Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've had a few over the years that came with tail lift. Once the tail has been straightened I've fitted washers or shims under the tailpiece and none of them bent again and that was using rotosounds....
I've also noticed a sonic improvement too, (Even where there was no previous tail bend)

I've heard that newer 4003s don't need shims as the routing is alot more accurate, Is this true?

Eden.

Erm, what's going on with that Hipshot? Somebody wanted to raise the action in a non-traditional way? I thought the coins went under the bridge so they could contact a shim.

Mine? Well I lost one of the heightadjuster screws and put a coin under as a quick fix. Found out the height was perfect for me, so I threw coins under the rest as well. And some extra coins so they wouldn't move backwards or in case I need change.

edit: Aha, now I see where you're putting them, under the tailpiece, haven't tried that...

.....you won't need coins/washers under a Hipshot bridge.

.....you won't need coins/washers under a Hipshot bridge.

Could be handy if you were parked in front of a meter at the gig.

Just put a couple of quarters under the bridge of my v68. Maybe I'm crazy, but there seems to be more sustain and the notes sound a little less muffled!

sloop_john_b wrote:Just put a couple of quarters under the bridge of my v68. Maybe I'm crazy, but there seems to be more sustain and the notes sound a little less muffled!

What vintage coins did you use?

Just some old **** my grandfather gave me. Monroe Silver Dollars or something like that.

Good, we wouldn't want anything special hidden under there, would we?

sloop_john_b wrote:Just put a couple of quarters under the bridge of my v68. Maybe I'm crazy, but there seems to be more sustain and the notes sound a little less muffled!

Under the bridge or under the tailpiece in the rout?

johnallg wrote: Under the bridge or under the tailpiece in the rout?

I copied Paul's photo's from earlier in the thread, so that'd be the bridge...right?

sloop_john_b wrote:

johnallg wrote: Under the bridge or under the tailpiece in the rout?

I copied Paul's photo's from earlier in the thread, so that'd be the bridge...right?

Tailpiece. I've also seen a post where someone pulled the allen screws from the bridge insert and put coins in the tailpiece slot then the bridge back in - coin number to raise the bridge/saddles to the height needed. The benefit there I can immediately see would be no front to back wobble of the bridge on the allen screws.

jps wrote:.....you won't need coins/washers under a Hipshot bridge.

Really? I thought there'd be open air under the bridge in that middle spot regardless.

cassius987 wrote:

jps wrote:.....you won't need coins/washers under a Hipshot bridge.

Really? I thought there'd be open air under the bridge in that middle spot regardless.

There would be but it would be about 1/2" or more to the wood. The Hipshot has a very large footprint so I don't think it matters much. I didn't worry about it when I tried one.

Yeah, I'm not concerned either but I just figured for academic purposes... Thanks for the explanation John.

The Hipshot that came on my road-worn 4001FL is surprisingly "solid" and stable, and I have no idea whether it is aluminum or brass. I doubt I'd remove it because I don't want to screw up whatever is allowing it to behave this way! I've never encountered a Hipshot that actually did what it was supposed to before this one.