Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have a machinist who makes me aftermarket saddles ... I will have some to sell to forum members soon ... I have to get the screw holes retapped ...

as per the action ... check to see if the bridge fits all the way down into the tailpiece ... you can also sand/grind away a few mm from the bottom of the bridge and deepen the grooves of the saddles ...

once in a while a ric neck will get the ski jump slope ... it starts at the body ... this is hard to correct with a truss rod adjustment ... try lower tension strings and experiment with different truss rod settings ... also try e-flat tuning ... avoid Rotosound 130-45 sets try 125-45 or try ric strings ... also you may be able to cut the nut grooves deeper ...

here's a pic of the saddles ...



I had a bass that was doing the ski jump thing and now it is nice and flat ... better strings and a few adjustments did the trick ...

Very interesting, Ted...when I get home, I'll have to line up my basses for the "Ted Table Top Test"!

I don't think drastic measures are needed, as it is quite playable across the whole fretboard and I don't spend a lot of time above the 12th fret myself anyhow (why pay so much to get that B-string if I wanted to go "up"?). I'm just striving for perfection in my setup, probably because achieving it in my playing seems hopeless! I think I might cut the saddles a tiny bit more and see how that works. I am also wondering how much extra height there is at the bottom of the bridge insert itself...I bet there is a good half a millimeter down there of wasted space!

Synchronicity, Jeff...thanks for the input on the bridge bottom grind (sounds like a good song title, there). I was wondering if anyone had tried that, good to know it's an option. The neck itself is straight as an arrow now, although it wasn't before I took those bridge cables off it; its been a few days since they were off and I left it unstrung, which seemed to take pretty much all of the bow out of it now that I've put the light factory-gauge strings on. I think it might have a mild case of Ted's "flat neck" syndrome. Tonight I'll try a little saddle-filing and see if that does the trick, but some bridge-sanding will probably be plan B.

Jeff makes a good point. I have seen a few bridges bind up in the tailpiece and not go down all of the way. Marc Seligman's bass needed a little grinding on the ends of the bridge to get it go set properly in the tailpiece. I guess I just assumed that was a problem found on older (70's) Ricks. My 5'er has as heavy bridge that appears to be much more substantial than the ones found on 4 stringers. Are they all like that, I wonder?

You know, for years I just assumed that Rick bridges were like that. I just figured that as all my Ricks did it, I'd just live with it. I've been sticking spare plectrums in there for years ! Always got one for when I drop one.

Both the neck on my 4003 and my 4001 are straight as a die, (and the 4001 has roundwounds fitted). The action is good on both, though the 4001 is slightly lower.

Ted ... that problem is worst on black trim basses ... the black coating makes the bridge ride high sometimes ...

plectrums ... that sounds medical ...

Hey Jeff-

You mention that you have a machinist make you new saddles, but that bridge insert above doesn't look to be stock either. What gives? Does your guy make bridge inserts too?

A ric 4003s5 neck should have some bow ... to accommodate the low B string ... most 4001 4 string necks flatten out quite nicely ... but a good 5 string neck will have low action at the 1st fret and then get highest at the 10th to 12th fret and then get lower again at the 20th fret ... it should be almost flat but not quite ...

Wow, does Jeff know these 5'ers or what? The sides of the bridge on my black s5 have been filed down a bit...I was wondering why, and my guess is that it was binding on the sides. It doesn't seem to be doing so now, but to make sure I might file it a tad more.

don't file it down too much ... it could get a sloppy loose fit ... I should have some replacement saddles available in a few days ... I will sell them to forum members soon ...

What brand is that aftermarket bridge with individual adjustable saddles on the first page of posting? And where was it bought? Someone mentioned Guitarpartsresource.com, but they only have the normal aftermarket Ric bridge, not the one with adjustable saddles.

Oh, nevermind, I found it under the Hipshot section. Sorry. Does anyone know then if it's still in production, and just happens to be sold out on their website?

That is a HipShot. I don't know if they are offering it on their website just yet but I think you can order one. Jeff Scott has probably the first one HipShot has sold (the picture to which you are referring).

A problem I had with a black tailpiece was that so much black had gotten into the two holes where the bridge allen screws went into that the bridge and strings didn't ground out with the rest of the tailpiece, the strings were acting like an antenna picking up all kinds of noise, when I cleaned out the holes so the screws could touch the metal the noise problem disappeared. I usually leave a little curve in my necks also, the basses sound better that way, more full and your frets will last longer also.