i want a rickenbacker........

[riff raff]

i,ve been made aware of a 73 ric,which has been part exed into a very reputable music shop locally.i've been offered a very good deal on it.very good.but it does have a neck issue which has left it with a high action and strung with light gauge strings.

[riff raff]

just spoke to the guy again and its a 75 4001.i could really do with some expert advice from someone who knows something about ric necks and truss rods.anyone out there?

Edited June 12, 2009 by riff raff

[MythSte]

I'd go and play it myself, just to see. If its at a reputable music shop and still has neck issues i personally wouldnt go near it with the usual barge pole...

[riff raff]

i have seen it myself.guy is very reputable.it has a high action at the top of the fb.truss rod/s is very stiff.he's guessing that the rods/cavity is very dry where the rod/s hasn't been adjusted and maintained through its life.it needs a luthier to take a good look.etc.and all this is reflected in the price.plenty of headroom on the price to spend money on it and not throw money away.particularly as i've got a fender aerodyne jazz to chop in against it.its perfedtly playable.

Edited June 12, 2009 by riff raff

[jonsmith]

[quote name='riff raff' post='511934' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:01 AM']i have seen it myself.guy is very reputable.it has a high action at the top of the fb.truss rod is very stiff.he's guessing that the rod/cavity is very dry where the rod hasn't been adjusted and maintained through its life.it needs a luthier to take a good look.etc.and all this is reflected in the price.plenty of headroom on the price to spend money on it and not throw money away.particularly as i've got a fender aerodyne jazz to chop in against it.its perfedtly playable.[/quote]

If it's a 75 then it will have the old style truss rods (there should be two if it's a genuine Rickenbacker). The shop should not attempt to tighten these anymore to adjust the neck. There is a high chance of 'popping' the fingerboard if they do. In fact the truss rods actually need to be loosened off before adjusting the neck, then retightened. There's a pretty useful guide to Rickenbacker truss rod adjustments (old and new) and plenty other things besides at:

[url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Joeys%20frameset.htm"]Joey's Bass Notes[/url]

(See Rickenbacker section within Bass Guitar Maintenance)

It sounds more daunting than it actually is. Rickenbacker necks are easy to maintain if you know what you're doing.

Edited June 12, 2009 by jonsmith

[riff raff]

[quote name='jonsmith' post='511962' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:23 AM']If it's a 75 then it will have the old style truss rods (there should be two if it's a genuine Rickenbacker). The shop should not attempt to tighten these anymore to adjust the neck. There is a high chance of 'popping' the fingerboard if they do. In fact the truss rods actually need to be loosened off before adjusting the neck, then retightened. There's a pretty useful guide to Rickenbacker truss rod adjustments (old and new) and plenty other things besides at:

[url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Joeys%20frameset.htm"]Joey's Bass Notes[/url]

(See Rickenbacker section within Bass Guitar Maintenance)

It sounds more daunting than it actually is. Rickenbacker necks are easy to maintain if you know what you're doing.[/quote]

you've said exactly what the shop owner said about not wanting to tighten it any more to avoid popping the fretboard.it is genuine and has the authentification from rosetti.the guy is very genuine and th price is reflecting the work needed.and based on the fact that we have a good relationship with him in the band maintaining valve ampegs and mesa's.

[LeftyJ]

[quote name='jonsmith' post='511962' date='Jun 12 2009, 12:23 PM']If it's a 75 then it will have the old style truss rods (there should be two if it's a genuine Rickenbacker).[/quote]

Did the 4001 already have two rods by then? I thought 4001's had one trussrod and therefore wouldn't accommodate the use of roundwound strings because of the higher string tension, and that the 4003 was introduced to address the need for a Ric that could take on roundwound strings.

When was the 4001 modified to two trussrods?

[jonsmith]

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='512121' date='Jun 12 2009, 01:59 PM']Did the 4001 already have two rods by then? I thought 4001's had one trussrod and therefore wouldn't accommodate the use of roundwound strings because of the higher string tension, and that the 4003 was introduced to address the need for a Ric that could take on roundwound strings.

When was the 4001 modified to two trussrods?[/quote]

A common misconception. Always had two truss rods, it's how they work that was altered.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='riff raff' post='511987' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:49 AM']you've said exactly what the shop owner said about not wanting to tighten it any more to avoid popping the fretboard.it is genuine and has the authentification from rosetti.the guy is very genuine and th price is reflecting the work needed.and based on the fact that we have a good relationship with him in the band maintaining valve ampegs and mesa's.[/quote]
No disrespect to the seller but some copies - particularly the Matsumoku-built neckthroughs, were near-indistinguishable from the real thing, & many have ended up with real Rickenbacker TRCs and serial numbered jackplates. If you can take some detailed pics & post them here then it will be possible to confirm 100% whether this is genuine or not.

4001 trussrods are very eccentric - they don't work simply by tightening the nuts & what the guy said sounds like perhaps he doesn't know this. Essentially the neck needs to be bent by hand to the desired relief, and the rods are then tightened to hold it in place. It's also possible that the truss rods aren't the problem - Rick bodies are very thin & where neck & body join is a potential weak spot because of the big pickup route under the scratchplate. Years of high-tension strings can cause it to warp there, and to be honest I don't know how repairable that is. Signs of this might show as cracking in the finish at the join between the body wings & neck section at this point.

Jon.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Bassassin

[SickPuppy]

Andertons Music in Surrey has 3 Rickys left, did have 4 but uhh I bought one last month, I used a simple trick regarding anchoring issues, just loosen the screw nearest the E string so it sticks out, and anchor my finger on that, no problem at all, alot of people think I'm using the floating thumb technique.

[RhysP]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='511819' date='Jun 12 2009, 08:26 AM']Cheap plastic is a bit of a myth anyway

Plastic is actually more expensive than most metals, it's just easier to use in the manufacturing process, saving money there.[/quote]

I meant cheap as in tacky & shabbily manufactured - those half inch thick scratchplates are horrendous IMO, and are even worse on the guitars. The quality of the chrome plating on Ricks is sh*t as well.

I have no problem with plastic parts on basses in general - I prefer plastic control knobs to metal ones in fact.

Edited June 12, 2009 by RhysP

[riff raff]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='512157' date='Jun 12 2009, 02:37 PM']No disrespect to the seller but some copies - particularly the Matsumoku-built neckthroughs, were near-indistinguishable from the real thing, & many have ended up with real Rickenbacker TRCs and serial numbered jackplates. If you can take some detailed pics & post them here then it will be possible to confirm 100% whether this is genuine or not.

4001 trussrods are very eccentric - they don't work simply by tightening the nuts & what the guy said sounds like perhaps he doesn't know this. Essentially the neck needs to be bent by hand to the desired relief, and the rods are then tightened to hold it in place. It's also possible that the truss rods aren't the problem - Rick bodies are very thin & where neck & body join is a potential weak spot because of the big pickup route under the scratchplate. Years of high-tension strings can cause it to warp there, and to be honest I don't know how repairable that is. Signs of this might show as cracking in the finish at the join between the body wings & neck section at this point.

Jon.[/quote]


i'll get some pictures and post them up.that won't happen until next week at some point.

[bassmachine2112]

hiho,I play a 99 4003 along with a musicman and a p-bass,weapon of choice is the Ricky.I set it up on delivery and haven,t touched the neck since.Not bad for 10 years.the neck is almost the same size from top to bottom which I like.
Neck set up is different to other basses,4001,s adjust differently to 4003,s but they both get zero relief unlike others which is the trick to get them singing
Pick ups are single coil which are very sensitive to your playing,you could call it expressive which means they don,t tollerate bad technique.
I have replaced the bridge with a hipshot,heresay in some quarters but I think it is an improvement in all ways.
Comfort wise once you adjust to the Ricky they are great,hipshot helps.
Ampwise they respond to good amps and cabs,you would not put budget tyres on a ferrari would you.
Russ Ryan who is Geddy Lees bass tech never adjusted the neck on the Ricky over the whole tour unlike the jazzes which were in regular adjustment.A fine testiment to the 4001 with the apparently weaker neck than the 4003.
There is nothing like a Ricky when it,s singing.

[4000]

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='512121' date='Jun 12 2009, 01:59 PM']Did the 4001 already have two rods by then? I thought 4001's had one trussrod and therefore wouldn't accommodate the use of roundwound strings because of the higher string tension, and that the 4003 was introduced to address the need for a Ric that could take on roundwound strings.

When was the 4001 modified to two trussrods?[/quote]

If you ever see a Ric 4000 series with a single trussrod, it's not a Ric, it's a fake. One of the easiest ways to tell.

BTW, Riff Raff, if you do buy a 4001 make sure whoever adjusts the neck knows how the old Ric trussrods work before they do it.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='4000' post='512741' date='Jun 13 2009, 12:33 PM']If you ever see a Ric 4000 series with a single trussrod, it's not a Ric, it's a fake. One of the easiest ways to tell.[/quote]
+1. I'm so far only aware of two copies which had dual rods, both of which have different adjusters & headstock route to the original. Very easy to spot if you know what you're looking for.

J.

[wizbat]

[quote name='RhysP' post='512382' date='Jun 12 2009, 07:28 PM']I meant cheap as in tacky & shabbily manufactured - those half inch thick scratchplates are horrendous IMO, and are even worse on the guitars. The quality of the chrome plating on Ricks is sh*t as well.

I have no problem with plastic parts on basses in general - I prefer plastic control knobs to metal ones in fact.[/quote]


Actually the scratchplates are 3mm thick and the knobs are usually fitted to the shafts with grub screws instead of those horrible push on/fall off knobs of the likes of most other brands.
Rics are also one of the best finished guitars in the business.

[KevB]

I think if I did have any criticism of my ric is that it might be 'over-finished' if that's not too much of an oxymoron. A few coats of paint less on the neck might make it a bit less sticky in a sweaty pub environment. Could just sand it down I guess. A roadie I once chatted with was convinced that it was really the amount of paint that went on the rics that gave them their unique tone. Think he was pulling my leg though I do know that whenever I take it to open jam sessions everyone wants to play it, they do seem to carry a mystique. One player was almost teary eyed when he gave it back to me as he'd been playing for years, always wanted to play a ric and never got chance so I'd fulfilled a little dream for him. As long as they look sensible I'm OK with others playing my ric these days though I was a bit protective in its early years. It passed through a few hands at the Nottm bash bass a few months back and genrally got a thumbs up...

[tredders]

[quote name='KevB' post='516374' date='Jun 17 2009, 01:11 PM']I think if I did have any criticism of my ric is that it might be 'over-finished' if that's not too much of an oxymoron. A few coats of paint less on the neck might make it a bit less sticky in a sweaty pub environment. Could just sand it down I guess. A roadie I once chatted with was convinced that it was really the amount of paint that went on the rics that gave them their unique tone. Think he was pulling my leg though I do know that whenever I take it to open jam sessions everyone wants to play it, they do seem to carry a mystique. One player was almost teary eyed when he gave it back to me as he'd been playing for years, always wanted to play a ric and never got chance so I'd fulfilled a little dream for him. As long as they look sensible I'm OK with others playing my ric these days though I was a bit protective in its early years. It passed through a few hands at the Nottm bash bass a few months back and genrally got a thumbs up...
[/quote]

Bloody hell - did you have to post that photo? I've been trying to put off buying a Jetglo, but seeing yours here has just caused me to start Googling for stockists....

[bassmachine2112]

[attachment=27228:black_ricky_002.jpg]hiho,hope this helps with the jetglo

[davidmpires]

I don't mean to sound like a jerk on my 2nd post but you may want to read this before you think about buying one.

[url="http://bassthatricbuilt.web.officelive.com/default.aspx"]Bad experience with Ric[/url]

[KevB]

[quote name='tredders' post='516407' date='Jun 17 2009, 01:46 PM']Bloody hell - did you have to post that photo? I've been trying to put off buying a Jetglo, but seeing yours here has just caused me to start Googling for stockists....[/quote]

There's one here if you've got close to a grand burning a hole in your pocket...
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-bass-4003-in-excelent-condition_W0QQitemZ160342703777QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item25552b7ea1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1688%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-bass-40...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url]

[chilisfan16]

actually, i played a ricky for the first time in ages yesterday, and to be brutally honest, i was bitterly disappointed from all their hype.

the sound was very bland, and the action was amazingly high.i would advise againt them.

[tredders]

I've had one before, loved it, and regretted selling it ever since.

KevB - cheers for the eBay link - I've not got a grand, but I've bookmarked it anyway. If I down enough beers just before I bid on it, it won't hurt as much!

[SickPuppy]

My Ricky courtesy from my facebook, also with a Harley Benton Stringray knockoff and a Schecter Diamond Series 5 string, the HB maybe a cheapy, but dear dog, SX has some competition with them. Edited June 17, 2009 by SickPuppy

[wizbat]

I have a superb 2005 jetglo 4003 and it plays beautifully and sounds just as a ric should, the only reason it doesn,t get played much is becaose it only has four strings.
Now, thanks to mr Shuker my world is complete!! :-)