No one talks much about the rick humbucker -- I would like to get a 660/12 but only if the Rick humbuckers will drop right in. I can hear it how... why would you change the classic jangle sound, etc. etc. It has to do with the group I would be using it in .. just leave it at that. It sure looks like it would drop in w no alterations

HB-1s will drop straight in. Knock yourself out - no judgements here.

I have tried the RIC HB-1 pickups in my guitars. And yes, it is a drop-in, or rather, screw-in direct. All you have to do is unscrew the pickguard/control plate, unsolder the leads, withdraw the pickups, and reverse to install the HB-1's. You don't even need to loosen the strings.

BUT...to me, like all overwound humbucking pickups (an HB-1 has about 15 kohms' worth of 44 AWG wire), they have increased mids and decreased top end - great drive but no jangle. If drive is what you're after, go for it!

I have implored Mr. JH to develop a "Toaster-Bucker" for years. No, it would never sound exactly like a toaster - physics - no humbucker will ever sound like the original single coil it would be modelled after. But if it were, say, 85% to 90% of the tone, and get rid of all the noise onstage, I would retrofit my instruments in a heartbeat.

That said, you can coil tap the HB-1 or run it in parallel, to get a brighter or thinner tone as desired, since it has the four discrete leads.

Tip: tape a piece of string to the lead of each pickup when you unsolder them, before withdrawing them, drawing the string through the body from the control cavity to the pickup cavity. Then tape the HB-1's lead to the string to draw it back through the body of the guitar so you don't have to "fish" leads unnecessarily.

Thanks for this info. Actually have postponed that Idea -still will happen tho - since I am trolling for a 650D in ruby finish. Most of them seem to have ended up in the UK