Rickenbacker 4003 bridge question

The Man 53 · #1 12-22-2010, 07:55 PM

I have the 4003 and am going to do drop C tuning. I have problems now running a .105 "E" string and to go to drop C I will be getting a .125 to get my string tension around the 35 to 45 lb range.
The problem I have now and will with the bigger string is the bridge is dropped all the way down and I still have5/16" of gap or so on the pick up side of the strings especially the E at the 20th fret. At the nut it is fine.
Can I file the saddle down to get the desired string height? I will probably have to widen it anyway to get the .125 in there. What is the proper thing to do?

iiipopes · #2 12-22-2010, 08:06 PM

Go ask this question over on the Rick Resource forum and the Rickenbacker factory forum. There are many people over there who specialize who can tell you exactly what you need to do to make a viable low string on a Rick.

The Man 53 · #3 12-22-2010, 08:24 PM

Links? I am kind of a newb.

Max Blasto · #4 12-22-2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man 53

I have the 4003 and am going to do drop C tuning. I have problems now running a .105 "E" string and to go to drop C I will be getting a .125 to get my string tension around the 35 to 45 lb range.
The problem I have now and will with the bigger string is the bridge is dropped all the way down and I still have5/16" of gap or so on the pick up side of the strings especially the E at the 20th fret. At the nut it is fine.
Can I file the saddle down to get the desired string height? I will probably have to widen it anyway to get the .125 in there. What is the proper thing to do?

Stop what you're doing.

JLS · #5 12-22-2010, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man 53

I have the 4003 and am going to do drop C tuning. I have problems now running a .105 "E" string and to go to drop C I will be getting a .125 to get my string tension around the 35 to 45 lb range.
The problem I have now and will with the bigger string is the bridge is dropped all the way down and I still have5/16" of gap or so on the pick up side of the strings especially the E at the 20th fret. At the nut it is fine.
Can I file the saddle down to get the desired string height? I will probably have to widen it anyway to get the .125 in there. What is the proper thing to do?

Oboy, the Rickenproblem...you may be SOL on this. For you to get string height down @ F12, where it is normally measured, you have to lower saddle height by twice that, and it sounds like you have already run out of room to do so. Rick saddles not having much body, you won't have enough to file the slot deeper. The only fix that I know of for this, is like a classical guitar that needs the neck angle tweaked, and cannot be reset: pull the fingerboard, make a tapered shim the length of the fingerboard, and reassemble.
This is, of course, hideously expensive. Sorry.

The Man 53 · #6 12-22-2010, 09:39 PM

What about a different bridge entirely? Is there anything underneath the bridge of the 4003 about a 2001 era?
It has always been like this for the most part. I can adjust the truss rods and get buzz but the bridge end is always still too much for my liking.
I never took an official measurement I am just guessing. I could do that tomorrow and let you all know where it stands.

The Man 53 · #7 12-23-2010, 07:28 AM

This is NOT mine. I saw this and his bridge is as low as mine and his set screw is turned in alot. Is there something under the bridge that I could take out and get it lower? As is mine is basically unscrewed and about that high.

Pic won't show up? But it is this guys avitar from another forum. Here is the web shot site
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...02771670JTyqVn

iiipopes · #8 12-23-2010, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man 53

Links? I am kind of a newb.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_vi...ame=downtuning a 4001 to B-E-A-D. Any advice

walterw · #9 12-25-2010, 07:38 PM

wait, wait.

before you go hacking up a bridge saddle, how straight is the neck?

you won't have any luck getting the action right unless and until the neck relief is right, which is to say, really close to straight.

once that is accomplished, you should have no trouble putting the bridge height where it needs to be.

The Man 53 · #10 12-27-2010, 06:30 AM

Thanks for the replies. I had a perfect neck line. Slight underbow, but just the way it should be. I took a file and cut the saddles down, all of them. Now I can actually use the bridge adjusting screws. I can turn them down about one turn and I get about 1/8" at the 12th fret.

The problem before was that to make it go to 1/8" by adjusting the truss rods you would have overbow and fret buzz. The bridge just needed to be higher, but the action was way too high. I sell fasteners for a living and I think Rickenbacker should have used a Flat Head screw under the saddles instead of Oval heads. I think the saddles actually rub the screws when adjusted all the way down.

walterw · #11 12-27-2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man 53

Thanks for the replies. I had a perfect neck line. Slight underbow, but just the way it should be. I took a file and cut the saddles down, all of them. Now I can actually use the bridge adjusting screws. I can turn them down about one turn and I get about 1/8" at the 12th fret.

how "slight" an underbow?

1/8" clearance at the 12th fret is pretty damn high action.

The Man 53 · #12 12-27-2010, 09:54 PM

slight is something immeasurable to me....1/32" mabye less
It plays 100x better than it used to. I love it again.
Where should I be at the 12th? I got the files I can do it again

Ric5 · #13 12-27-2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

Go ask this question over on the Rick Resource forum and the Rickenbacker factory forum. There are many people over there who specialize who can tell you exactly what you need to do to make a viable low string on a Rick.

They don't always play nice over there at the Rickresource forum.

Don't be afraid to modify the nut on your bass. Replacement nuts are a few bucks. You will need fatter strings. instead of a .105 try a .115 or .125.

You can also widen the groove on the saddle as well. Again a replacement saddle is not very expensive.

Detuning will put less stress on your bass neck. You will probable have to do a complete setup after tuning it to drop C.

iiipopes · #14 12-27-2010, 10:23 PM

Rickenbacker basses are designed to have a perfectly straight neck. I must confess on my 4002 that I do have the G string side straight, but just the ever so slightest bit of relief on the E string side, which is simply a personal preference.

And yes, if you play nice, they all play nice on the Rickenbacker forum. They even let me post about my own wiring mods for 3-pickup guitars that I've sent the pdf's worldwide, and was doing the push-pull to take the inline cap in/out of the bridge pickup circuit at least a year before it became a stock item on a 4003.

Again, fatter strings, if not chosen carefully, will sound thumpy. As has been said above, a 5-string is the way to go. There is even a guy on the RIC forum that takes 4003's and converts them to 5-string, complete with a proper replacement bridge that fits the footprint of the stock bridge, and has Mr. John Hall's blessing.

Again, so long as you play nice, the folks at RIC are some of the nicest folks to converse with there are. A lot of the same folks are on the Rick Resource forum. Now, we all have our preferences and loyalties. Please consider that the folks on the Rick Resource forum are some of the most brand-loyal musicians there are, and are very proud and protective of their instruments. I know we can all respect that.

The Man 53 · #15 12-28-2010, 06:32 AM

I just hate the search function over there. If I know what the answer is to my question I could search it then, but if I knew the answer why search. People seem ok over there. The "vibe" I get is "if your not first your last" meaning if you don't have a ric you have nothing. I am just not that kind of guy...I have met very few basses I don't like

I played every bass that I could get my hands on before purchasing this one and it came in the winner for me.
It has never had "good" action from the start. I have taken it to 4 different shops that at least 3 of which were highly recommended and have never been satisfied with it. That is why I started messing with it. Before drop C I was just tuned down 1/2 step and I got it to play well, but it still had that wedge action with the bridge not being able to go lower.
Again, how high should the strings be above the 12th fret. I was thinking .125" was pretty good. What is recommended?

markbassman · #16 10-26-2011, 06:21 PM

I have lowered the action on my 4003 as low as I can get it and still want an additional 3/16" if I can get it....the neck is true as it is supposed to be, I am using the stock bridge and was considering changing it out to a Hipshot, but am not sure that this will solve the issue, I don't want to screw around with any type of mods to the body or the stock bridge...so I'm in some what of a quandry as to what will give me what I want which is lower action with no mods to the stock parts...anyone???

Ric5 · #17 10-26-2011, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Man 53

I have the 4003 and am going to do drop C tuning. I have problems now running a .105 "E" string and to go to drop C I will be getting a .125 to get my string tension around the 35 to 45 lb range.
The problem I have now and will with the bigger string is the bridge is dropped all the way down and I still have5/16" of gap or so on the pick up side of the strings especially the E at the 20th fret. At the nut it is fine.
Can I file the saddle down to get the desired string height? I will probably have to widen it anyway to get the .125 in there. What is the proper thing to do?

You can buy replacement saddles from Ric for a few dollars each.

markbassman · #18 10-27-2011, 12:35 PM

when you filed down the saddles did it solve the issue for you, and did it cause any unexpected issues afterward with tuning etc...

Randall · #19 10-27-2011, 01:09 PM

Have you taken the strings off to inspect the bottom of the saddle holder? Mine had some rough areas (bottom) and I lightly filed it flat. I imagine you could remove some material there which would lower all saddles.

markbassman · #20 10-27-2011, 01:14 PM

I had not, but I will, when I take it down and try to lower the action....I also got a spare set of wedges from Ricky, they graciously gave them to me...so I guess that I will work on this weekend....But I was hoping that someone had made a replacement bridge that solved the problems with the stock bridge...but I guess that the Hipshot just solves the attenuation problem....