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Rickenbacker 4001 Treble Springs

L

Lamina

Oct 12, 2022
4
1
#1
Hi. Would anyone be able to suggest suitable replacement springs and washers for the treble pickup? Parts 06116 and 03804, respectively.

bridge pickup.webp


I recently tried raising the pickup height on my 4001 only to learn that when a previous owner removed the treble cover, they decided to remove the springs and washers as well. The pickup has been sitting on some sort of rubber bushings up until now. I'd like to find replacement parts so I can make proper adjustments. RickySounds has what I'm looking for, but shipping fees to the US are more than the cost of the items themselves. I would hate to spend that much on springs and washers, especially when both parts are sourced from the US, as stated on RickySounds website.
 
#2
How about going to your local hardware store?
They usually have springs, there's nothing special about the Ric ones.
You can also buy ones longer than needed and clip/trim them to the proper size.

By the way I also hate it when small items cost double because of shipping.
Stew Mac is perhaps the biggest offender of this type of thing.
 
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#3
Dirk Diggler said:
How about going to your local hardware store?
They usually have springs, there's nothing special about the Ric ones.
You can also buy ones longer than needed and clip/trim them to the proper size.

By the way I also hate it when small items cost double because of shipping.
Stew Mac is perhaps the biggest offender of this type of thing.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input! I wasn't sure if I needed a specific type of spring. I had read in other threads that the springs were stiffer / rigid / had more coils, etc. than other springs that were used. Was also unsure if the length / thickness of the spring mattered. I'm perfectly okay with non-OEM! But like you said, the shipping really jacked up the price - so much so that I had been considering an authentic OEM listing on eBay as an alternative.. But I'd really prefer a cheap solution.
 
#4
Sourcing Rickenbacker hardware is so weird sometimes. I’ve had luck in the past finding such bits inexpensively on reverb, but don’t see any now.

It’s not like you have an example of the spring to bring with you, but maybe print the spec sheet and find the most grizzled old expert you can find at a local hardware store, and talk him through what you need. In my experience those types of guys are very helpful. Or if you have any techs in your area familiar with Ricks, ask their opinion.
 
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#5
Yeah just think mechanically about what the spring does. It merely holds the pickup to the pickguard.
It allows adjustment up and down, but usually once you have it set, you never have to touch it again.
So you need a spring strong enough to push back to the correct height and hold it.
Of course you need small diameter, you only need to fit the screw through it.
A longer than needed spring can be cut to whatever length you need.

So if the new spring is wimpy, add more length, too stiff just cut it shorter.

I have actually used rubber tubing for this task with good success.
Silicon tubing like for a fish pump would also work.

Best of success to you.
 
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#9
Lamina said:
Many thanks all for the info and suggestions. I'm glad it's simpler than I thought, and that I can avoid paying and waiting on overseas shipping.
Click to expand...

Someone over in the main Rickenbacker thread just mentioned getting hardware replacements from this store in California, and I remember this is where I was able to source treble pickup screws inexpensively from their Reverb shop. Maybe worth giving them a call:

Haight Ashbury Music

World renowned music store, family owned and operated, since 1972! All items tax free when shipped outside California!
haightashburymusic.com haightashburymusic.com
 
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#10
Dirk Diggler said:
By the way I also hate it when small items cost double because of shipping.
Stew Mac is perhaps the biggest offender of this type of thing.
Click to expand...
Exactly this! I remember when RIC Boutique was offering their version of the Treble Bezel for $18 with free shipping. All I really wanted was a $2 replacement mute pad, but they wanted about $35 to ship the thing. I contacted RIC offering to buy their bezel and the mute pad if they'd just toss the pad in with the free shipping. No way they were going to do that. Heck, that pad would go into a standard USPS letter envelope for the cost of a stamp. I wasn't about to be played like that, so I made my own mute pad. I buy my Treble Bezels from Tubeampology too....just because.

Sorry to hijack OP.
 
#11
Older hardware stores around here have (or had) a board with all the available springs on display so can can see them all at once and determine which best meets your needs.

As for the mute foam, you can buy a whole roll of the appropriate sized rubber weatherstripping, which I’m sure is all Rickenbacker (and Fender, for the Jaguar guitar mute) use. They’re not going to specially manufacture a part when there’s a perfectly good off-the-shelf item.
 
#13
There's a guy on YT I think somewhere in Europe, maybe Ukraine that restores old stuff. If he needs a direct replacement of a part like a screw or spring that is a unicorn, he makes them himself. I'm not saying you go to this extreme, but, there's always a solution lol

A couple of bucks and get a few different sizes from your hardware store should be more than fine.
 
#14
JimmyO said:
Someone over in the main Rickenbacker thread just mentioned getting hardware replacements from this store in California, and I remember this is where I was able to source treble pickup screws inexpensively from their Reverb shop. Maybe worth giving them a call:

Haight Ashbury Music

World renowned music store, family owned and operated, since 1972! All items tax free when shipped outside California!
haightashburymusic.com haightashburymusic.com
Click to expand...
Bought many Ric parts from this seller over the years, they are good 😊
 

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