How NOT to adjust your truss rod!

[ajish4]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1974-Ricken ... 286.c0.m14

What did this guy use to adjust the neck, an impact wrench?

[doctorwho]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1974-Ricken ... 286.c0.m14

What did this guy use to adjust the neck, an impact wrench?

Yikes! That, or a breaker bar!

[johnallg]

Wasn't that a British tv show? Pop Goes The Fretboard?

[m5yates]

How much would that cost to repair?

[ben_brown]

Dale Fortune once quoted me a price for repairing a similar separation and crack in the neck.
$200 for the repair and refinish the neck. Not bad.

[bails]

With no refinish, there's the possiblilty this could be put back together for the price of some wood glue, and five minutes work. I'm happy to pay for the pros to cut, route, shape, spray, sand, drill, and carve, but I would be hesitant to part with my money for the sake of glue!

Then again, this bass may need major surgery...

Hard to tell from the photos, but the separation looks fairly clean, so I wouldn't write it off.

[jps]

All original except for truss rod cover missing.

Translation: I already sold it on the 'bay.

[ricaddic]

Perfect, thats what I call a low action

[nukebass]

Do the rods popping out of the neck like that indicate some wood damage that would have to be repaired? I have always thought there was some wood between the truss rod and the fretboard.

[johnallg]

Ryan, the channels in the neck of the 4001 basses were open, the fretboard covering the channels. From the looks in these not-so-detailed cellphone pictures, it does look repairable with glue and clamps.

[beatlefreak]

All those that own Ricks made in 1984 or before, take note - This is what can possibly happen if you adjust your truss rods without manually holding the neck in the position you want then just snugging the truss rod nuts.

[rickenbrother]

Perfect, thats what I call a low action

More like zero action!

[cassius987]

All those that own Ricks made in 1984 or before, take note - This is what can possibly happen if you adjust your truss rods without manually holding the neck in the position you want then just snugging the truss rod nuts.

I was reading in the manual and apparently this older style works for all truss rod systems. Fascinating. Scott Pope did it for my 2007 4003 and it made a real butter bass out of it, also improving the tone a good deal.

[beatlefreak]

Yes, you can manually adjust the neck bow of any guitar or bass like this, and use the truss rods to hold it in place. And it will be a lot easier on your truss rod system.

[rictified]

Yes, you can manually adjust the neck bow of any guitar or bass like this, and use the truss rods to hold it in place. And it will be a lot easier on your truss rod system.

I've always done with since my first new Fender in 1971. The manual that came with that bass said to lay it on a table and have someone push down on the neck while adjusting the truss rod (truss rod was at body end). All you really want to do is take the forward pull from the strings off the neck as you tighten them. You can do more than snug them up really as long as you don't really crank them a real lot. It's just common sense.