Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Mine was much worse, the nuts were bent down into the wood. All better now thanks to Dale's helpful instructions.
Mine has a similar mark on the treble side of the nut that runs about 1/2 inch, but it's only the finish that's cracked.
The washers are a good idea!

Actually, the nuts are supposed to sink into the aluminum. The soft metal prevents the nuts from vibrating loose. I got that info from JH himself.

Ted....
I heard that argument many times..but it makes little sense...the sinking of the nuts causes much more problems and inconsistances when trying to adjust the neck...
The nuts should not go loose with the washers...the nut to thread tolerance is a bit sloppy in the first place, so the back pressure from the neck presses nuts slightly crocked against the thread, thus causing a slight self locking jamming effect...
Chris

"Mine has a similar mark on the treble side of the nut that runs about 1/2 inch"

Kevin, my '75 4001 shows the exact same mark. Agan only the finish.

That being said it has not moved in the 12 years I have owned it.

Chris: Yes, the old rods were not of the best design but they are reliable and effective if used properly. The only time there are jamming issues with the nuts against the bearing plate is when they are adjusted while the neck is loaded. Many older Ricks have had their bearing plates butchered by bad technique. That is probably what you are seeing. It is critical that the string load be removed from the neck by flexing the neck back by hand before the nuts are turned (in either direction). The old rods only hold the neck in place. They are not meant to move it as most other rod systems do. Improper adjustment technique can cause delamination of the fingerboard, bent rod tips, stripped nuts and threads, and broken rods. All of these problems indicate that there was load on the rods when the nuts were turned.