Drop D

[aceonbass]

The only remedy is to raise the action, and I have both my basses set up sweet and don't want to mess with the intonation especially on my Ric.

The higher the action, the less in tune your bass will be as you move up the fretboard, and the more difficult it will be to intonate it, assuming you're setting intonation by the string fretted at the 12th fret (the correct way) and not by the 12th fret harmonic (the wrong way). Raising the action is only a bandaid. Increasing the string gauge is the fix, and it will enable you to get the action down lower where the bass will intonate properly.

[08 Ric 4003]

I have my guitar tech set up all my guitars. She is not really my personal tech like I am Geddy or someone like that. I know with Ric's design of the bridge assembly that Ric's are a pain to intonate and set up since there is no hole you can put a screwdriver through to adjust the saddles. You have to adjust the saddles put it back on retune and re adjust and repeat. Like shampooing. Lather Rinse Repeat. My Ric is set up nice and it it just to where it doesn't buzz. If with humidity my neck starts to buzz the only remedy is to go up a gauge in strings. I use .45 - .100's. My bass side truss rod is as loose as it can to keep the neck straight without backbowing and buzzing.

[aceonbass]

A .100 gauge nickel round wound string is the wrong string to use if you're dropping it a step and a half. That's why your truss rod is backed off all the way, leaving you on the verge of backbow. A .110 or even a .120 would be a much better choice. Your tech should replace your Phillips head intonation screws with Allen screws. This will make it possible to adjust your intonation without removing your bridge, which is beyond redundant. Cycling strings like that just takes the life out of them.

[coolhandjjl]

I just went to *gasp* GC and picked up a D'Addario XLB110. They actually sell single strings there. It was a bit over $7.00 including tax. They even allowed me to leave without buying anything else!

Anyway, the 110 improves things mucho. I do have to fret carefully and precisely though, as rattle and clank are ready to rear their ugly heads. OTOH, it is cool to introduce some of that every now and then. If I need to clean it up further, I'll look into a 120. I also raised my action on the E side about 1/4 turn as the 110 string thickness was a bit closer to the frets than my original 105.