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Just bought my first Rickenbacker. What now?

#41
facetsquared said:
After buying a new 4003 via eBay and having it shipped sight unseen from the US to Wales, I wish I knew about the dreaded tail-lift before repeatedly stringing it with DR Lo-Riders for 20 years (amazing sound, but the tension at the bridge... eek). I now see a little bit of evidence of tail-lift and I am considering whether to swap out the bridge for a Hipshot, or let sleeping dogs lie.

Don't be like me - check for tail-lift!
Click to expand...
You may be interested in one of these. Very pricey but an excellent bridge that will eliminate tail lift assuming yours is pre-2020.
Rickenbacker® Replacement Bridge (Pre 2020)
Unfortunately I've never played a Ric let alone owned one :crying:, I got my bridge off a seller on Fleabay in the States to put on a Harley Benton RB-414. He was selling for $140 plus shipping. Cost me £152 door to door 3/4's the price of the bass but makes a hell of a difference on sustain.
Edit - doh, noticed you'd already mentioned the Hipshot. Ignore me, I'm a foo'.:D
 
#43
Had a 74 factory fretless with the 'Ric-O-Sound' stereo outputs.
Abandoned her in a trade that didn't quite work out.
I've been jonesing for a 4003s/5 for years. I find myself wondering if it would cause me the same carpal tunnel as the 74 did.
They're kinda pricey, so it's currently not an option.
 
#45
Other than the Treble Bezel, you don't really "need" to mod anything, but the Hipshot is arguably a better bridge than the stock one. I never found the stock bridge that difficult to intonate, but if you palm mute over the bridge a lot, might be worth upgrading. The new V2 bridge wont tail lift, and is easier to intonate, but hard to justify at $190 from Ric Boutique. The body edge binding may bother you, or not, depending how your forearm crosses the upper bout. The bound models are definitely less comfortable to play than the more rounded S models, but Im a sucker for a bound body and neck. The push-pull pot is a nice addition to the electronics, but I dont find myself using it much. It basically pulls most of the bass out of the bridge pickup, useful for a Squire tone, but I generally like it fatter. Im surprised to hear somebody mention neck-dive, I've literally never picked up a Ric that was a diver, they have all been nearly perfectly balanced. If its even a slight problem, Hipshot makes some slightly lighter tuners that are drop-in compatible. Good luck with it. If its just not your thing, you can always re-sell and get your money back in full, Rics hold their value like no other.
 
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#47
TeeSee said:
You may be interested in one of these. Very pricey but an excellent bridge that will eliminate tail lift assuming yours is pre-2020.
Rickenbacker® Replacement Bridge (Pre 2020)
Unfortunately I've never played a Ric let alone owned one :crying:, I got my bridge off a seller on Fleabay in the States to put on a Harley Benton RB-414. He was selling for $140 plus shipping. Cost me £152 door to door 3/4's the price of the bass but makes a hell of a difference on sustain.
Edit - doh, noticed you'd already mentioned the Hipshot. Ignore me, I'm a foo'.:D
Click to expand...
You put a Hipshot bridge on a Hardly Bent one?
Crikey, that was worth more than the bass!
I'm not a member of the Hipshot bridge advocates club, though I have got a couple of them (one on a faker and one in my parts box); the easiest remedy if you have tail-lift is twofold: 1. Get another Ric tailpiece and 2. swap to lighter gauge strings.
 
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#48
I have a 4003s that sometimes I think I want to put a Babicz bridge on.

If I were going to change pickups, my first choice would be the Joe Barden pickups.

I am also in the camp of trying that thing out for a time and see if it really needs any changes.

Have fun with your Ric. I have 2 and the quirks do not bother me at all.
 
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#50
I've had 7 or 8 modern 4003s in the last few years. Always trying to recapture the magic of my long lost '76 Burgandyglo. Right off the bat I would recommend a treble bezel. You might like the Hipshot bridge, but personally, I don't care for the look and have made my peace with the V1. I bought a used V2, but chickened out and sold it before ever installing it.
Bonding with a RIC can be hit or miss. I recommend giving it some time. The neck profiles can vary wildly with no way to predict what you will receive if buying sight unseen. Those made over the last 20 years tend to run fatter. The good thing is that you're likely able to get your money back out of it if this one isn't to your liking and then try another. The prize is worth the hunt.
 
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#51
prowla said:
You put a Hipshot bridge on a Hardly Bent one?
Crikey, that was worth more than the bass!
I'm not a member of the Hipshot bridge advocates club, though I have got a couple of them (one on a faker and one in my parts box); the easiest remedy if you have tail-lift is twofold: 1. Get another Ric tailpiece and 2. swap to lighter gauge strings.
Click to expand...
Yeah it certainly was, that and a set of Schaller tuners well exceeded the cost of the bass.:laugh: One day I'll have a Ric, I consider them to be peerless in looks and sounds, in my eyes the most beautiful instrument ever created. Just got to wait for one to turn up in my local charity shop..I may be waiting a very long time.;)
 
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#54
I ditched the pickup cover and installed a bezel cover. At first I got the one with the finger ridge. I never used it and often got it confused with a string (for a mili-second). I replaced it with the smooth/flat bezel. Much better..... I didn't like the bridge either because of the mute apparatus getting in the way. I replaced it with a smooth faced bridge. That was a tremendous improvement on the entire bass. Now nothing is in the way between my hand and the strings. Its very good "now".
 
#55
birminghambass said:
Hey TB. Been playing for 30+ years, owned probably over 100 basses throughout that time. Currently have 12. Never owned a Rick. In fact I'm not sure if I've ever played one. I had a friend about 30 years ago who played one but I can't recall if I ever tried it. I always wanted one, but have never seen one in a shop. Just pulled the trigger on a 2005, should arrive this week. I've done some research today, seems that Ricks are sooooo divisive. Play terrible, QC issues, intonation, funky bridge, dual trussrod, no shielding, etc.

So TB, where does one start? Any tricks or helpful advice? Specifically from RICK PLAYERS WHO MODDED THEIR BASS. Not really helpful to tell me how much you hated yours and sold it. Or to tell me to keep it stock. I'm a DIY guy, I'm going to "upgrade".
Click to expand...

Definitely check the truss rods. I have an '05 as well and found out just how absolutely torqued the treble side was when the head of the truss rod snapped off. Thankfully not too to difficult of a repair, but irritating as Rick support is terrible and couldn't tell me a part number. The actual answer was "ask facebook, they'll know what part we used from the 80's till the late aughts". By that same token, you'll want to do adjustments "manually" but flexing the neck flat or with clamps and then tightening the truss's to support that.

That said, you're spot on about the bridge. I like the aesthetic of the bridge, buuuuut aftermarket drop-ins have easier to access adjustments for the settings. AND many of them allow for individual string height whereas IIRC the original allows you to adjust the bass and treble side height of the saddles as they are all on a single piece of metal. The one I have is the hipshot

I definitely like the zero-mod thumb rest on my 05 that came with it as well as the drop d tuner (though that was purchased by the first owner and they got a slightly too small of a size so the tuner head actually rotates in the socket so get the right size).

Wouldn't worry about modding a Ric other than resale value. Ric guys seem to be like how my brother describes Corvette guys. They know the exact finish years, the day and weather of the day of manufacture, and if a same year same model replacement part was used. If any of that has changed, it tends to heavily affect resale value.
 
#60
I sold one earlier this year and I regret it. Newer 4003S in Mapleglo. It had the bezel and the new bridge (I bought it used). I added the Nordenbacker and thought it really brought the Ric tone out from the neck position. The pickup isn’t expensive and is totally worth it. I wish I still had it. It was a beautiful bass
 

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