Difference between bridge pickups

[Iome]

I've seen there's different kinds of original Rick bridge pickups, is there a great tonal difference between the "classic" 4003 (the one with the big cover), the toaster and the HB1?
Am i wrong supposing it's the neck pickup that gives that unique Rick "Klonking" sound?
Thanks

[gearHed289]

The "classic" you're probably talking about is the "horseshoe" from the original 4001 basses. These come in basically 3 flavors - original with magnetized cover, re-issue used on 4001V63 and 4001CS which are super hot, and a slightly tamed re-issue used on the 4001C64 and C64S basses. Around '69 the magnetized cover was gone, replaced by a chrome plated piece of metal, and soon plastic. This is your standard "high gain". At some point, I believe in the late 80s/early 90s, they boosted the output of the high gains quite a bit, as well as getting rid of a bass cut capacitor that had been used on the bridge pickup. And in 2006 they started using adjustable height pole pieces.

The toaster is a neck pickup, which also comes in about 3 flavors.

HB1 is used on the 4004 series and is a humbucker. Great sounding and quiet, with high output. Totally different animal than the classic Ric pickup.

If you want the signature "clank", any stock 70s Ric should do the trick.   

[Iome]

Thanks mate, are you saying that the newer horseshoe (the one you can buy here: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm )
doesn't give you "that" sound?

[Dave W]

There's no horseshoe on that page, that's a modern hi-gain with cover. It will give you a Rick sound, but hotter than a 70s Rick sound.

The reissue horseshoe is not available separately, but it's not like the original anyway.

[Iome]

So it's not even the stock one from the 4003? Must keep an eye on the bay for an old 4001 p.u.

[Dave W]

No, that is the stock one from a 4003. It's a conventional pickup with steel polepieces and a big magnet beneath. The chromed plastic cover just makes it look like a horseshoe. This is the same pickup that dates from the early 70s, only it's wound hotter now. The neck pickup uses the exact same coil but with a smaller magnet.

The original horseshoe (30s to early 70s) was an actual horseshoe magnet surrounding the coil.

The reissue horseshoe available only on the vintage series (late 80s to present) is a conventional coil with a metal (non-magnet) surround to direct the magnetic field somewhat like the original horseshoe magnets. But it's not the same.