Rickenbacker Bridge Intonation

[Green Mind]

I'm looking for advice on how to properly adjust the intonation on a rickenbacker type bridge. I've searched around but haven't found much information besides complaints about setting up the bridge. I have a 4001 copy with the intonation off about a half step past the 12th fret. I'd appreciate any advice even if just to tell me I'm a failure when it comes to the search function .

[Ric5]

The Rickenbacker bridge is a major pain in the backside to adjust ... probably your best bet is to loosen the stings and remove the bridge and adjust the saddles re-insert the bridge and then retighten the strings ... Repeat until you have the intonation set ... ARRGGHH!!!

The search engine here is almost as bad.

[jgroh]

Originally Posted by Ric5

The Rickenbacker bridge is a major pain in the backside to adjust ... probably your best bet is to loosen the stings and remove the bridge and adjust the saddles re-insert the bridge and then retighten the strings ... Repeat until you have the intonation set ... ARRGGHH!!!

The search engine here is almost as bad.

Yeah, that pretty much all you can do...loosen strings remove end piece, adjust the saddles, lather and repeat. If I hadnt blew my wad just buying the bass, a new hipshot bridge would be on it.

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by jgroh

Yeah, that pretty much all you can do...loosen strings remove end piece, adjust the saddles, lather and repeat. If I hadnt blew my wad just buying the bass, a new hipshot bridge would be on it.

+1. The Hipshot has made my life a heck of a lot easier.

[Ric5]

You can also replace the phillips head screws with allen head screws and then you can get an allen wrench in there and turn it about 1/8 turn at a time ... which is equally frustrating ... @#$%^&*

Or go with a replacement bridge ...

[Green Mind]

Thanks for everyone's advice on this menacing endeavor. Just to confirm, this is one of those copies and I'm not sure if the bridge is exactly the same as those on rics but it basically has one big saddle as opposed to individual ones. So I can adjust the height by tilting it slanted left to right and up and down.

[Green Mind]

Well I've been going at it for a while trying different heights even from one extreme to the other and the high notes are still sharp.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by Green Mind

Well I've been going at it for a while trying different heights even from one extreme to the other and the high notes are still sharp.

I've never successfully intonated a rickenbacker. I've owned 3 of them and still have the 3rd one. They've all been off a bit, usually sharp and I've never been able to fix it.

My 4001 bridge saddle piece used to sit pretty high on the screws and would eventually rock backwards by itself. So it was always going out of tune.

This kind of thing is why I went to fretless - now I'm just out of tune everywhere and no longer need to mess around with intonating at the bridge.....

LS

[Ric5]

I have owned about 20 different Rics ... all of them intonated just fine ... even though it was cumbersome ...

[skreehaw]

It all depends on wether you have a new one or an old one . An old one you almost always have to unscrew them totally and lube the screw so it turns freely in the saddle . Then (assuming the screw heads are'nt all boogered up)just raise the action a bit till you can get to the screws . I use a little tiny flat blade screw driver to turn the screws . Almost jewelers size but with a regular style handle. New ones are usually there already but if they are not . pull the bridge and remove all the little springs first . Then adjust accordingly

[Jason Brown]

http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Rick%20maint.htm

There's some useful info here.