn't removing (or cutting) the grommets LOWER the pickup?

The neck pickup is mounted from underneath the pickguard so removing/cutting in half the grommets (which are also under the pickguard) allow the pickup to be raised up by that amount, not taking into account the four corner screws.

 

[CaptainLeisure]

Thank you! On my old Ric guitar, the grommets were spacers lifting the pickups up over the guitar body.

 

[Verner]

I wonder if you could take the four screws in each corner and screw them in from the bottom? Then maybe trim any of the shank that protrudes so it is level with the pickup surface?

That would bring the pickup as high as it can physically go against the pickguard.

Edit: never mind, I just checked out a ric pickup I have here, the screws aren’t threaded into the housing. They use a nut to hold everything together.

 

[Verner]

Gibson just solders their metal covers on, right? Take a corner screw out, solder the corner together in the hole, file flat. Then go around and repeat. That might do it.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Thank you! On my old Ric guitar, the grommets were spacers lifting the pickups up over the guitar body.

Yeah, top-mounted pickups are like that. On modern instruments there is a foam ring instead of the six grommets, except for RI/vintage-style models.

Gibson just solders their metal covers on, right? Take a corner screw out, solder the corner together in the hole, file flat. Then go around and repeat. That might do it.

A common suggestion for this is to remove the screws/nuts and use a thin piece of wire wrapped through and around the holes/baseplate/cover to secure everything together.

There is only so far the under-pickguard neck pickup can be raised, however, the bridge pickup has lots of room for adjustment to match up with the neck pickup.

 

[Son of Redhead]

I would replace the Bridge instead. either the Rickenbacker V.2, or Hipshot (Brass and Aluminum available) have superior string height adjust facilities. Look into that.
I can attest top the Hipshot siginficantly lowering action. That will get string closer to pickup.

 

[mikeswals]

The neck pickup is mounted from underneath the pickguard so removing/cutting in half the grommets (which are also under the pickguard) allow the pickup to be raised up by that amount, not taking into account the four corner screws.

On my '93, the grommets were under the pickup frame, not between the frame and pickguard. I wanted it adjusted as low into the body as it could go (mud neck positions sounds gross *to me*), so I too the grommets off so I could sink the pickup down as far I could.

 

[Jeff Scott]

On my '93, the grommets were under the pickup frame, not between the frame and pickguard.

Interesting. It didn't come new from the factory that way, did it?

As to the muddy tone, have you ever tried a toaster?

 

[Mastermold]

Wouldn't it be easier to lower the bridge pickup instead?

 

[Verner]

Wouldn't it be easier to lower the bridge pickup instead?

It makes it harder to destroy our stuff by testing ideas that imply we know better if we only do the sensible stuff!

 

[mikeswals]

Wouldn't it be easier to lower the bridge pickup instead?

that was my original though; lower the rear pickup and turn up the amp!

 

[mikeswals]

Interesting. It didn't come new from the factory that way, did it?

As to the muddy tone, have you ever tried a toaster?

Yeah it came that way.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yeah it came that way.

We need to do a study of this in the Rickenbacker thread.