4-2-5 At the hairpin
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
4-2-5 At the hairpin
Anyone ever done a 4-2-5 conversion on a RIC with the old hairpin truss rods? Could the hairpins handle the stress?
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bassduke49
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Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
Understand that truss rods do not reinforce the strength of the neck. They are devices to change the shape of the neck. All of the "strength" is in the wood and the design. The truss rods are there only to adjust the neck.
That said, I know that Jeff Rath (Ric5) always said that he didn't want to convert any collectible Rick, in essence diminishing the value. I'm pretty sure that the three-piece necks of the mid- to late-'70s should be able to handle the stress of five strings, but I have no science to back me up.
That said, I know that Jeff Rath (Ric5) always said that he didn't want to convert any collectible Rick, in essence diminishing the value. I'm pretty sure that the three-piece necks of the mid- to late-'70s should be able to handle the stress of five strings, but I have no science to back me up.
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Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
I did a 4-2-5 conversion on a 3000 bass I had once. Even with the shorter scale and 10% less string tension, the neck was at it's limit as far as the tension it would handle.
Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
Jeff Rath recommends 1986 or newer for 5 string mods. I'm curious to see if its ever been done by anyone on this forum for the earlier basses. I would like to convert my 1983 4003.
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Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
My post about it barely working on a shorter scale 3000 bass was meant an example of why it's not a good idea on a full scale 4001. Other than Paul W., there are no more techs left on this forum to advise against ruining a 4001, but if you must......
Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
Dane. It's not a 4001. I think if I just went ahead and tried the mod without checking this forum first I might be accused a ruining an instrument. I'm trying to gather information so I don't do something stupid. You were a great help when I added HB1's to my 2008 4003 4-2-5. I know of your expertise on all things Rickenbacker and enjoy your work.
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Re: 4-2-5 At the hairpin
Well.....To be more specific, I don't think the hairpin style rods will be able to hold the neck in position, even if in an early 4003. The neck pickup route will also be an issue since even when the neck is perfectly flat, it can flex where it meets the body. This can even be a problem on current 4003's, which is why I have a maple block cut to fit this route under tension, which is then routed just big enough to fit the neck pickup. I don't feel that 73-up 4001's are particularly valuable, so it's not a question of ruining a collectable bass. It's a question of ruining a bass period.