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The Rickenbacker Club Part Eight

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#801
Yes, that's basically the procedure (nice looking Jetglo, by the way). As for the saddle, the only thing I can think of (and I'm no expert) is that the threads in the saddle are really badly stripped out, or the screw is buggered up. Even with no string pressure, there should be very little movement. Are you sure the saddle is the problem?
 
#802
Kopfjaeger said:
Jerry,

Nice Jetglo!! OK, first off, hoe straight is your neck? I find my action goes to hell in a handbasket when my neck bows forward slightly. Normally this happens in the drier winter weather. Humidity tends to make the neck backbow. That's why normally you expect to adjust the truss rods twice yearly as the seasons change. First check your neck for straightness. many will tell you set it dead flat but all my Rickenbackers like a slight amount of bow, a very slight amount!!

Each of my basses are a little different. Are changing string gauges? If so you will need to intonate. In my experience changing the bridge height does not screw with intonation all too much.

Work on getting your neck straight, your bridge height, then intonate. Setting intonation is a trial and error type operation but once set it is rock solid and rarely ever has to be screwed with.

Does your saddle rock side to side?? If so it is defective. My D string saddle does the same thing. If it's slight, wedge a slim piece of a pick under it and rock that bass like it wants to be rocked!! Or you can order a new saddle and cut a new slot if the wedge method bothers you.

Oh, Joey from Joey's bass notes rocks!! He is a great guy that knows Rickenbacker basses like the back of his hand. Joey has assisted me numerous times with questions I've had. His site has a huge amount of great info on it!!

Sepp
Click to expand...

Yeah, it moves side to side.
When I hold my A string and move it back and forth I can clearly see and hear the saddle moving, I'll try fixing it with a shim first and see where that gets me.

I'm putting on string of a slightly lighter guage (the guy told me these are .105 E-string, I always play with .100 E-string)

As for the neck, when I check it like explained on Joey's Bass Notes (hold down the string at the 1st and last fret and push on it) it has a gap between the string and frets of the 12th of about 0.5-1mm. Is that acceptable or realy too much? Because I don't realy feel comfortable with going about adjusting the neck just yet. :hmm:
 
#803
Jerry,

With my Rickenbackers, they do not like to have the strings lay on the frets when I use that method of checking neck straightness. A little deflection, less than the thickness of a credit card, is usually where they like to be, as a rule of thumb. Yours may vary a little. Anything more than the thickness of a credit card and it's time for an adjustment.

Don't let the dual truss rods freak you out. Go slow and if weird things happen. loosen, then snug them, wait several hours and go again. Tighten to make the neck move rearward and loosen to go forward. Never put more pressure then you can exert with hand strength, no forearm torque!!

Take a foto of the bridge from the side so I can see how high it looks. Personally, I'd rather adjust the neck than screw with the bridge height.

Sepp
 
#804
Quick question all you Ric guys- if I take out my 4001 bridge pickup to put a bezel in, does it make a difference which way i put the pickup back in, i.e. what used to be the e pole piece is now under g string? Is there a true front or back of the pickup? Maybe a phase difference due to the way the pickup is wound? Just curious. Thanks.
 
#808
Kopfjaeger said:
Jerry,

With my Rickenbackers, they do not like to have the strings lay on the frets when I use that method of checking neck straightness. A little deflection, less than the thickness of a credit card, is usually where they like to be, as a rule of thumb. Yours may vary a little. Anything more than the thickness of a credit card and it's time for an adjustment.

Don't let the dual truss rods freak you out. Go slow and if weird things happen. loosen, then snug them, wait several hours and go again. Tighten to make the neck move rearward and loosen to go forward. Never put more pressure then you can exert with hand strength, no forearm torque!!

Take a foto of the bridge from the side so I can see how high it looks. Personally, I'd rather adjust the neck than screw with the bridge height.

Sepp
Click to expand...

A pick of the bridge:
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Height compared to my Eclipse:
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Link Removed

I'm gonna change strings now and see how that plays.
I would like to have it properly set up to how I would like it by next week friday because I have 2 gigs that day.
But I'm realy, well, scared to be honest, to go screwing around with that neck :hmm:
 
#809
Your Ric could definitely use a tweak; that action appears fairly high. How is the rest of the neck, though? Is it similar across the whole plane?

The scariest adjustment to that neck you will ever make will be the first one! Just do your research (seems you have), and do it in small steps, never too big a tweak. It's not at all dissimilar to adjusting any other TR, just there's two of them. And, if you go incrementally and without excessive force, any 'mistake' you might make could be fairly easily undone by a competent luthier. So I wouldn't worry too much; just get that bass into prime playing shape! :D
 
#810
It's pretty much thesame across the whole neck both on the E and G string.
So if I'm getting this right my neck stands like this:

/ Front =>

And I should get it like this:

| Front =>

And I do so by turning the truss rods to the RIGHT/CLOCKWISE ?
(I just realy, realy wanna make shure I don't make any mistake ;))

And afther thats done I can go about setting the bridge and intonating it again
 
#813
Jerry,

Yes, Tighten in small increments, let settle, recheck and repeat if needed. Your bridge looks quite low so I doubt that lowering it will help your situation. I think it is all in the neck adjustment, way too much relief.

Sepp
 
#814
The new rods adjust very easily and more quickly than the old ones did, so a little goes a long way it seems.
The newer necks seem to settle in faster as well, but may need more frequent adjustment, which still isn't very often.

I have only had to adjust the rods on my 1976 4000 once, I've owned it since 1986, and the factory paint was still unbroken on the rod nuts until a couple of years ago when I did finally tweak it slightly, so I guess I'm saying they don't need much adjustment ever.
 
#815
Allright, thanx for the input everyone. I am more confident now on doing it afther reading some more on the subject.
I planned on doing it just now, took off the cover, and then found out I don't have any wrench that is the correct size. Damn those americans and their inches :p :rolleyes:
So I'm gonna check if we have any american size wrenches at work tommorow. (we should have, I'm pretty sure of it)
 
#816
hotrodjohn said:
Quick question all you Ric guys- if I take out my 4001 bridge pickup to put a bezel in, does it make a difference which way i put the pickup back in, i.e. what used to be the e pole piece is now under g string? Is there a true front or back of the pickup? Maybe a phase difference due to the way the pickup is wound? Just curious. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I haven't looked closely at a 4001 (trust Jaymi), the 4003 new higains have the poles unequal to the ends of the bobbin and it WILL matter which way you put it back in. Look at the bobbin on the bridge pickup on a 4003 and you will see one pole nail or screw is closer to the edge than the other. Posted ust for the info.....

Hey, now there's a name for an album.... CTTE. LOL
 
#817
Jerry_LTD said:
Allright, thanx for the input everyone. I am more confident now on doing it afther reading some more on the subject.
I planned on doing it just now, took off the cover, and then found out I don't have any wrench that is the correct size. Damn those americans and their inches :p :rolleyes:
So I'm gonna check if we have any american size wrenches at work tommorow. (we should have, I'm pretty sure of it)
Click to expand...
With that much amount of relief, I would pull the neck (NOT by pulling on the headstock!) into place and tighten to save excessive tearing on the nut and rod threads. Even with the new rod system. My advice.
 
#819
Coolhandjjl said:
That's one sweet looking 4003! The Fireglo's have really been looking exceptional of late.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Since I ordered it online, I was worried I might get something resembling the "clown-glo" finishes you see in some stock photos, but I was pleasantly surprised. The finish looks even better than I could have imagined. It's a really stunning example of fireglo. I'm very happy with it.

P.S. to whoever hands out the numbers here, I'm still waiting on mine. I think I'm 506, but I wanted to make sure it's official before I put it in my sig.
 
#820
This just arrived today...a dandy '76 Burgundyglo 4001, for the first time ever I feel satisfied about the Rics on hand! Let's see how many hours this last before the GAS kicks in

ImageUploadedByTalkBass1368921364.422997.jpg
 
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