Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'd do it progressively. Whatever they are now, add .005'' until you are where you want to be, changing strings no more rapidly than once every one or two weeks...

That way you can keep the neck happy as you go, gradually.

riotriot wrote:Ok, but under normal conditions do you think a old 4001 could handle for instance 050-070-095-115 or even 065-080-105-130?

With my knowledge of the old style truss system and the fact I own a '75 4001, I would be really surprised if the neck/rod system could handle the 065-130 strings. I'd also be surprised if it could handle the 50-115 set too. Especially long term (more than a week or two).

riotriot wrote:Ok, but under normal conditions do you think a old 4001 could handle for instance 050-070-095-115 or even 065-080-105-130?

I've had 065-080-105-130 on my '73 4001, but it was tuned BEAD. I've also had 050-070-095-115 on my '79 4001, but it was tuned C#F#BE. I would never use that heavy of a string set on any bass guitar tuned to concert pitch.

rickenbrother wrote:

riotriot wrote:Ok, but under normal conditions do you think a old 4001 could handle for instance 050-070-095-115 or even 065-080-105-130?

I've had 065-080-105-130 on my '73 4001, but it was tuned BEAD. I've also had 050-070-095-115 on my '79 4001, but it was tuned C#F#BE. I would never use that heavy of a string set on any bass guitar tuned to concert pitch.

Joey, the '73 neck held up over time with the 065-080-105-130 set??

johnallg wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:

riotriot wrote:Ok, but under normal conditions do you think a old 4001 could handle for instance 050-070-095-115 or even 065-080-105-130?

I've had 065-080-105-130 on my '73 4001, but it was tuned BEAD. I've also had 050-070-095-115 on my '79 4001, but it was tuned C#F#BE. I would never use that heavy of a string set on any bass guitar tuned to concert pitch.

Joey, the '73 neck held up over time with the 065-080-105-130 set??

I would think that with them tuned to BEAD there would be no issue.

jps wrote:

johnallg wrote: Joey, the '73 neck held up over time with the 065-080-105-130 set??

I would think that with them tuned to BEAD there would be no issue.

Jeff is right, there were no ill effects on the neck with that gauge tuned to BEAD.

rickenbrother wrote:

jps wrote:

johnallg wrote: Joey, the '73 neck held up over time with the 065-080-105-130 set??

I would think that with them tuned to BEAD there would be no issue.

Jeff is right, there were no ill effects on the neck with that gauge tuned to BEAD.

Definitely. D'Addario has a really good chart somewhere on their web site that shows how their strings change tension as pitch changes and if you had a similar string you were dealing with, you could probably use a calibration curve made in Excel to predict the new tension.