need Rick 4001 setup tech in Manhattan/Brooklyn

krabapple · #1 02-20-2011, 11:32 AM

For my 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 I need a knowledgeable technician/shop I can take it to a few times a year for setup...one that understands the peculiarities of setting up old Rick basses. Must be nearby Manhattan or Brooklyn (no car). Any recommendations?

shwashwa · #2 02-21-2011, 06:36 AM

please post replies in the thread because i need this info too for my early 80's rick 4001

Ric5 · #3 02-21-2011, 12:27 PM

Make sure you find someone who understands how the truss rods work. With a 4001 the rods DO NOT move the neck. They hold the neck in place.

The 4001 has some quirks. But it also has some strengths. I have found that pretty much every 4001 after it gets a good truss rod adjustment that the neck will be stable for decades. Unless you go to a different tuning like BEAD. So once your neck is set all you have to do is adjust the bridge height with an allen wrench to accomadate seasonal humidity changes.

Alex E · #4 02-21-2011, 12:36 PM

Don't have a tech in NY for you, but do review this website: www.joeysbassnotes.com. Joey has numerous Rick 4001s and 4003s. He's very knowledgeable on set-ups, so you might be able to do-it-yourself from what you learn.

Joey is from NY, but now lives in So. Cal. He might be able to refer you to a trustworthy tech in NY. On the www.rickenbacker.com forum, his name is 'rickenbrother'.

I think he posts on this forum, as well. I just don't know his call name.

FYI: I checked his website and he is doing maintenance. I'm sure it will be operating again in a few days.

Ric5 · #5 02-21-2011, 01:46 PM

If your neck is flat on the 4001 then leave it be. It is already where is needs to be. The rest of the setup is easier. Simply adjust the bridge.

Crazyeelboy · #6 02-21-2011, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric5

Make sure you find someone who understands how the truss rods work. With a 4001 the rods DO NOT move the neck. They hold the neck in place...

This is right - according to the Rickenbacker manual, neck adjustments on instruments made before September 1, 1984 don't move the neck, so be careful if you have tech who does not seem to know that.

I had an adjustment made to my 1974 4001 at the repair place by Rudy's, but that was several years ago.

Ric5 · #7 02-21-2011, 02:21 PM

Yep you loosen the strings, and loosen the rods and move the neck to flat. Then tighten the rods and tighten the strings. But like I said before if your neck is flat then don't adjust the rods.

I had a 1968 4001 that had a badly bowed neck. I got the rods adjusted in 1973. I owned it for 35 years and never had the neck adjusted again. I had a 1973 4001 and the neck was flat and did not need any adjustment at all. But when I strung the bass BEAD the neck had a little backbow because BEAD strings put less tension on the neck than EADG strings do. So the neck buzzed a little. I owned a 74, 75, 76, 78, and an 82, all of them had wonderful flat stable necks that did not need an adjustment. Geddy's bass tech used to post here and when Geddy toured with a bunch of jazz basses and one Ric the Ric was stable and flat and the jazz basses needed constant adjustments.

krabapple · #8 02-22-2011, 11:33 AM

Thansk for the ricforum ref, but I actually had two posts there about this, both unanswered to date, before I even posted to talkbass. And I hear you all on the intonation/action adjustments -- I've done that myself with no problem (I had a BadAss II bridge installed decades ago, which makes it not too hard). It's particularly the neck straightening I'm interested in, as well as cases where I'm just busy and need someone else to do setup. I've read Joey's essays on 4001 neck setup but it had a few typos and sentence structures that made it confusing in parts, to me.

What's a good, reliable method for determining if my 4001 neck is currently flat or bowed? Joey wrote about inserting a piece of looseleaf under the strings....?

Ric5 · #9 02-22-2011, 01:22 PM

To see if the neck is straight look down the neck from the headstock. Or if you have a 24" metal straight edge you can set that on the neck between the strings.

If you action is low all up and down the neck then it is probably straight. If the action is high on the high frets then it is probably front bowed. If the action buzzes out in many places then it may be back bowed.

Vooter · #10 02-22-2011, 01:47 PM

I use a guy named Evan Gluck on the Upper West Side. I don't have a Rick, but he's always done a good job on my basses, and I know he has a pretty big clientele. His e-mail is evross68@yahoo.com.