Will tailpiece change solve my problem?

[scotty]

Each to their own i think the harp tailpieces look cheap n nasty.I seriously think think if its too difficult to string a 12 string rickenbacker then it was right of you too sell it.

[MDL]

Hey, half the fun of playing a 12 string Ric is being able to service it. I've had mine for 46 years, I figure at the very least I've changed strings over 200 times. Would you take a Bigsby off a Gretsch?

[Trés Mellow]

At the risk of sounding harsh, don't blame the equipment: learn the proper technique.

Insert ball end in slot, pull taut and capo around the 5th fret. Wind the string on the tuner until it is taut enough to remove the capo, tune to pitch, and you are done. As long as you are changing one string at a time, it's a piece of cake. If you have trouble seating the ball end with your fingers, an inexpensive small curved hemostat works great.
Personally, I don't like the look of all the ball ends showing on the harp and trapeze tailpieces anyway.

[antipodean]

IMO the "R" tail-piece is a flawed design that doesn't actually look that great. The fact that you have to jump through hoops to change strings is evidence of the design problem. The vintage trapeze is more functional and looks way better to my eyes.

Feel free to change the tail-piece as you see fit. It's your guitar after all.

[kennyhowes]

The fact that you have to jump through hoops to change strings is evidence of the design problem.

But there are no hoops to jump through...it's super easy.

[kennyhowes]

Also, how often are you guys changing strings on your Rick twelves? I leave mine on for years, with lots of gigging.

Seriously, if you all changed your strings twice as often as me, that's once a year. So we're talking about a procedure that takes a few minutes to do that'd take place once a year.

[Grey]

I leave mine on for years, with lots of gigging.

What, seriously? I get maybe a month out of the strings on my 6's before they dull below what I would consider acceptable.

[antipodean]

The fact that you have to jump through hoops to change strings is evidence of the design problem.

But there are no hoops to jump through...it's super easy.

I don't know Kenny, when people start talking about requiring foam pads and capos the process doesn't seem as simple as that with the trapeze on my 660/12 or the Accent I put on my 330/6. Maybe it's like changing gears in a car without synchromesh - if you've been doing it long enough, it's super easy. For the uninitiated, it can be a bear. The fact that a number of people new to Rickenbackers have asked the "R-tailpiece" question over the years here is indicative that it may not be as intuitive as other tail-pieces.

[kennyhowes]

I leave mine on for years, with lots of gigging.

What, seriously? I get maybe a month out of the strings on my 6's before they dull below what I would consider acceptable.

Aren't we talking about 12-strings here? Yes, on my six strings it's much more frequent.

The fact that you have to jump through hoops to change strings is evidence of the design problem.

But there are no hoops to jump through...it's super easy.

I don't know Kenny, when people start talking about requiring foam pads and capos the process doesn't seem as simple as that with the trapeze on my 660/12 or the Accent I put on my 330/6. Maybe it's like changing gears in a car without synchromesh - if you've been doing it long enough, it's super easy. For the uninitiated, it can be a bear. The fact that a number of people new to Rickenbackers have asked the "R-tailpiece" question over the years here is indicative that it may not be as intuitive as other tail-pieces.

So these new people should learn how to do it. It's easier than restringing a Bigsby!

And a foam pad is not required, it was just one person's suggestion. Same with a capo, which is handy for an "R" tail restring but completely necessary with a Bigsby.

[Trés Mellow]

Actually, stringing a Bigsby is easy, too, once you get used to it. There's a cool gadget called a String-ray that makes it even simpler. http://www.stringraytool.com
Personally, I find the R easy enough on a 12'er without a capo if you remove the bridge cover, but the capo is helpful when feeding the slot head tuners.

[vjf1968]

I have a 370/12 that I am unable to change single strings on. Will replacing my "R" tailpiece with a trapeze from here:http://winfieldvintage.com/parts/conversion-kits.html solve my problem? WILL it be easier to change a single string than with the "R"?

Thanks in Advance,
Tony

Honestly, if you're gigging a lot and don't really give a toss about "re-sale value" you can always get the trapeze tailpiece kit from Winfield and swap the tailpiece. You can hold on to the "R" tailpiece or sell it to fund the other tailpiece.

It's your guitar. Whatever you have to do to make it better for YOU, do it. Some folks like the "R" and some folks (me included) prefer the trapeze.

I've owned a 360/12 and a 330/6 and always hated the "R" tailpiece on the 12 string. Not as big of a deal on the 330/6. Sold them both and stayed away from Ricks for a long time. When I got my 660/12 with the trapeze and 12 saddle bridge, it was much better Rick experience. Plus I think the trapeze tailpiece looks better than the "R", which to me looks gimmicky.

I also feel the "R" tailpiece on the 12 string kind of messes with the intonation not to mention the tailpiece eventually breaking

[Pimpernel Smith]

I've been a medical instrument designer and manufacturer for 35 years. As far as function goes, I have no time for the R tailpieces. Beauty is in the simplicity of the thing. But to each his own.

[Folkie]

Well, Vincent, I prefer the elegance of the "R" tailpiece over the Ric trapeze tailpieces and the Winfield harp tailpieces. But the black "R" tailpiece on my 1991 330/12 exploded about a month ago, and I wanted to replace it with something that would not only look cool, but that would obviate the worries about another "exploding tailpiece." So I settled on the black Winfield harp 12-string tailpiece, which is made of sturdy stainless steel. It cost half as much as a replacement "R" tailpiece, and I won't have to worry about any future disasters. I didn't ask my tech, but I'll bet it was a lot easier to restring as well!

[Pimpernel Smith]

You don't ned to ask a Tech. It's much faster to re-string when you get rid of the R-tailpieces.