Ric 330 Bridge Rattle

[steverok]

Hey All,

I have a 330 that has an acoustic rattle, which I have seemingly narrowed down to the bridge height-adjustment screws. I think one or more screws becomes loose after playing it, to the point where they are not seated firmly into the bridge plate. When the rattle emerges, I can temporarily eliminate it by fiddling with the screws, but it eventually comes back. As a result, the guitar is not 100% reliable for me. Is there anything that can be done for this ? I wonder if different springs might solve it. Any input or insight would be much appreciated !

Steve

[jps]

Are the O-rings snug to the screws? A couple things you could try are teflon plumber's tape wrapped around the threads, or the lightest version of Loctite on the threads of the problem screws.

[maxwell]

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... t.1523346/

Available now; get it while you can:

https://masterybridge.com/bridges/bridge/

[collin]

There are things that can be done (new springs or o rings to the adjustment screws, drilling the baseplate so the dimples are a little deeper, adjustment etc)….

….but all these problems and more are solved with the Mastery bridge. There is no better upgrade you can make to improve the sustain, tuning stability and overall tone of your Rick than a Mastery bridge. The stock Rick bridge is the Achilles heel of these guitars and it’s been that way for 70 years, the Mastery solves all of the annoying issues with the stock bridge.

[maxwell]

I was tempted to also suggest a relatively inexpensive alternative bridge, the Bigsby Sorkin Bowtie bridge, a type popularized by Lennon. Of course, if someone is resolutely compelled to achieve precise intonation on all six strings, he would be disappointed. But it could be a viable alternative. I looked a little online, and these seem to be out of stock everywhere (for a reasonable retail price). The complete bridge assembly, by default it seems, comes with the saddle that accommodates a Wound third/G string.

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... e-assembly

Here's a variation, almost the same bridge as the bowtie; this has a rectangular base. While not as cool looking as the bowtie, there is more surface area of the bridge base contacting the guitar face and therefore may be more stable. This bridge (in two different colors) is available for the same price as the bowtie version.

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products ... bly-guitar

The problem, as I seem to gather, is that these go well/are required to function properly with a Bigsby vibrato (trem), like the B5 and B50, where there is a significate break angle and downward pressure on the bridge. If you have the stock Accent vibrato, there may be problems with tone and/or the bridge moving. But, I have no first-hand experience, only my opinion based on what I've read. For these reasons, I purchased a Mastery bridge this morning.

[steverok]

….but all these problems and more are solved with the Mastery bridge. There is no better upgrade you can make to improve the sustain, tuning stability and overall tone of your Rick than a Mastery bridge. The stock Rick bridge is the Achilles heel of these guitars and it’s been that way for 70 years, the Mastery solves all of the annoying issues with the stock bridge.

Thank you all. My other Ric's do not suffer this problem like this particular 330. Maybe it's just the way this guitar vibrates the wood. Hey Collin, is it fair to assume that the 330 would maintain its characteristic "Ricky" tone with the M5 Mastery bridge ? I see that the bridge cover is not currently available. Do you know if the Rickenbacker factory bridge cover fits onto the Mastery bridge ? Thanks again.

[maxwell]

I intended to buy the Mastery bridge, maybe, six months ago(?), but screwed around waiting for both the bridge and cover to be available at the same time. What, to save $3 in shipping fees (for the cover)? I don't know, maybe. But the bridge sold out quickly. I've been checking a couple of times a week, saw them last night, bought one today. So, get the bridge now. You can try your RIC cover and then let us know if it fits, but my feeling is that it will not fit, being uniquely made for the Mastery bridge.

[collin]

….but all these problems and more are solved with the Mastery bridge. There is no better upgrade you can make to improve the sustain, tuning stability and overall tone of your Rick than a Mastery bridge. The stock Rick bridge is the Achilles heel of these guitars and it’s been that way for 70 years, the Mastery solves all of the annoying issues with the stock bridge.

Thank you all. My other Ric's do not suffer this problem like this particular 330. Maybe it's just the way this guitar vibrates the wood. Hey Collin, is it fair to assume that the 330 would maintain its characteristic "Ricky" tone with the M5 Mastery bridge ? I see that the bridge cover is not currently available. Do you know if the Rickenbacker factory bridge cover fits onto the Mastery bridge ? Thanks again.

Not only does it still retain the characteristic sound of a 330 with the M5 Mastery bridge, it even seems to enhance that sound (more of it) via added sustain. Really a remarkable piece of engineering. It's designed for intonation with round wound strings, but can be adjusted for any. The saddles are Tele style (two strings per saddle).

The original bridge cover can fit with some tweaking, though the Mastery is brushed stainless and the Ric cover is chromed steel. Don't sleep on the Mastery if you're at all interested. They go 6-12 months between batches and sell out quickly. The covers can always go into stock later and aren't as hot a commodity.

[steverok]

Order for the Mastery bridge placed. It does look a little funny with only four intonation screws in the back, and not six. I often swap out the plain G for a wound G string, which I know affects the intonation setting significantly. We'll see. Hoping for good results !

[collin]

Order for the Mastery bridge placed. It does look a little funny with only four intonation screws in the back, and not six. I often swap out the plain G for a wound G string, which I know affects the intonation setting significantly. We'll see. Hoping for good results !

Hey, nice! Let us know what you think once it's installed.

I have yet to hear from somebody that wasn't impressed by that bridge and what it can do for the guitar. The only critique seems to be the brushed stainless clashes with the style of the guitar, but that seems like a small price to pay for the tonal benefits.

[jdogric12]

I love mine!

[sloop_john_b]

Mastery Bridge is a game changer.

[fiveightandten]

Thank you all. My other Ric's do not suffer this problem like this particular 330. Maybe it's just the way this guitar vibrates the wood. Hey Collin, is it fair to assume that the 330 would maintain its characteristic "Ricky" tone with the M5 Mastery bridge ? I see that the bridge cover is not currently available. Do you know if the Rickenbacker factory bridge cover fits onto the Mastery bridge ? Thanks again.

The Ric bridge cover works with the Mastery bridge.