My R Tailpiece Broke
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
My R Tailpiece Broke
I thought it would never happen to me, but it did; the R tailpiece on my 330-12 snapped off. I just noticed it.
I'll call Rickenbacker tomorrow. How do they handle this?
I'll call Rickenbacker tomorrow. How do they handle this?
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
1. "Sooner or later, it happens to everyone. To everyone."
2. Have to send the broken one to Rickenbacker, and then you are allowed to buy a new one from Rickenbacker. When mine went a few years ago the part cost me $110. Call Rickenbacker customer service and they will give you addresses, order number, and all that sort.
3. Or you could go with a trapeze tailpiece. Can buy them from various guitar parts dealers.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Thanks. They should send them out free of charge, due to all the broken ones out there.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Ugh, that's not going to happen. My FireGlo 330-12 is probably fifteen years old. I forgot the exact year it was made. I may try to get John Hall on the phone and see if he'll cut me a discount at least on a new one.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Rickenbacker sees that R tailpiece as though they were guitar strings or tires on a car. An accepted aspect of owning a guitar or a car is eventually you have to get new strings or new tires...or a new R tailpiece. Why should those replacements be freebies?
If your selector switch on a 20 year old guitar goes, should Ric just give you a new one? If a tuner starts binding...should Ric give you a new one? As pointed out to me, the R tailpiece is a part that eventually will need replacing. So, we have to buy one and replace it. That's just a thing about owning a Ric.
If your selector switch on a 20 year old guitar goes, should Ric just give you a new one? If a tuner starts binding...should Ric give you a new one? As pointed out to me, the R tailpiece is a part that eventually will need replacing. So, we have to buy one and replace it. That's just a thing about owning a Ric.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Ouch! That sucks, Bob! I’m fortunate that my only Rickenbacker with an R tailpiece is a six string, so I’m hoping It doesn’t eventually explode. None of my other guitars have tailpieces that are expected to regularly need to be replaced. I love Rickenbackers and have nine of them but I hate the R tailpiece on a 12 string. Give me a trapeze any day.
325c64 JG,325c58 JG, 325/12v63 JG, 350v63 JG, 1996 FG, 360/12c63 FG, 360/6 Carl Wilson FG, 1993Plus FG, 660/12 FG, 425 FG (1965), 360/12 FG (1965/67), 4003 FG with v63 mods.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
I guess that's the way they think, but I certainly don't expect any tailpiece to break. I put in a call today to my luthier to see if he can make me one that looks like the tailpiece on the George Harrison 12 string.Tommy wrote: ↑Fri Jul 01, 2022 12:07 pm Rickenbacker sees that R tailpiece as though they were guitar strings or tires on a car. An accepted aspect of owning a guitar or a car is eventually you have to get new strings or new tires...or a new R tailpiece. Why should those replacements be freebies?
If your selector switch on a 20 year old guitar goes, should Ric just give you a new one? If a tuner starts binding...should Ric give you a new one? As pointed out to me, the R tailpiece is a part that eventually will need replacing. So, we have to buy one and replace it. That's just a thing about owning a Ric.
I also called Rickenbacker, but they are closed until July 11.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
hahahahahah good one! Thanks Bob, I needed a laugh this morning
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
I agree, but they clearly do.
OK, these Ric tailpieces eventually do give up the ghost and explode. I can accept that. I can even accept the 110 bucks for a new one (being that I am only buying one every twenty years, that 110 bucks is not expensive at all). But what I don't get is the hoops one has to go through just to get a new tailpiece. The fact that we have to return our broken one before we can buy a new one is wrong. When I sent my exploded R tailpiece in so I could be allowed to buy a new one, the darn thing got lost in the mail! What the heck was I going to do now? Ric wouldn't sell me one unless they got the old one. Luckily enough, the thing was located a few days later and made its way safely. But while it was lost I was going crazy.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Hi Folks,
I've also been through the R-tailpiece explosion debacle, so you have my sympathy. My strong suggestion is if you intend to buy a new replacement R-tailpiece go the extra $25 and get a new tailpiece bracket at the same time.
In my case the bracket went first, and then the tailpiece just under a year later. Getting it upfront is good insurance.
Cheers,
I've also been through the R-tailpiece explosion debacle, so you have my sympathy. My strong suggestion is if you intend to buy a new replacement R-tailpiece go the extra $25 and get a new tailpiece bracket at the same time.
In my case the bracket went first, and then the tailpiece just under a year later. Getting it upfront is good insurance.
Cheers,
Andrew
Ruby - 1989 620/12,
Monty - 2003 4003
Ricky - 1986 330
Cherry - 1991 381 V69
Kody - 1998 650 Dakota
What shall I name my 4005V?
Ruby - 1989 620/12,
Monty - 2003 4003
Ricky - 1986 330
Cherry - 1991 381 V69
Kody - 1998 650 Dakota
What shall I name my 4005V?
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Just alluding to the fact that they rarely budge on standard policies in general. It was not meant as a personal attack on your reputation.
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
Well, and I thought I'd seen it all. On Gumtree in OZ (like KiJiJi in Canada) some joker is trying to "sell" a low-cost, aftermarket R-tailpiece replacement. A careful inspection of the pics tends to make me think it's an old European jazzbox tailpiece, made to fit with a bit of coathanger wire and a homemade R motif. The thing looks like spray painted cardboard. Stylish!
All this can be yours for 160 Dollaridoos, or around US$90.
The Guy must have a sense of humour. Cheers,
All this can be yours for 160 Dollaridoos, or around US$90.
The Guy must have a sense of humour. Cheers,
Andrew
Ruby - 1989 620/12,
Monty - 2003 4003
Ricky - 1986 330
Cherry - 1991 381 V69
Kody - 1998 650 Dakota
What shall I name my 4005V?
Ruby - 1989 620/12,
Monty - 2003 4003
Ricky - 1986 330
Cherry - 1991 381 V69
Kody - 1998 650 Dakota
What shall I name my 4005V?
Re: My R Tailpiece Broke
After much deliberation, I decided to just buy a stainless steel tailpiece from Winfield Vintage, for $90, and say goodbye to the R tailpiece on that guitar. It looks just like the one on the George Harrison 12. Why spend so much on another R tailpiece and perhaps have that one break down the road? It makes no sense. It's just another Rickenbacker quirk we all have to live with...or do something about.