Storing a Ric with no strings

michaelmcd · Post by **michaelmcd** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:34 am

This is my first post...

I recently fulfilled a life-long dream and bought a 370/12 WB FG (made in 1993) used from a local store here in Helsinki, Finland. It's wonderful, but the R tailpiece is cracked and about to break off. I'll be visiting back in the States for the next 3 weeks, but I'm too scared to put the vintage case in with the luggage, so I'm going to take off the strings and just bring the "R" with me so I can do the exchange. Which means the guitar itself will have to sit in the case for 3 weeks without strings and without tension. I don't even have the truss rod wrench yet, so I don't have a lot of options as far as loosening the truss rods. I was just wondering if anyone has any similar experience storing their guitar without strings for a longer period of time. I'm hoping that 3 weeks won't be too long, and that when I finally get the tailpiece and strings back on, everything will be ok after a bit of adjusting.

I suppose the ideal thing would be to loosen the truss rods while I'm gone, but as mentioned, I don't have the proper wrench.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Michael McD.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 4:48 am

Welcome!
John Hall (RIC CEO) has stated previously that if you're taking string tension off the guitar or bass for any length of time you must loosen the rods to prevent possible damage to the neck.
He also stated that shipping guitars without string tension was a BAD idea. It must make them more susceptible to handling damage.

Maybe you could put a trapeze tailpiece on for the time being, or just find a good quality long handled nut driver. It's essentially the same as the RIC driver.

walker · Post by **walker** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:17 am

Hey Kevin - You bring up the issue of shipping guitars with string tension vs without. As a kid, the guy at the airline counter would always tell me to loosen the strings. Looking back on his advice, I doubt if he was an expert on guitars so much as an authority on airline shipping requirements. He said that the high altitude would make the strings break. I figured that string tension asserted to that degree by the high altitude couldn't be good for the neck or headstock, either. So is this just a matter of deciding which way you want to go between the lesser of two evils?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:14 am

"High altitude would make the strings break". LOL. NOT.

It's the temperature changes coupled with rough handling, and it's more likely to cause cracks than anything else.

I would loosen the truss rods to be safe. A 1/4" socket will also work. But don't, DON'T use a socket wrench to tighten them up again. Too much chance of overtightening or snapping the rod.

walker · Post by **walker** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:33 am

Thanks Paul - Good to have that urban myth addressed.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:43 am

I don't know if this info will be helpful, but let me tell you about an experience I had with Rick truss rods. About twenty years ago, I spotted a '66 450/12 FG hidden behind the counter at a local guitar shop. It had no strings on it and the neck was bent way back. It had been left like that for years and it looked rather hopeless to me. I was interested in buying it, but only if the neck wasn't damaged. We put a new set of strings on it, and I was amazed to see the neck go perfectly straight. I play this guitar very rarely, but after several string changes, the neck is still perfect with no adjustments ever needed.

michaelmcd · Post by **michaelmcd** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:08 am

Thanks to everyone for their input!

I think I'm gonna just take my chances and leave the truss rods as they are. It's only 3 weeks... (famous last words..)

-m.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:08 am

My 331LS had been stored for years without strings in the back of a closet. The neck had developed an underbow (higher in the middle than at the ends) that was successfully fixed by a heat clamp treatment. I severely doubt that three weeks will be all that traumatic on the neck.

Michael, if you're in Southern California during your three weeks in the States, let me know.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:30 am

I'm going by what JH said concerning Ricks. He builds them so he should know. I don't know whether the shipping with or without string tension would be detrimental to Fenders, Gibsons, Gretsch, etc.
Ricks are designed differently from the ground up.

I'd also always heard that long term storage without string tension was preferable for brand X guitars. Never actually tried it, though.

michaelmcd · Post by **michaelmcd** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:43 am

Funny, answers given by people at Rickenbacker probably depend a lot on the context of each particular situation. This time, Mr. Hall said that it would probably be ok this one time, though not desirable...

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_view_thread.asp?forum=General_Forum&Page=1&thread_id=2351&thread_name=Storing%20a%20Ric%20with%20no%20strings&p=p#24866

Gary, unfortunately I won't be visiting California this time, I'll be in North Carolina visiting my family. Thanks for asking!

-m.