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Wondering if I should return my Ric

#161
ispunk said:
I found the proper socket in the Craftsman set I bought 20 years ago. I don't know why it's so hard for people to find these "elusive" tools to adjust their RIC necks. You people don't have a Sears or a hardware store nearby?
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It's simple. One in 30 seem to work. When one works for one person, it doesnt necessarily work for another.

So far I've purchased three that were recommended (with yet another on the way), including one that said Rickenbacker on the package (it wasn't a Rickenbacker product though), and tried about six others from various places. One worked once, and for some reason now won't fit. The wood maybe swelled a millionth of an inch????

It would be REALLY simple for them to include the wrench like every other bass company does.

And I'm someone who LOVES my Ric. I'm really pissed that I can't enjoy it right now.
 
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#162
Joe Nerve said:
It's simple. One in 30 seem to work. When one works for one person, it doesnt necessarily work for another.

So far I've purchased three that were recommended (with yet another on the way), including one that said Rickenbacker on the package (it wasn't a Rickenbacker product though), and tried about six others from various places. One worked once, and for some reason now won't fit. The wood maybe swelled a millionth of an inch????

It would be REALLY simple for them to include the wrench like every other bass company does.

And I'm someone who LOVES my Ric. I'm really pissed that I can't enjoy it right now.
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Yeah, that just nuts!
 
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#163
JMacBass65 said:
You know, this whole truss rod tool thing is really something Rick needs to address. It just should not be a challenge to find a tool that works. Unacceptable in my view, particularly considering the price of the instrument.
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It is not a challenge, all you need to do is go to your local hardware store and buy a 1/4" thin wall nut driver for 5 bucks, the new 4003's are the simplest basses to adjust I've tried. I have a very small Sears socket kit and it has a 1/4 nutdriver in it that accepts different sized nut driver attachments, that's what i usually use. It seems like a lot of people here are blowing this WAY out of proportion, also seems like a lot of people here who have never owned a Ric are saying stuff like "people say" and "I've heard" bla bla bla. There are certain basses and amps I really don't like too but I don't post negative krap in every thread I see about these certain amps or basses I dislike, especially if I have little or no experience with them.
 
#164
bobyoung53 said:
It is not a challenge, all you need to do is go to your local hardware store and buy a 1/4" thin wall nut driver for 5 bucks, the new 4003's are the simplest basses to adjust I've tried. I have a very small Sears socket kit and it has a 1/4 nutdriver in it that accepts different sized nut driver attachments, that's what i usually use. It seems like a lot of people here are blowing this WAY out of proportion, also seems like a lot of people here who have never owned a Ric are saying stuff like "people say" and "I've heard" bla bla bla. There are certain basses and amps I really don't like too but I don't post negative krap in every thread I see about these certain amps or basses I dislike, especially if I have little or no experience with them.
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Have you ever considered that maybe you're lucky, and your bass has space enough for those tools to work? Do you think I made up my previous post? If not, how would you feel if you had my experience?

I'll add that my local hardware store is a Leowes or Home Depot. Head into one of those stores and ask for a thin wall 1/4" driver. Then let us know the response you get.
 
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#165
bobyoung53 said:
It is not a challenge, all you need to do is go to your local hardware store and buy a 1/4" thin wall nut driver for 5 bucks, the new 4003's are the simplest basses to adjust I've tried. I have a very small Sears socket kit and it has a 1/4 nutdriver in it that accepts different sized nut driver attachments, that's what i usually use. It seems like a lot of people here are blowing this WAY out of proportion, also seems like a lot of people here who have never owned a Ric are saying stuff like "people say" and "I've heard" bla bla bla. There are certain basses and amps I really don't like too but I don't post negative krap in every thread I see about these certain amps or basses I dislike, especially if I have little or no experience with them.
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I have owned a Rick, the same Rick, since 1991 or so.

My truss rods adjust a the heel though, so I don't have first hand experience with the troubles described.
 
#166
Joe Nerve said:
Have you ever considered that maybe you're lucky, and your bass has space enough for those tools to work? Do you think I made up my previous post? If not, how would you feel if you had my experience?

I'll add that my local hardware store is a Leowes or Home Depot. Head into one of those stores and ask for a thin wall 1/4" driver. Then let us know the response you get.
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Hey Joe -
Here's the tool I purchased from Amazon which worked for me. As stated, I had to plane some wood under each nut with a few jeweler's sized flathead screwdrivers, but it worked.

Xcelite L8:

IMG_1866_zps9wgbkv8z.jpg


IMG_1868_zpsyw7k1azu.jpg


Here's the link on Amazon:
Screwdrivers, Nut Drivers & Socket Drivers Xcelite Nutdriver 1/4" x 6", Red: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Good Luck.
 
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#168
I got my first 4003 in 2011 when there was a huge sale every jumped on here. I thought it was great but over time and owning many 4003s and a handful of 4001s I realized I personally prefer the 4004. You may to, they are a little less fussy and I like the output of the pickups.

Oh yeah and I bought the correct tool to adjust the trussrods and it didnt even fit....to thick I had to grind it down smaller. I wasnt a super happy guy that day lol
 
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#169
Joe Nerve said:
Have you ever considered that maybe you're lucky, and your bass has space enough for those tools to work? Do you think I made up my previous post? If not, how would you feel if you had my experience?

I'll add that my local hardware store is a Leowes or Home Depot. Head into one of those stores and ask for a thin wall 1/4" driver. Then let us know the response you get.
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I don't think I'm lucky, I've owned MANY rics over the years and have only had that problem with 4001's that have had heavy gauge strings on them for years, I've owned at least 10 4003's probably more. Also do not be afraid to pry the nuts up a little with a screwdriver if they are too low to get a nut driver on.
 
#170
JMacBass65 said:
I have owned a Rick, the same Rick, since 1991 or so.

My truss rods adjust a the heel though, so I don't have first hand experience with the troubles described.
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I've had a couple of those 80-84 4003's I like them. I think these troubles are mostly from people who are afraid to tinker with basses to tell you the truth or from people who have not really owned one.
 
#171
bobyoung53 said:
I've had a couple of those 80-84 4003's I like them. I think these troubles are mostly from people who are afraid to tinker with basses to tell you the truth or from people who have not really owned one.
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Well, there have been way too many knowledgeable, experienced players here who have had issues with finding a tool to fit for it to be "them", IMHO. Granted, I only know them "virtually", so they could be complete morons and inept with a tool in their hand. That said, I think I'd get a sense for that.

Mine is an 85 BTW. An oddball according to some here. Adjust at the heel, but the modern, not hairpin, rods. No bridge cap from the factory.
 
#172
Joe Nerve said:
Didn't read the entire thread so this might be moot...

I was head over heels with my Ric last year around this time. Changed the strings, and it threw things off a bit. Couldn't adjust the neck myself cuz I couldn't get a wrench to fit. Had it adjusted by a tech. Still in love. Needed to adjust the neck again shortly after... found an inerchangable screwdriver did the trick with the driver head taken out. I was ecstatic.

Ric needs a neck adjustment again... screwdriver handle isn't working. Won't fit on one of the nuts now - no idea why it did and now doesn't. It hits the wood. I'm pissed. Don't want to pay to have my neck adjusted - it's stupid. Don't want to drop $50 on the only wrench I believe will do the trick, either. My Ric now sits unplayed. And I have Ric resentment.

I love my Ric when it's set up how I like it. I don't love it when it's not. That means I have to tweak it from time to time, and I can't.

Will probably wind up dropping that extra $50... I'm sooooo not happy about that though.
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I bought a nutdriver I believe the brand was xcelite on ebay for about 8.00. It was too big so i took my dremel with a small sanding drum and a bastard file and ground the diameter down a bit. Took over 1/2 hour but it worked. It would have taken just a minute with a beltsander or grinder but didn't have one at the time.
 
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#173
Ah, the eternal truss rod adjustment tool discussion.

The Xcelite did not fit either my 2010 or 2013 4003. Fortunately, I have a couple of sets of Snap-on 1/4" socket sets, and the 1/4" drivers fit perfectly as they are thin walled sockets. The cheaper 1/4" drivers have thicker walls, so they don't fit.

t0i9f5.jpg
 
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#177
JMacBass65 said:
Well, there have been way too many knowledgeable, experienced players here who have had issues with finding a tool to fit for it to be "them", IMHO. Granted, I only know them "virtually", so they could be complete morons and inept with a tool in their hand. That said, I think I'd get a sense for that.

Mine is an 85 BTW. An oddball according to some here. Adjust at the heel, but the modern, not hairpin, rods. No bridge cap from the factory.
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to insinuate they were morons, there are things I couldn't or wouldn't do to a bass (or a car) too but my point is that it's a lot easier than people here are making it out to be. I have an old Gibson EB-3 and not every socket or nut driver will fit that one either but I did look and found one.
 
#178
Killed_by_Death said:
New Rickenbackers don't have a truss rod wrench in the case?
or they stop working once the rod ends bend back towards the wood?

IIRC, I had to pry mine onto the nut, just a little, kinda start the socket onto the nut from an upward angle & use the socket wall to pry up the nut just a wee bit
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I can remember 4001's in which the nuts were totally bent down into the wood and I had to pry them up with a screwdriver to be able to get a nut driver on them, once they were loosened and pulled out and bent back they were fine with lighter gauge strings. If I had a newer 4003 and there was not enough clearance to fit a thin walled nut driver onto them I would not be afraid to pry them up somehow.
 
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