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Rickenbacker 4003 setup help!

S

Sexy magik

Mar 23, 2012
35
3
Sydney
#1
whenever i play my 8-14 fret on my E string, i keep getting annoying fret buzz especially when i play slap. i also get really faint fret buzz in the same frets but on A strings but its pretty quiet and doesn't bother me as much.

what do i go to get rid of these buzz??

*i dont have much experience setting up basses
 
#2
People are going to tell you to raise the bridge or give the bass some relief (back off the rod that's on the same side as the E and A strings). But in all honesty unless you have super super low action a bass that's buzzing on the 14th fret might need a fret level more than anything else?
 
#5
A basic setup will include adjusting the truss rods, adjusting the bridge and adjusting the nut. After that look at fret work. It may need the frets leveled. The frets on Rics are usually good from the factory, but a few years in various temperature and humidity levels and the neck may need a little fret leveling. Do a setup first and see if that works.
 
#6
What Ric5 said. But go to a luthier who is qualified for Rickenbacker. And I mean qualified, not just, "Yeah, we work on them...." Most wannabe techs and big box employees are going to use the Fender book and ruin your bass.
 
#7
jelwood said:
People are going to tell you to raise the bridge or give the bass some relief (back off the rod that's on the same side as the E and A strings). But in all honesty unless you have super super low action a bass that's buzzing on the 14th fret might need a fret level more than anything else?
Click to expand...

Ive done what you said and it helped alot and now the buzz gone on all the frets apart from the 6th and the 8th but the 8th is much better. the 6th is slightly better but it still buzzes when i slap it.
also raised my action abit higher.

also my rick is pretty much brand new,bought it at the start of the year, so it might of been stuffed when it came out of the factory

iiipopes said:
What Ric5 said. But go to a luthier who is qualified for Rickenbacker. And I mean qualified, not just, "Yeah, we work on them...." Most wannabe techs and big box employees are going to use the Fender book and ruin your bass.
Click to expand...

yeah thats one of the reasons why i wanna do it myself but i'll ask one of the guys in the guitar shop if they know how the setup a rick if i cant do it myself


*does know what the string height should be, i know its supposed to be where its the most comfortable, but im pretty new to this and it would be easier if there was some numbers to work around with it and raise it or lower it depending on my likings
 
#9
ok now i have a new problem, i cant loosen the rod any further. its to the point where i can just use my fingers to loosen it and i havent even done any drastic changes to the rod. i loosed it 1/4 yesterday and i did almost the same amount and when i was half way turning it, it was loose. D: what do i do??
 

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