Rickenbacker 4003 Truss Rod Wrench!!! ??? !!!

[Joe Nerve]

[update] While this thread is chock full of useful information and suggestions, anyone who landed here for help might want to jump straight to post 29, where I found my simple, free (for me) solution.

[updtae #2] You can buy these screwdrivers at most 99 cent stores.​

I know this has been asked and answered countless times, but I don't want to dig through all the threads to find it, and I want to be very specific.

I NEED A WRENCH THAT WILL WORK ON MY 2015 RICKENBACKER 4003!

AND I NEED HELP!​

Specifics:

• I bought a 1/4" Grover truss rod wrench for Rickenbackers from Amazon. It doesn't fit. It's too small Amazon.com: Grover 1/4" Truss Rod Adjustment Tool fits Rickenbacker Guitars and Basses GP140: Musical Instruments.
• I notice Rickeysounds sell one, but they want $60 for it which is complete and total scumbaggery as far as I'm concerned. I won't give it to them.
• I found others on eBay, but they want upwards of $30, they claim to be 1/4", and the one that looked most likely to fit said "no returns".

I'll be damned if I'm going to drop $20 at my local music store every time I need this thing adjusted. I know the truss rods work as they should, as that guy said he had a wrench that he used only on Rics, and old Epiphones, and it worked.

Where can I buy a reasonably priced wrench for my Ric, that I'm certain will work (and fit in the gap without me chiseling it out!!!), or can at least be returned with no hassle if it too doesn't fit.

This shouldn't be brain surgery, and it's one the thing that really REALLY pisses me off about my Rickenbacker. It's like a bad joke or something. They can't just include a freaking wrench like every other bass company on the planet?

Help. Please.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I bought an xcelite nut driver on ebay or amazon or something for less than 10.00. Had to grind the outside diameter on a belt sander to get the size down to fit between the neck wood and the nut. Works great.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I don't own a belt sander, and wouldn't know what to do with one if I did.

I'm really getting frustrated, because my neck has shifted a bit and I'm not loving my Ric anymore. It's such a stupid, simple fix, yet impossible because I can't get the tool to do it.

 

[Zooberwerx]

A 1/4" combination wrench (google it) may work depending on the clearance. Just use the closed end as the access is fairly cramped as you've already mentioned. You can pick them up as singles at any well-stocked hardware store.

Riis

 

[Joe Nerve]

Thanks, and I will... but I'd like to hear a few more responses first.

Anybody have any experience with that Grover wrench that I bought on Amazon? It claims in the packaging to be a 1/4" wrench, which is what has me questioning buying any other 1/4" wrench.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I had troubles when buying one on E-Bay. It was described as 1/4" but turned out to be 5/16" or so. The seller apologized profusely, refunded my money and told me to keep the product. I have a real 1/4" in my tool box...you want it? I bought it for my older Carvin but prefer the combie wrench.

Riis

 

[Joe Nerve]

Just posting this for myself and future reference.

Get a Snap-on 1/4" socket.

Socket, Shallow, 1/4", 6-Point

Fits right out of the box because these are quality, American made tools.

And here's a handle if needed:

Driver (For SR40D Set)

 

[mapleglo]

And here's the socket in action:

 

[lerxst_x]

I have a 1/4" craftsman socket that fits just enough to grab the truss rod nuts on my 2015. It's probably 20 years old though, don't know if they are still made to the same specs. I also have the xcelite driver as well, and definitely needs to be ground down to fit.

 

[JMacBass65]

I know this has been asked and answered countless times, but I don't want to dig through all the threads to find it, and I want to be very specific.

I NEED A WRENCH THAT WILL WORK ON MY 2015 RICKENBACKER 4003!

AND I NEED HELP!​

Specifics:

• I bought a 1/4" Grover truss rod wrench for Rickenbackers from Amazon. It doesn't fit. It's too small Amazon.com: Grover 1/4" Truss Rod Adjustment Tool fits Rickenbacker Guitars and Basses GP140: Musical Instruments.
• I notice Rickeysounds sell one, but they want $60 for it which is complete and total scumbaggery as far as I'm concerned. I won't give it to them.
• I found others on eBay, but they want upwards of $30, they claim to be 1/4", and the one that looked most likely to fit said "no returns".

I'll be damned if I'm going to drop $20 at my local music store every time I need this thing adjusted. I know the truss rods work as they should, as that guy said he had a wrench that he used only on Rics, and old Epiphones, and it worked.

Where can I buy a reasonably priced wrench for my Ric, that I'm certain will work (and fit in the gap without me chiseling it out!!!), or can at least be returned with no hassle if it too doesn't fit.

This shouldn't be brain surgery, and it's one the thing that really REALLY pisses me off about my Rickenbacker. It's like a bad joke or something. They can't just include a freaking wrench like every other bass company on the planet?

Help. Please.

There is no reason that it should, because I don't have this problem with mine (older, adjustment at neck heel) but this really pisses me off. There simply is no excuse for this. It's amazing that something they could early resolve if they cared just a little bit for their customers (fans?) they choose not to fix. And as a result they take a rather recent convert/advocate and turn him into a frustrated customer. Tell you what, if I were a dealer, I would be all,over their poopie for this until they relented. It really is inexcusable.

Cue Rick apologists now.......

 

[sunbeast]

I have one of the drivers from Pick of the Ricks, but it actually is too thick around the cup to fit my 2015 (fits my 2008 4004L perfectly). I just went to my local True Value and grabbed what looked to be the 1/4" driver with the thinnest wall (and long enough to reach without scratching anything!), and problem solved! Anything sold specifically as instrument-related will probably cost twice as much and be identical

 

[sissy kathy]

+1 on mapleglo's response.

 

[BassGen]

Buy this one. $10.50 and works like a charm.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[callofcthulhu]

Weird, the Grover one fits in my early 2000's 4003, did they move the rods even closer together?

 

[jbd5015]

Take the ric to the hardware store. Find a 1/4 drive socket that fits on it. Whether its metric or standard, what ever fits. get a 6" 1/4 drive extension like mapleglo did. Problem solved for less than $20 id imagine.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Is the nut too close to the wood behind it? Sometimes it is and use of any tool requires a tiny bit of shaving the wood back to get the driver on. I have the 1/4" Grover, fits fine as does any 1/4 tool. (I don't use it because the lever hits the strings.) The nuts Ric uses are quite soft as well. If the top is peened over, you have to fiddle quite a bit to get the driver to slip onto it.

Some people use those Master Mechanic 6 in 1 yellow or black handled dual tipped screwdrivers from Ace or True Value Hardware as the smaller end of the shaft (sans tip) is 1/4". That's what I use, and the outer wall is thinner than the Xcelite one so you don't have to grind it down and it may fit onto the nut w/o shaving any wood.

 

[kcole4001]

This is what you need:

$9.00

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And yes, it really should be included with the bass.

 

[1stnamebassist]

This is what you need:

$9.00

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And yes, it really should be included with the bass.

That's the one I have. I still had to grind some off the diameter a bit to make it fit.

 

[JMacBass65]

I still say it's ridiculous that they leave the factory in such a way that it cannot be adjusted, Rickenbaker needs to be the ones carving the wood out properly.

 

[Killer Canary]

I know this has been asked and answered countless times, but I don't want to dig through all the threads to find it, and I want to be very specific.

I NEED A WRENCH THAT WILL WORK ON MY 2015 RICKENBACKER 4003!

AND I NEED HELP!​

Specifics:

• I bought a 1/4" Grover truss rod wrench for Rickenbackers from Amazon. It doesn't fit. It's too small Amazon.com: Grover 1/4" Truss Rod Adjustment Tool fits Rickenbacker Guitars and Basses GP140: Musical Instruments.
• I notice Rickeysounds sell one, but they want $60 for it which is complete and total scumbaggery as far as I'm concerned. I won't give it to them.
• I found others on eBay, but they want upwards of $30, they claim to be 1/4", and the one that looked most likely to fit said "no returns".

I'll be damned if I'm going to drop $20 at my local music store every time I need this thing adjusted. I know the truss rods work as they should, as that guy said he had a wrench that he used only on Rics, and old Epiphones, and it worked.

Where can I buy a reasonably priced wrench for my Ric, that I'm certain will work (and fit in the gap without me chiseling it out!!!), or can at least be returned with no hassle if it too doesn't fit.

This shouldn't be brain surgery, and it's one the thing that really REALLY pisses me off about my Rickenbacker. It's like a bad joke or something. They can't just include a freaking wrench like every other bass company on the planet?

Help. Please.

Can you put up a pic of what's under your TRC?
I might've figured something out for mine (if I ever need it) but I'm afraid that our beasties may be different in that area.
Mapleglo's wrench looks like a good candidate though.
Ric's have nasty habit of being different from each other.
Boo.