Bending tailpiece - 4 years on

Vintage, Modern, V & C series, Fretless, Signature & Special Editions

Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4

User avatar
mfb
Member
Posts: 342
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:00 am

Post by mfb »

The weird thing is that it only takes one catch-screw under the rear of the tail to stop it pulling up. You end up with four screws all up, none of which are seen.

But instead , they just kept adding more screws to the thing, which in my opinion is rather pedestrian and inelegant.
User avatar
Lost Coyotes
Intermediate Member
Posts: 900
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:00 am
Contact:

Post by Lost Coyotes »

Yep, the split tailpiece on my 71 is still touching wood all across, as it should...

I get why so many of us want them to make that again, but I guess it's too expensive or labor intensive? Is that it? Help me out here...
"Why didn't I just learn how to cook"
User avatar
heinpete
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 1730
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2001 10:08 pm

Post by heinpete »

...is a Ric bass w/o tailpiece lift still vintage? It's supposed to have one, right?

No complaints, however I love to modify my Rics the way I like/need them.
On the other way, RIC company will soon even make some more profit with the tailpiece lift by selling an appropriate replacement to those guys, who don't like drilling! Image
THAT'S BUSINESS!
"The youth of today should start thinking about the state in which they want to leave this planet to Keith Richards..."! Quote by an unknown musician
elgranluis
New member
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 1:05 pm

Post by elgranluis »

Mike, actually the place where the bridge is bent would be stiffer, not weaker. Granted, a stiffer piece of metal is more fragile, but unleess the bridge was extremely bent I don't see it breaking. I've done it in two basses so far, without any adverse effect. I'll try to get pics next time!
User avatar
Lost Coyotes
Intermediate Member
Posts: 900
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:00 am
Contact:

Post by Lost Coyotes »

"the place where the bridge is bent would be stiffer, not weaker"
I'll take your word for that, luis, though it seems contrary to common sense and everything I've seen in my own limited dealings with metal...but I'm not a scientist, engineer or metallurgist.

When metal is bent and then bent back, my experience is, it wants to crack at that point. At the least, it stretches and won't completely assume it's correct form unless it is heat shrunk.

But what do I know, except the old split tailpiece doesn't lift. I want one for my 4003 and my other 4001.
"Why didn't I just learn how to cook"
jwr2

Post by jwr2 »

Quote: "...is a Ric bass w/o tailpiece lift still vintage? It's supposed to have one, right?"

My old 68 4001 had zero tail lift after 33 years of rotosound strings ...

as far as I know the tail lift started with 70s 4001 basses ...
User avatar
ilan
RRF Consultant
Posts: 2903
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2002 7:00 pm

Post by ilan »

"as far as I know the tail lift started with 70s 4001 basses ..."

Global warming? Image
"A Noble Instrument Must Be Nobly Regarded"
jwr2

Post by jwr2 »

hahaha ... no in the early 70 they changed the way the tailpiece was made ... I don't know the specifics but I know there was a change ... from the underneath side they look different and the old ones were stronger ... my old 68 was flatter with 3 screws than any modern tailpiece ...

and actually in the 70s the global warming theory was not yet invented ... the popular theory was they believed there was another ice age coming ... although now the current theory is global climate change ... with that theory they are right whether it warms up or cools down (CYA)
User avatar
headbanger
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 735
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2001 10:06 pm

Post by headbanger »

The older pre 73 units were certainly stronger. I have had 2 and neither showed any problems. I did have a 98 4003 with 5 screws and it was starting to lift from pretty early on. It still had the factory strings on it.
User avatar
mfb
Member
Posts: 342
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:00 am

Post by mfb »

I have a virtually unplayed 4003 and it looked like the tailpiece had lifted.

Investigation shows that the tailpiece is quite flat, BUT, the top of the bass is moderately convex towards the rear edge ...
phlemmy

Post by phlemmy »

I pulled my 79 out over the weekend and it looks like it's lifted a little.
User avatar
heinpete
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 1730
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2001 10:08 pm

Post by heinpete »

Sean, that is another proof for Ilan's hypothesis of global warming!
Image
"The youth of today should start thinking about the state in which they want to leave this planet to Keith Richards..."! Quote by an unknown musician
User avatar
johnallg
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 17688
Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:13 pm

Post by johnallg »

I can hardly wait for 2010!!!
User avatar
jps
RRF Consultant
Posts: 37497
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:00 am

Post by jps »

Peter, you got a high res version of that "graph" you can send me? Image
User avatar
bob_the_bass
Member
Posts: 339
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:29 am

Post by bob_the_bass »

"Investigation shows that the tailpiece is quite flat, BUT, the top of the bass is moderately convex towards the rear edge ..."

Manuel ... spot on, careful measurements taken on my Jetglo confirm that in fact there is NO tail lift, just a slight contour in the body!
Why does it happen? Because it happens - Roll the Bones !!
Post Reply

Return to “Rickenbacker Basses: by Joey Vasco & Tony Cabibe”