This is my first post on this forum...Hello all.
I need some help with a '76 4001 I recently purchased for cheap because it has some issues. The truss rods were stripped so I had a friend re-thread them. It is missing the aluminum piece for between the nuts and the rods, so I borrowed the one from my 480 just to see what would happen. I've straightened the neck by hand and snugged up the nuts, but the neck still has significant bow, even without strings on it. With the bridge as low as it will go and the bass tuned to a whole step low it can be played with decent action, but obviously I don't want to play this bass tuned a whole step low with only decent action and no room for adjusting.....what should I do next? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin
'76 4001 Help
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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jwr2
Here's some technical stuff from another part of this web site:
The section of the Technical Pages provides information regarding the rewiring of the adjustment of 4001 model truss rods. It is important to note that for models made before 1984 that the truss rods were not designed to move the neck by tightening alone. For pre 1984 instruments, the neck should be moved into place manually and then the rods tightened to hold the neck in position. Failing to follow this procedure may pop the fretboard from the neck of your Rickenbacker.
Back off both nuts, then retighten just until you feel contact with the bearing plate. Tune to pitch. You need to flex the neck back towards straightness before tightening the rods. This can be done using simple gravity and (very little) muscle, or with a clamping setup.
The quick and dirty way is to put the neck across your lap. Hold down the first few frets with your left hand. Let the body hang in space. The body's weight will straighten the neck somewhat while you tighten the rods with your right hand.
The more accurate, but more slow and cumbersome way: You need two pieces of wood slim enough to sit on the fingerboard between your D + A strings. Pad the sides that will touch the fingerboard with cork. You need a reasonably stiff board as long as the neck. Last, you need one clamp with padded jaws that opens to at least 9-10". Place one small piece between the nut and first fret, the other around the 15th fret. Rest the long board on edge on these two pieces. Place your clamp at the 6th fret. Apply just enough clamp tension so that the whole affair will not fall apart. Get your straightedge. Tighten the clamp until you're satisfied (I never go for a totally straight neck). Snug up the rods. Release the clamp, and check your progress.
A little trick I do when I have had to remove truss rods[the old ones] is once I get them out, I use 4/0 steel wool to clean any rust and other **** off of them,polish them up a bit, and then I wax them up with Johnsons' paste floor wax and buff them with a clean towel or rag. This way, you kind of seal the metal against further rusting, as well as make the rods move easier.I also got myself a thread cutting die[a 10-32NF] and redo the threads to clean them up,as most efforts to adjust old rods ends up dinging the threads.I also put around 1/4" more thread length on the rod, too,and this always seems to help.I believe that die cutter size is stated correctly, but if in doubt, take one of the adjusting nuts to the hardware store with you to double check.
The section of the Technical Pages provides information regarding the rewiring of the adjustment of 4001 model truss rods. It is important to note that for models made before 1984 that the truss rods were not designed to move the neck by tightening alone. For pre 1984 instruments, the neck should be moved into place manually and then the rods tightened to hold the neck in position. Failing to follow this procedure may pop the fretboard from the neck of your Rickenbacker.
Back off both nuts, then retighten just until you feel contact with the bearing plate. Tune to pitch. You need to flex the neck back towards straightness before tightening the rods. This can be done using simple gravity and (very little) muscle, or with a clamping setup.
The quick and dirty way is to put the neck across your lap. Hold down the first few frets with your left hand. Let the body hang in space. The body's weight will straighten the neck somewhat while you tighten the rods with your right hand.
The more accurate, but more slow and cumbersome way: You need two pieces of wood slim enough to sit on the fingerboard between your D + A strings. Pad the sides that will touch the fingerboard with cork. You need a reasonably stiff board as long as the neck. Last, you need one clamp with padded jaws that opens to at least 9-10". Place one small piece between the nut and first fret, the other around the 15th fret. Rest the long board on edge on these two pieces. Place your clamp at the 6th fret. Apply just enough clamp tension so that the whole affair will not fall apart. Get your straightedge. Tighten the clamp until you're satisfied (I never go for a totally straight neck). Snug up the rods. Release the clamp, and check your progress.
A little trick I do when I have had to remove truss rods[the old ones] is once I get them out, I use 4/0 steel wool to clean any rust and other **** off of them,polish them up a bit, and then I wax them up with Johnsons' paste floor wax and buff them with a clean towel or rag. This way, you kind of seal the metal against further rusting, as well as make the rods move easier.I also got myself a thread cutting die[a 10-32NF] and redo the threads to clean them up,as most efforts to adjust old rods ends up dinging the threads.I also put around 1/4" more thread length on the rod, too,and this always seems to help.I believe that die cutter size is stated correctly, but if in doubt, take one of the adjusting nuts to the hardware store with you to double check.
Not to discourage you, Kevin, but if the neck on your 1976 4001 still has significant bow even without strings on it as you say, I'm afraid no amount of truss rod adjustment is going to totally fix it. I'm no expert, but I think some kind of heat treatment or something may be in order to address the problem. I'm sure the previous owner of your Rick failed to properly adjust the truss rods on it, thus causing the wood in the neck to develop an irreversible bow to it.
Welcome to the Forum, by the way.
Welcome to the Forum, by the way.
A Rickenbacker bass is much like the Jaguar E car - perennially ultra-fashionable.
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jwr2
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cabsav
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jwr2
I was adjusting my newest 4003s5 truss rod with a new ratcheting wrench ... I was flattening out the neck and it got to a certain point and it sounded like something broke ... I thought $hit ... I broke a truss rod on a $1600 bass!!! ... well no ... it was a cheap wrench it was broken ... the truss rod is fine ...
But even with my 4003 basses sometimes I will loosen the strings and cantlever the main body over my knee and hold the headstock and let gravity help me flatten out the neck while adjusting the truss rod ...
But even with my 4003 basses sometimes I will loosen the strings and cantlever the main body over my knee and hold the headstock and let gravity help me flatten out the neck while adjusting the truss rod ...
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kevin_b
Just be patient and it should straighten out, unless there is a serious problem with it like a bend in one certain place which would usually be near the heel area, if it is an even bow it should come out in time, just don't try to force anything. I stand them on the floor with a little bit of pressure so they won't move and usually on a rug. I put my knee behind the top of the body, I put my hand on the top first few frets and pull the neck back to where it is straight, and unless it's severely bowed you should be able to do this with a minimum to moderate pressure, I then tighten the truss rods with my 1/4 nutdriver until tight, I then let off the pressure with my hand and sight down the neck to see how much of a bow remains if any. I may have to do this several times in several days, if you get to a point where they just won't turn anymore (you have to do more than just snug up the nuts obviously) then either your threads are screwed up or you have a problem somewhere, most likely a bend somewhere in the neck which you should be able to see. The reason I stand up the bass on the floor is that when I let the pressure off after tightening the nuts I can sight right down the neck and compare the amount of relief with the strings which are exactly straight of course. Don't be afraid of it, just don't force anything and always take the pressure off the neck when tightening the nuts (bend it back I mean). This is easier to do than it sounds, it is intuitive if you try it. Just get your nut driver on the nuts first before you stand it up if they are hard to access, get it all ready to adjust. I have owned many Rics and since I ruined my first one (because of my ignorance) which has since been fixed, I have had no problems at all with this simple method on any of my Ric basses.
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bill
I'm new here to this forum,and I'd like to thank everybody involved for all this great info.I bought a '97 Fireglo 4003 about a month ago(I also have a '73 Jetglo I bought in '74 when I was 14).Anyway,the D and especiallythe G string on the '97 are pretty buzzy.And the G string chokes from the 2nd to the 9th fret.Oddly enough,Iwas laying on the couch playing it last night and while pressing down a note on the 17th fret on the G string and plucking an open D a buzz resonated through the neck.same with the 17th fret on D while plucking open A.When I checked out what pitch the buzz was it turned out to be the 9th fret note on the D and G.Right where the choking ends.Could it be the 9th fret needs filing?I already had a set-up and fret dressing done by the best guy I know.
Anyone know any good Rick-savy guitar tech's in the Ft.Lauderdale Florida area?Thanks for any info.
Anyone know any good Rick-savy guitar tech's in the Ft.Lauderdale Florida area?Thanks for any info.
I suspect that your G string side truss rod is too tight, and/or your action is too low on that side, but I think it's the truss rod. If the action was too low and the neck was set correctly all or most of your frets would "choke" Could be that the 9th fret is a little high but that would not account for all the other choked notes. (I assume you mean fret buzz from fret 2 to fret 9?Also while lying down on a bed or couch (or floor) your neck will actually bend down a little bit plus the added pressure of your arm's weight will pull it down also, accentuating any problem you may have with a too tight truss rod.
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jwr2
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bill
Thanks Bob and Jeff for that info.I'm checking out this G string right now and noticing that even the open G is buzzing if I give it a good solid pluck.All the frets seem to buzz to different degrees.I don't really mind some fret buzz.It seems you can never get rid of it entirely.But especially on fret 2,3,4,5,6,7 it't to the point that the notes are not resonating.The sustain is weak.Should I try raising the action before adjusting the truss-rod?Suggestions are greatly appreciated.Thanks.
Could be both, that's what I think it is, try raising the action to the below parameters, then if you still have buzz, check your relief. Just sight down the neck it should be straight to very slightly bowed, should not have an upwards hump at all anywhere. I like a very slight bow in mine, maybe a card or two of relief with both ends fretted at the tenth fret (right in the middle).
From the factory at the 12th fret on the G string side open you should have about 4/64ths or 1/16 of space between the string and the fret. And on the E string side you should have about 6/64ths or 3/32nds. I forgot what it is in MM it's in the Vibrola section, a recent post by JH.
From the factory at the 12th fret on the G string side open you should have about 4/64ths or 1/16 of space between the string and the fret. And on the E string side you should have about 6/64ths or 3/32nds. I forgot what it is in MM it's in the Vibrola section, a recent post by JH.