4001c64 tailpiece lift?

[Ashgray]

Interestingly, I've experienced that degree of tail-lift when changing strings on newly acquired Ricks that have a 5-screw tailpiece. For peace of mind's sake (and just in case there's anything in Joshua's theory that significant tail-lift = less surface area contact = poorer tone, which I can understand) I'd dearly love to replace some of my Rick tailpieces with 7-screw versions, if I could only find some!

Ash

[daveman]

Hi, please forgive me this newbie question.
The forum has been really informative as I try to work through the process of buying a nice 4001c64 or 4001c64s. I am attempting to evaluate the beginnings of tailpiece lift via photographs on a couple of examples of these basses, and I have just a few questions....

You're assuming that this is the "beginning" of something, when it could have been that way the day the bass left the factory. I don't think the gap shown in the first photo is at all worrisome. My 2 cents.

[cassius987]

...Joshua's theory that significant tail-lift = less surface area contact = poorer tone

Thanks but it's not really my theory, I think there are several people around here who believe it to lesser or greater extents. I believe it's a factor but not a crucial one. When lift gets really bad I've decided it definitely has an audible effect, but in minor cases perhaps not. If I recall correctly John Allgaier and Dane Wilder both have made comments implying similar impressions about the tonal effect of increased contact. Dane in particular is a fan of increasing contact by adding the two extra screws to the rear of the tailpiece and sending the bridge height adjusting bolts through the tailpiece to touch the body. I have used one of his modified bridges and it certainly did not make the tone worse but it was also hard for me to detect a big difference versus 7 screws only with a trad bridge. Whereas the 3 screw C64 tailpiece with lots of lift had definitely made that bass go super anemic. I do feel 7 screws sounds best although by a slim margin over 5... I just have a better tonal track record with it. But if 5 or even 3 is what you want, far be it from me to tell you you're wrong.

If you want a 7-screw tailpiece, I have one I think I can let go of, or Dane can make one for you. I'll send you a PM.

p.s.: Food for thought, while increased contact is one way a flat tailpiece could affect tone, another is that the more lift a tailpiece has the lower the break angle each string has over its saddle will be. This can definitely affect the tone, too.

[Ashgray]

I'd be very interested in that 7-screw tail-piece. The only Rick I own that doesn't suffer from some degree of tail-lift is my 8-string, which came with a 7-screw tailpiece as standard, I think.

Ash

[cassius987]

I'm going to check the parts bin in a sec.

Every Ric I've played with the traditional tailpiece has a really small amount of lift but I never thought much of it and still don't; like I said it's not until it gets extreme that I hear anything change. I wouldn't let it worry you that much. But I do think the 7-screw version is superior from a functional perspective. I get why it's not everyone's favorite aesthetically.

[johnallg]

Interestingly, I've experienced that degree of tail-lift when changing strings on newly acquired Ricks that have a 5-screw tailpiece. For peace of mind's sake (and just in case there's anything in Joshua's theory that significant tail-lift = less surface area contact = poorer tone, which I can understand) I'd dearly love to replace some of my Rick tailpieces with 7-screw versions, if I could only find some!

Ash

A drill, countersink, and two correct length screws solves that on any 5-screw tailpiece.