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3rd string (A) in my Rickenbacker 4003 has started touching the pickguard.

brucehum

brucehum

Nov 8, 2007
54
43
Torrelles del Llobregat
#1
Hello all.

After... not sure, but more than 15 years of playing it, today for the first time my Rickenbacker 4003 had its A string touch against the pickup cover. The strings are not new, have been there for something like 6 months... It is intonated (fret 0 and fret 12 are both tuned)... can I lower the string somehow? Could that mean a bit of neckbend and I need to adjust the double truss rods? Or should I just get rid of the pickup cover...

Thanks all
 
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Reactions: Matt Liebenau
#4
Unless a gremlin has raised the bridge or lowered the bridge pickup while you were out, movement of the neck is the only possible explanation.

Check the relief - if the neck has developed a forward bow, the issue can be fixed via adjustment of the truss rods. Job done! All is well!

If, however, there is only minor bowing between the 1st and 15th fret, your bass is probably suffering from movement at the area where the neck block joins the body. Up until relatively recently, the neck pickup rout was overly large, and on some 4003s this could compromise the strength of the neck block, resulting in the neck bending at this point under prolonged string tension. This issue can be fixed by having the neck pickup rout filled (usually with a block of maple) and a smaller rout cut to accomodate the pickup.

Hopefully your issue just requires some truss rod adjustment!
 

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