Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

No, the Rick basses are a 33 1/2" scale, slightly shorter than many other brands. Normal string work fine.

Yeah, sounds like I'd better get myself a new tech!

He also told me that Ricks have a common 'fault' where to get the action down really, really low he'd have to grind out under the bridge in order to sit it 'deeper' into the body??? Sounded a bit fishy to me......

Anyway, I've been recommended another tech so I'll give him a try.

Make that three falsehoods. Like every good bass, careful neck relief and saddle height adjustment will yield good action.

I hate when "experts" blatantly give bad advice.

run don't walk away from that tech ... I had a 79 4001 that I had to raise the bridge up high to keep it from buzzing out on the neck ... I have owned 20 or 30 rick basses and NEVER have I had to grind anything out of the bridge to get low action ...


And Bob and Ed if you guys want to use flats that's fine ... but they are not mainstream ... they were mainstream back in the early 60's when they were the ONLY strings for bass ... currently the percentage of bass players using flats is single digits ... and yes they are making a comback ... who knows ... their popularity may reach 9% ...

Well we can debate the pro's and con's of flats vs. rounds ad infinitum, but I think the main thing we need to do is offer some options for sounds and get him away from that alleged guitar "tech" who was ready to inflict some major damage on a 4003 out of ignorance, stupidity or malice.

Jeff we did a poll at the dudepit on Rics and strings, granted there were only 16 answers out of the Ric players there because the Ric forum is small, but it came out almost 50-50. I'm afraid to do one here because you'll do everything in your power to undermine it as you usually do whenever anyone asks questions about flats so I didn't bother and you can't really do a poll here anyway. I think the actual percentages came out to 53% RW to 43% flatwound with a few answering usually flats. And at least one of the people who answered used flats on their fenders and RW's on their Ric because of their perceived notion that a Ric is a RW bass only.
You can continue to stick your head in the sand and pretend they are a thing of the past and the world will pass you right by as it seems to be doing all ready. And if we are a small minority like you seem to think, why are you so threatened by them every time someone brings them up then?
I don't know if Flats are available in every store in E. Cupcake, W. Dakota but here in Ma. and especially Boston every music store has at least one brand and usually more.
Oh incidently they are officially 33 1/4" scale but in reality at least the way I intonate them they are closer to 33 1/2".

Yup, flats and rounds aside, this "guitar tech" is dangerous.

My action is low, really low, and I've never heard of anyone having to gind away anthing to achieve this.

Maybe some form of court injunction to keep him away from Ric's is needed.

W. Dakota, Bob?!



Sadly, it sounds like this guitar tech is yet another in a long tradition of guitar techs who assume that because they've been working on guitars for a while they know everything there is to know about all guitars.

As I've found in many other trades, its usually the most opinionated people that are the least informed.

I was also told by a guitar tech that in order to get lower action on my 1993 Cheyenne, they'd have to route out a few mm. under the bridge. They told me that if they tightened the truss rods any more the fretboard would pop off. Then I took matters into my own hands. I figured out how to adjust the rods myself. The rods easily had more room to go. I tightened them a little, problem solved. I don't go there anymore. In fact, I don't trust anyone to work on my Ricks anymore.

I had a tech tell me the same thing about my 67[route under the bridge],that worried me ive known this guy for almost twenty years.

Bad techs abound when it comes to Ricks. Better to do the work yourself if you can find a mentor. There was a bass on eBay recently with a cracked fingerboard at the 7th fret. The seller said it was from a car accident. Posters here saw it for what it was-a disasterous attempt to adjust the truss rods.

33 1/4"? I guess I heard that...didn't really sink in. I think something was said about measuring from the inside of the nut to the 12th fret and doubling it...anyway, 3/4" difference from say a P or J bass does make Ricks a "short scale".

Jeff, please, don't get defensive! Dude, strings are a VERY personal issue. Years ago my brother thought about buying me guitar strings for Christmas-his wife (who has a guitar playing brother) talked him out of that. I got a whole assortment of picks, which was way cool. I'd never taken the time to see what I actually liked about picks, and realized that a pick has great impact on guitar tone.

Flats, rounds, what difference does it make if we all love our Ricks? And we don't have to discuss the relative merits of either, it's already been hashed to death. I suppose it will continue to simmer nevertheless.

BTW, on the Dudepit poll Bob talked about, I was one of the ones who said "both, but primarily flats". A year from now I might very say "both, depending on the bass".

Go check out the dudepit in Al's nudie bar, there's another poll for all bass players for flats and rounds should have many more answers from all types of bass players and bass players. I would think it will be a very accurate gauge of what is going on today with strings. W. Dakota is opposite E. Dakota.

you can tighten the rods until they break and the fret borad will stay on a 4003/4004 bass ...

so the world is passing me by ... hmmm ... interesting ... Bob you have an unusual imagination ... so for me to be modern I should revert back to 60's strings, give up my 5 string basses, get rid of my Line 6 bass pod, dump my new bass rig and get a 60's bass amp, and quit playing music that was written in this century ... or else the world will pass me by ...

haha! go take the poll and put your money where your mouth is.

Ive played bass for thirty years,Ive used flats and rounds over time,I lean more toward rounds but thats a feel sort of thing too,I think alot depends on what type of music your playing....I worry more about my bass and amp then flat or rounds,strings dont make you sound good,a good bassist can make his bass sound any way he wants flat or rounds.So both of you shut the f--k up.lol

the ONLY bassists that I know who use flats are all on this Forum ...