Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I made some rough bars of brass and aluminum, and the brass is much heavier (I guess that was to be expected.) My main reason for using brass was that it seems brass is a more musical metal, and since it will be in close contact with the neck I figured it might actually sound better than aluminum. After all, most high-end bridges are made from brass.

Also, I have put more design sketches up, and one includes a method for anchoring the bar against the neck using a screw. I'd really like some comments on this one (necessary, good, bad, stupid, etc.)

Very interesting project you've got going on there!

About the screw you want to use; maybe it's not a good idea, because the following might happen:



Under tension the bar might drive the screw upwards, causing the nut to follow..
(I took the liberty of using your drawings, please forgive me )

If you're really not sure about the bar maybe consider making one like this;




This spreads the downward force over the surface of the headwood.

What cad program are you using? I want one! (I'm obviously still using sketches and basic photoshop stuff.)

I don't think there is enough clearance between the nuts and the bottom of the headstock cavity to have any kind of substantial plate down there. And in reality the whole assembly is pretty tight and I'm not sure how much extra space I have. I need to do some measuring.

It is the kind of design I have been looking for, one that uses the forces present to stabilize itself. Thanks!

Just make the block 3/8" high by 7/16" deep. The extended depth keeps the block from rotating. It works great, try it!

That's pretty much the size of the brass I have (3/8 x 1/2) so I'm inclined to do just that and see how it works. I also may make one out of aluminum to see if I can hear a difference in sound. Has anyone else done a comparison like this?

Chris,

Be the first in your neighborhood to do the comparison!

I had two done, on one of them I had the rod ends cut off and the machinist welded two new threaded ends on and I'm using the original aluminum block, this bass has med. light Fender flats on it (which are not light by any stretch of the imagination)and it plays and sounds great and there is no downward rod bending in the cavity at all (78 4001).
On the other (a 79 4001) again there were new ends put on and a block of exactly the same size as the original was made except of steel (I did not ask him to do this, he just thought it would be more durable), and this one also sounds great and plays great and I hear no difference with this one either. I don't think any exotic changes need to be made, just make the block like it was originally and take care of the bass, keep the neck straight like it is supposed to be. I think the original design was good, there are just a lot of meatheads around, I know, I was one of them, I twisted a nut right off of my 79. I followed JH's advice about how to recesitate my 79 in an earlier column and everything has been fine since. I had the 78 done also. It was a simple thing for a machinist and was done in one day and cost about 40 to 50 bucks each.

I've been busy with a garage conversion project, as well as the holidays, and so have not done much at all on my project. Probably not much will be done until the new year. But don't lose hope! I want my Ric back so it will get done.

Chris,
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