Identification and Advice

[Arthur Dent]

That is incredibly interesting.

There is a lot to know about them apparently. Is there a maintenance manual of sorts available for the older Rics?

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

The RRF Register here on this website is full of pictures of your model.

You can study the images to see what it should look like. Changing the year in the search field will show you how the guitar changed over the years of production from 1964 to 1984.

http://www.rickresource.com/register/ga ... =0&month=0

[Arthur Dent]

Again, I thank you!

I find all this stuff fascinating. Never really did any serious work on a guitar before, and this is a great learning experience for me.

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

That is incredibly interesting.

There is a lot to know about them apparently. Is there a maintenance manual of sorts available for the older Rics?

Only for modern RICS. The manual is here as a free PDF in the service tab. The info on string gauges is still correct in the modern manual.
http://www.rickenbacker.com/faq.asp?fca ... aintenance

It will be correct for most things (except the truss rod adjustments).

Us the search function here for "adjusting old style truss rods" etc.

There is also an expert here that restores vintage wiring harnesses if there is a problem with yours. Another rewinds and repairs vintage pick ups. Again the threads are there if you search.

Sorry that no one else has added much to the thread. I have never restored a 12 string myself but the knowledge and advice is here on this site.

[Arthur Dent]

This is MORE than an ample starting point.

Thank you for your time and knowledge. I'm sure I'll be asking more questions when I begin doing this, but this is a firm footing to begin on.

[strummersteve]

One last bit of info to know about.

Your RIC has the "Old Style" Truss rod system. They do NOT work like Gibson or Fender guitars.

The rods are loosened and the neck is manually moved into position. The rods are then tightened to hold the neck in place.

Turning the nuts will not move the neck. Guitar techs who don't understand this have often cracked the neck or popped the fingerboard off the guitar. (It is a common thing you see on vintage RICS and can be easily avoided if whoever is working on the guitar knows this before hand). RIC changed the truss rods to be like everyone else's in the 1980s.

So there are some folks - who have worked on lots of RICS all made post 1985 - who don't know how the old style rods work. Make sure you discuss this before you hand it in to anyone to do any work on the guitar.

I posted this in the other forum a while back.......

TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS - OLDER MODELS

If your Rickenbacker is an older model (Pre late 1984), DO NOT TIGHTEN the truss rods if the neck is bowed! This will cause the fingerboard to separate from the neck. The truss rods have to be loosened and the neck manually moved into place. When I am alone, the way that I do it if the neck is bowed and has to be tightened is to loosen the rods slightly, lean the neck at about the 7th fret on my knee with the body hanging down and then snug up the rods. The weight of the body hanging will bring the neck to its correct position. If I have someone with me, I place the guitar on my workbench and I have the other person hold the body in place. With a soft neck rest (I use a beanbag type), I then loosen the rods slightly, manually move the neck into place using the beanbag as a cushion, again somewhere around the 7th fret and then snug up the rods. If the neck is back bowed, then just loosen the rods evenly no more than 3 hours (¼ of a turn) daily until the neck sets. You can and should play the guitar between adjustments to get the feel that is right for you.
There is one other very important thing to know. ALWAYS USE A LONG SHAFT ADJUSTMENT WRENCH (¼ Inch Socket) WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE such as the one that usually is available in the boutique section of the Rickenbacker website, and NEVER use a "T" handle wrench. The reason for this is because on the screwdriver handle, if tightened too much your hand will slip on the handle and the truss rods will not snap. With the "T" handle, the danger of snapping the rods is much greater!
It really is a simple procedure once you get over the fear of doing it.

Steve

[iiipopes]

I would like to re-iterate that a set of strings with a wound unison G string, not a plain one, is the correct set to use for this bridge.

If there are neck issues, you can make up your own light set from D'Addario singles, which I do, since my left hand likes a lighter tension than the traditional "10's" sets that are used on most RIC 12's: 9-9, 11-11, 8-18w, 10-24w, 14-32w, 22w-42w, essentially a "9's" set with the corresponding octave strings. The low E string may still wobble, because of the difference in compensation needed that can't be adjusted, but the best thing to do is to tune the 3rd fret G's together and let everything else split the differences.

Also, since there has been so much done to the guitar, I would suggest tossing the existing truss rod cover, and if nothing else, have a plain one in the proper shape made if you cannot get an authentic one for restoration.

[Arthur Dent]

Not looking to 'restore' it authentically.

I'll easily settle for current reproductions, I don't have an issue with that, I don't need an authentic era one.

I'm kind of excited about the project, just will have to do slowly due to the costs involved.

I don't think I'll have it refinished -too costly. The only place any hint of the Fireglo shows is in the inner part of the headstock slots.

[girllennon76]

One last bit of info to know about.

Your RIC has the "Old Style" Truss rod system. They do NOT work like Gibson or Fender guitars.

The rods are loosened and the neck is manually moved into position. The rods are then tightened to hold the neck in place.

Turning the nuts will not move the neck. Guitar techs who don't understand this have often cracked the neck or popped the fingerboard off the guitar. (It is a common thing you see on vintage RICS and can be easily avoided if whoever is working on the guitar knows this before hand). RIC changed the truss rods to be like everyone else's in the 1980s.

So there are some folks - who have worked on lots of RICS all made post 1985 - who don't know how the old style rods work. Make sure you discuss this before you hand it in to anyone to do any work on the guitar.

Brian, does that caveat apply to 320s? Would like to know

[jps]

One last bit of info to know about.

Your RIC has the "Old Style" Truss rod system. They do NOT work like Gibson or Fender guitars.

The rods are loosened and the neck is manually moved into position. The rods are then tightened to hold the neck in place.

Turning the nuts will not move the neck. Guitar techs who don't understand this have often cracked the neck or popped the fingerboard off the guitar. (It is a common thing you see on vintage RICS and can be easily avoided if whoever is working on the guitar knows this before hand). RIC changed the truss rods to be like everyone else's in the 1980s.

So there are some folks - who have worked on lots of RICS all made post 1985 - who don't know how the old style rods work. Make sure you discuss this before you hand it in to anyone to do any work on the guitar.

Brian, does that caveat apply to 320s? Would like to know

How old is your 320?

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

Brian, does that caveat apply to 320s? Would like to know

Yup - yours is August 83 (WH date code). So it is definitely old style truss rods.

[doctorwho]

One last bit of info to know about.

Your RIC has the "Old Style" Truss rod system. They do NOT work like Gibson or Fender guitars.

The rods are loosened and the neck is manually moved into position. The rods are then tightened to hold the neck in place.

Turning the nuts will not move the neck. Guitar techs who don't understand this have often cracked the neck or popped the fingerboard off the guitar. (It is a common thing you see on vintage RICS and can be easily avoided if whoever is working on the guitar knows this before hand). RIC changed the truss rods to be like everyone else's in the 1980s.

So there are some folks - who have worked on lots of RICS all made post 1985 - who don't know how the old style rods work. Make sure you discuss this before you hand it in to anyone to do any work on the guitar.

That's very important information. The key thing on adjusting the rods on the older Rickenbackers is to have a lot of patience ... I recently changed the strings on my 1981 model 460, and it took some time to get the neck right ... but it was worth it, as the action is near perfect (and low)..