The Potato Famine is over!

learning_curve · Post by **learning_curve** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:59 pm

David real good idea I'll try that.

I am going to completly tear the old headstock apart on the 4003. Plug the tuner holes and add new wings and extend the overall length I guess I'll use maple then when the woodwork is done I am going to see if I can just refinish the headstock area? If I can't get this to look like the slightly yellowed color of the bass I am working with I'll redo the whole thing. I am hopful I can match this color up pretty close. I did not want to get into removing any binding etc. to make this conversion.

I sure will post photo's This is only my second guitar project and I think it's going to be just to dam cool when it's done!

haw · Post by **haw** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:05 am

Good grief, I go away for a few weeks, have a drunken conversation with my Hammond player about the possibilities of converting my Rickenfaker to an 8 string and then find a thread about converting to 8 strings the first time I sit down and look at this site again!!
In my case, my only question would be would my Ibanez bolt-on take the extra strain?

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:33 am

I'd wear protective goggles when you play it.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 7:58 am

Randy-

I like your idea. I'm not a fan of mutilating Rickenbackers but if you can pull it off, the potato head is a unique and cool thing. The way I see it, you're going to alter it anyway by converting it to an 8. I don't mean to dis Jeff Rath, but I prefer the look of the potato head to the other Rick 8 bangers. The potato just looks more purpose-built and compact to me.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:07 am

With regards to string order, I found rather strangely with my 4003S8 that I quite liked the octaves being in Rick format on the E and A but eventually tired of that on the D and G, partly because of the difference in sound as you move across and up the neck. Down low it gives you a good "nang" (for want of a better word!), but as you move up it becomes a "ping", which is ok when you want that but can be quite irritating when you don't. It depends a lot on how you play though, I use a pick and tend to pluck upwards unless I'm trying to get a really aggressive sound, so I was hitting the octave first for pretty much all my melodic lines or fast runs and was getting more "ping" than anything else. In terms of 8 string players, Squire and J P Jones use conventional stringing I believe as opposed to the Rick format and it certainly seems to work for them. Still, I guess you can always change it round if you don't like it.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:08 am

And beauty IS in the eye of the beholder...always go with what suits you, it's your bass!

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:13 am

Do the potato Randy and don't look back....go where the potato leads you.....and please post plenty of pics of your progress of the potato project..(there! say THAT 5 times real fast)....

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 9:30 am

BE the potato, Randy!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:09 pm

Obey the spud....

learning_curve · Post by **learning_curve** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:25 pm

I am the potato
I am the potato
I am the potato

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:52 pm

Well you may be the potato but the '80 4003 neck won't take it. Also, that particular headstock shape is that way for a reason. If you want to flip it upside down and string it high string first, no problem. If you reverse the tuners without flipping it over you will have BIG string to stringpost interference problems. I've already been through this design thoroughly to determine why it is what it is. As far as that weak neck goes, my luthier can remove the fingerboard and retrifit his truss rod design to make it work or even Rickenbacker's but it will fail.

learning_curve · Post by **learning_curve** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 3:56 pm

Dane
Your mashing my potato's here Spud.

I sure hope your wrong about the neck. Does this kind of definitive answer come from previous experience? Sound's like you have tried this.

If you have looked into this headstock then you must know what tuners I need?

Also Curious ? Did you draw your headstock with the bass string tuners in the valleys and the guitar tuners on the peaks? In my drawing it works just fine? I thought it was pretty simple myself?

Neck strength has been a concern of mine for some time but this Bass is getting chopped when it gets here. I need my potato. Hey if it does not work for some reason I can put it back the way it was, in no time, and I'll have a nice older 4 string in white to go with the JG 5 banger.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 5:49 pm

Randy,
I would seriously look into an '86 or newer one for your project. Those necks are significantly stronger than the older models. You got that one for a good price, re-sell it or trade for a newer one. I think your project will be a lot better with a more current bass. I've learned this from observing Jeff Rath's conversions.

aceonbass · Post by **aceonbass** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 7:09 pm

Randy, when I was working out my 8-string project headstock(which has now become the 10-string project) I decided on a combination of the traditional 4000 series headstock shape(at the end) and the potatohead(from nut through tuners). The "waves" in the potato are necessary to get the tuners in close so that the strings will clear the tuners for the low strings and put them in more or less of a straight line. If strings have to bend around other tuner posts, it will effect the sound of the bass and wear grooves in the tuner posts they hit along with subjecting them to side loads from their vertical axis. I already purchased four RIC/Schaller guitar tuners from RIC before they stopped letting you do that so I got a 5th one from Mike Parks. I'm sure he broke up a set to do it so he has the four left that you need for your 8-string project. As far as being so sure this won't work on that neck goes, I can say this much. When I converted one of my 3000's to a five string, the 5th string pushed the neck right to the edge of it's limits. Now keep in mind that a 3000's shorter scale neck(1.5" shorter that long scale with the other 1.5" off the body length)is more rigid that a 4001/early 4003. My stock RIC 4003s5 strings when cut down 3" induce less tension on the neck at 3" shorter. All these advantages and the extra string was almost too much. Now add FOUR more strings to the 4001 or first generation 4003 neck and BOING!..stand back! After all the work you put into it you'll be severely bummed. Since y ou don't have a stock Ricky 4-stringer, keep this bass but get a later 4003 to do the conversion on. The later ones are 1/16th inche wider too by the way.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:34 pm

or buy a WHOLE bunch of ANSI rated eye shields.

punctured cornea=no refund...