Rickenbacker 4003 - Pickup Pole Height

[coolrays]

Hello!

I recently bought a Rick 4003 and once I got it home and dug into setting it up I noticed something... strange.

Both pickups (but especially the neck) seem to have higher 'A string' pole pieces, resulting the the A string being quite a bit louder than the E and D strings. I tried adjusting the pickup height to accommodate this but it's not getting any better.

So, my question is, is there a way to fix this? The pole pieces are round, with no screw or Allen head, so I wasn't sure if this could be addressed on the back side of the pickup.

Can anyone out there shed some light on this?

I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gluvhand]

Hello!

I recently bought a Rick 4003 and once I got it home and dug into setting it up I noticed something... strange.

Both pickups (but especially the neck) seem to have higher 'A string' pole pieces, resulting the the A string being quite a bit louder than the E and D strings. I tried adjusting the pickup height to accommodate this but it's not getting any better.

So, my question is, is there a way to fix this? The pole pieces are round, with no screw or Allen head, so I wasn't sure if this could be addressed on the back side of the pickup.

Can anyone out there shed some light on this?

I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

What year 4003?

 

[GIBrat51]

The Rick Hi-Gain pick ups with little hex key holes in the pole pieces are adjustable; the ones without the holes... well, they were not intended to be adjusted. It is possible, but it's hard to do; involves a certain amount of force; and there's a really good chance of ruining the pick up if you try. The A and the D poles are higher than the E and G poles - on my 4001, anyway. But, they aren't much higher - just enough to match the shallow neck radius; and they're both the same height, too. If the A pole on yours is higher than the D? I think a previous owner has been doing some tinkering that he shouldn't have been doing. And if so, then... you could try to get it back where it belongs, but that would likely involve pulling the pick up out, and tapping/banging/whacking the pole piece with a hammer. But, that would be taking a chance of breaking something. You could try it, I suppose; with the understanding that there might be a new pick up in your future... How lucky are you feeling? I wish you luck...

 

[coolrays]

What year 4003?

It's a 2002.

The Rick Hi-Gain pick ups with little hex key holes in the pole pieces are adjustable; the ones without the holes... well, they were not intended to be adjusted. It is possible, but it's hard to do; involves a certain amount of force; and there's a really good chance of ruining the pick up if you try. The A and the D poles are higher than the E and G poles - on my 4001, anyway. But, they aren't much higher - just enough to match the shallow neck radius; and they're both the same height, too. If the A pole on yours is higher than the D? I think a previous owner has been doing some tinkering that he shouldn't have been doing. And if so, then... you could try to get it back where it belongs, but that would likely involve pulling the pick up out, and tapping/banging/whacking the pole piece with a hammer. But, that would be taking a chance of breaking something. You could try it, I suppose; with the understanding that there might be a new pick up in your future... How lucky are you feeling? I wish you luck...

Thanks for the info. I have thought about havin' a whack at them.. worst that could happen is that I have to get a couple new pickups... which I have considered as another option.

Now, to start researching pickups...

 

[Ivan R]

In what year were the adjustable polepieces introduced?