Rickenbacker bridge pickup cover: plastic???

[Paul Boyer]

Rickenbacker started making these out of plastic sometime in late 1973 or '74. They had previously made them out of thin chromeplated metal, after discontinuing the horseshoes, which I understand had a tendency to de-gauss.

Nope. See Ric5's info above.

 

[FranF]

1969.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yep. Plastic. John Hall claims it provides "shielding" for the bridge pup. Hmmmmm. I was not aware that a couple microns of chrome over plastic had notable shielding properties, but that's Halls story, and he's been sticking to it for years. If so, it's the only shielding whatsoever on a Ric. Some people like them as a hand rest, most people just take them off because they are right over a "sweet spot". The Tubeampology bezel infill looks pretty good, and keeps your hand from catching on the pup surround edges. The old horse shoe pups look cool, but are weak output and can demagnetize over time. I've always wished somebody would make a split horse shoe style pup cover in metal, purely for cosmetics. Anybody heard of such a gadget?

 

[Paul Boyer]

I am not an expert, but I believe the plastic faux-horseshoe pickup cover receives at least a couple of layers of plating, perhaps copper, perhaps nickel, perhaps chrome on top. Don't know. Usually plastic is "chromed" electrostatically. Perhaps some actual plating experts can chime in here. Anyway, it is likely that the metallic coating provides "some" shielding to the otherwise naked windings of the pickup below. The bass-position pickup has a tight-fitting metal cover.

I don't think it is accurate to say that "most everyone" or "90%" take the cover off. There are probably just as many who remove it as find it necessary for the way they play. Not to say that Lemmy is a "typical" player, but he's even ADDED A COVER to his 4004LK because he rests his hand/wrist there. The 4004s have no cover, so he screwed one onto his. I've possessed more than 20 Ricks, and although I won't count myself as being a musician or even an active player, I removed the cover on only one of mine but replaced it a few years later. I play with the thumb or pick and need that hand rest.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I am not an expert, but I believe the plastic faux-horseshoe pickup cover receives at least a couple of layers of plating, perhaps copper, perhaps nickel, perhaps chrome on top. Don't know. Usually plastic is "chromed" electrostatically. Perhaps some actual plating experts can chime in here. Anyway, it is likely that the metallic coating provides "some" shielding to the otherwise naked windings of the pickup below. The bass-position pickup has a tight-fitting metal cover.

I don't think it is accurate to say that "most everyone" or "90%" take the cover off. There are probably just as many who remove it as find it necessary for the way they play. Not to say that Lemmy is a "typical" player, but he's even ADDED A COVER to his 4004LK because he rests his hand/wrist there. The 4004s have no cover, so he screwed one onto his. I've possessed more than 20 Ricks, and although I won't count myself as being a musician or even an active player, I removed the cover on only one of mine but replaced it a few years later. I play with the thumb or pick and need that hand rest.

I've accidentally scratched the chrome on mine and it looks like ordinary black plastic under the chrome. If there is any other metal under there, I can't see it. If it was intended to act as shielding, it doesn't work, as removing it yields a 0% change in single-coil hum. I think the "shielding" idea is just a bit of corporate spin on Hall's part, no big deal. I think it was pretty clearly intended to be an aesthetic homage to the old horse shoe pups, and to act as a handrest. If you like playing up over the neck pup for a rounder Macca sound, you can probably leave it on. The only way I know of to reduce single coil hum is to copper shield and ground the pup cavities, or the RWRP mod, but that only works at full volume AFAIK. I've never understood why even basic shielding is missing on an $1800 instrument, but that's Ric, go figure. I always liked the chrome pup covers on Fender Jazz, but they are right in my way, same with a Ric. Single coil hum is just something you have to live with on a Ric, or any single coil guitar. It's a worthy exchange for that classic growl!