Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

nope ... it flattens out the bridge really good ... I use a little longer screw than the rest of the Ric tailpiece screws ... theoretically it should improve sustain have that bridge screwed down better ...

The 4003s5 really need the 2 extra screws because the low b string increases the stress on this part of the bass ...

jwr2 - thanks for contributing your know how to my thread.

You mentioned you have seen/owned several ricks that had this problem, typically how much had the tailpiece pulled up? The very back of mines up about 4mm or about 3/16th's of an inch.

I was never aware of any of this when i bought the bass, as i was so impressed with the more important factors

It varies bass by bass the 4001 CS pictured above has very little ... 5 and 8 strings will pull up more ... it is really more of visual thing than a functional thing on most basses ... once in a while it will really pull up ... but the screw method fixes it fine ...

I had a 1973 4001 that pulled up 1/4" ... I replaced the bridge ... I had a 1984 that already had the 2 screws in it so no pull up ... my 1989 and 1990 4003s5 both pulled up to the point where it looked really bad ... one of them actually dug into the paint and chipped the blue finish off and exposed the silver underneath .... But since I had the black trim option I put a strip of black vinyl tape under the bridge and screwed it down with 2 new screws ... it looks great now. I also had a 1993 that was pulling up like 1/8" .. I added 2 screws ...

Again my 1968 has 3 screws total not 5 or 7 screws like modern rics and no pullup at all ... it lays completely flat ...

Just make them from cast aluminum as in the 60's as opposed to the pot metal used today and the problem is solved. It would make the price of the bass a bit higher overall but not an awful lot. It would be worth the additional money not to have to deal with this issue.

I think its terrible that RIC lets/has let this happen to its basses - they must know about it

Since this is getting beaten into the ground again, I have to ask: does anyone have any evidence that this affects playability, intonation, or anything else about the performance of the bass? No, it's a minor appearance issue, no different than nitro finishes cracking over time. It happens. Nothing terrible about it. No need whatsoever to obsess about it.

About 18 months ago on The Bottom Line (mailing list), someone raised the question. Everyone who responded on-list said theirs was raised and several who had bought theirs new said theirs had always been that way. Only two people who responded to the poster off-list said theirs was not lifted up at all. Nobody was worried about it one way or the other.

Yipes! I just won the auction on the above mentioned CS Ltd. Ed. bass. Once I get it, I'll let you guys know more about the tailpiece.

Congrats John!

I'd love to have a CS someday.

Very nice purchase, John.
Congratulations on a cool deal.
So the bass goes from our fellow forum talker (Mr. Tim Sarter) to you. What a small world!

Please keep us posted when you receive her.

dave 4004 - i agree that it doesnt affect playability etc, but mine in particular looks really bad. its not a case of a slight lifting as in the CS in the above photo, no, mines properly bent in a curve like 4mm high of the body - thats why im worried.

I played a 1975 4001 i a store the other day, its tailpiece was lifting slightly but looked "normal"

My 1991 4003 on the other hand, is very bent. like really noticeably bent.

Without question this problem is in need of repair and right away. In this case, a picture is worth at least a thousand words.

I reckon i should replace it......

I have fixed bridges that were that bad with the 2 screw method ... It does not take a lot of skill ... If you have a moderate level of skill with an electric drill you can fix it yourself ...

If you simply get another bridge there is no guarentee that it will not pull up again.

Owen, I agree that looks like way more than the "normal" liftup.