Rickenfaker 4001 needs help

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:24 pm

You are awesome Sergio. The 1/2 inch spacing on what appears to be a 4003 is a bit odd. The headstock heel appears to have a non-Rick shape (int is hard to tell in that pic). The application of the finish looks too mechanical - maybe not hand done. My FG Ricks have more FG on the back of the neck than this one has.

dean712 · Post by **dean712** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:33 pm

The finish on the back of the neck was the one thing I spotted that didn't look right to me. I'm still learning around here, though!

dr_raven · Post by **dr_raven** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:52 am

Nate: I haven't seen ASOH in ages. Somone borrowed my copy and haven't seen them, or it, since. I wish they'd release it on DVD! Anyway, if it hurts when you sing then don't do it. That can only mean trouble down the road for your vocal chords. I don't remember what Geddy did in 2112 on ASOH (they did a medley with La Villa I think? Did he even sing?) but in RIR they tuned down a whole step which would certainly make things easier but it's noticeable to me. It sounds odd. But it certainly gets the job done. You can have a listen to how I sang it at the webpage I posted earlier in this thread. I don't hit all the super-high notes but I managed to get the job done, I think

ghs_boomer · Post by **ghs_boomer** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 3:45 pm

Hay Andy, How is the "Project going?

dr_raven · Post by **dr_raven** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:28 am

Hey Mike,

Still on hold while the luthier is away on vacation and while the budget is still a little tight for such things. I am not as fortunate as some of the other souls here who have SOs that understand and even support "The Obsession"

From what was discussed with the luthier though, the repair is not that complex and I may be able to do the repair myself. I just need a rectangular steel plate that is stiff enough to not bend. I am also considering just using a small block of wood in the pickup cavity to prevent the neck from pulling forward. Not exactly sure how to implement it, but I am going to take the bass apart later today to refresh my memory and then consider the options. I am proceeding cautiously though and won't do anything unless I'm absolutely clear on the consequences

I'll report back when I have more info on what options I have.

dr_raven · Post by **dr_raven** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 2:05 pm

Update: I carved a small block of wood to wedge down into the neck pickup cavity to push the neck back to it's proper "default" position. I tuned up the strings and the action was fantastic. Unfortunately, I had to thin the wooden block out a bit for the pickup to fit and when I tuned up the strings again the neck was being pulled forward again and the action was high. The action was better than it was originally, but not by much. Thinning the wooden block down (picture a very shallow U shape) reduced it's rigidity and ability to push back on the neck. I needed a thin shim of a very rigid material to wedge down in front of the small wooden block to prevent the neck from bending the small wooden block. I found a small rectangular metal plate (likely from an old bicycle, I used to take them apart and rebuild them) and pounded it flat, then shaved the wooden block a little so the metal plate could wedge down in front of it. Tuned up the strings and the action is now perfect with room to raise or lower the bridge saddles if needed. Next step was to fix the cracks on the back and around the neck pocket. My GF works in a doctor's office so she brought me home some syringes with 2 sizes of needles. I was able to use a small pocket knife to pry the cracks open enough to force wood glue into the cracks with the syringes. I had to apply a lot of pressure to get the glue to flow but it eventually bled out the sides of the cracks so I knew it was getting in where it needed to go. Just letting it dry overnight and we'll string it up for tomorrow's practice and see how it plays.