Hello

jack · Post by **jack** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:24 pm

I'm new here and just wanted to say Hi. What a great "site"! I am a professional luthier and guitar repair person that loves to work on Rics. If I can give any guitar advice, I'll be happy to do so.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:35 pm

Hi Jack,

Welcome to the best site on the net! A friend of mine lives in Franklin, how far is that from you? It's nice to have a luthier among us, do you build instruments?

jack · Post by **jack** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 4:19 pm

Hi Jeffrey,
Thanks for the welcome! Franklin is about 1 1/2 hours north of me. I do build instruments. Guitars, banjos, but my mandolins are my real claim to fame if I have one. I make "F" style mandolins mainly.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Nov 12, 2003 5:32 pm

Sometime next year I plan on heading up that way.

jack · Post by **jack** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 2:27 am

Let me know when.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 5:27 am

Welcome to this wonderful forum, Jack.
I'm sure many of us here will benefit from your expert advices.
Do you also like to work on RIC basses?
Come to chat with us in the RIC Bass topic sometimes.

gstuadams · Post by **gstuadams** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:02 am

A warm welcome to you Jack. By all means visit the basses thread. If you want to get a reaction just throw out some comments on pickup characteristics or truss rod adjustments watch the thread grow before your very eyes -- we are like a fresh box of sea monkeys springing to life.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 1:25 pm

Hi Jack.

jack · Post by **jack** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:05 pm

Hi again everyone, thanks, its nice to feel welcome! Yes I do work on Ric basses. Right now I'm working on a design for a replacement set of truss rods for the older 4001's

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:16 pm

Will this be a superior design, as I have a '73 4001 and a '67 4005 WB that are okay now that I worked on them but a better mouse trap never hurt.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:07 am

There's several replacement rods being offered already, unfortunately none I can recommend. They are all softer than the original material that is no longer made in this size (which is why we stopped offering them). Furthermore, one type is ground down to size and another is folded using heat and I really question what the heat has done to the rods. A proper heat treatment might cure that, however.

My suggestion for a replacement rod would be to use smaller diameter drill rod, brazed together at tail the end as it couldn't be folded. Threading would take carbide dies. It wouldn't be cheap but it'd sure be good.

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 1:39 pm

What ever happened to the replacement bridge you said you were considering making for the 4000/1/2/3 bridges?

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:40 pm

The one sitting on my desk right now? Well, when things let up a bit, I'm sure we'll have time for it.

36012 · Post by **36012** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:55 pm

Does anyone know where I can one of these softer replacement rods.I would still be interested in giving it a try.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Nov 15, 2003 5:01 am

John,
Do you have any photos you can show us of the prototype bridge?