Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have two questions...

1)Does the bridge on the 4001/4003 when new lean back or is it upright.

2)Any chance of some pics because the 15th & 17th fret on my E string sound dull when the string starts to go dead.

Yeah, I'd love some pictures to visualise all the tailpiece advice that's being given out here.

The current version of the tailpiece holds the bridge firmly in place with little or no lean. At least that is my experience so far. The older ones tend to lean a bit but will remain straight as long as there is string pressure to hold them.

"Yeah, I'd love some pictures to visualise all the tailpiece advice that's being given out here."

I could post some photos ... but Peter would delete them ... ooohhh yaaa ... you guys are talking about basses again ...

never mind ...

It seems Jeff has a tailpiece fixation!

Whether they lean or not in large part depends on how high the bridge is also. My new one will lean if I push it back but I think Ted is right it seems to not want to lean over and hasn't unless I push it backwards. Also if you lower your tuning they will lean backward also. I just pull them forward again with my fingers.

OK, I think I can safely say that the sound has improved. Every once in a while I think I hear a weak or less defined note. Before this, pretty much every time I went to the open E or anywhere up to the 3rd or 4th fret on the E, the sound was unsatisfying. I have been playing my stronger basses (like my '02 5er) along side the '80 just to be sure I am hearing things right.

I had a 91 4003 white/black trim and it was really noisy, picked up everything and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out until I took the bridge off of the tailpiece. The little holes were filled with black paint so thick that the bridge wasn't making contact and wasn't grounded, so everything connected to it strings, tuners, etc. were acting like a big antenna for noise and transmitted it into the pickups. Once I cleaned the holes out it quieted right down, someone played it like this for close to ten year too.

"It seems Jeff has a tailpiece fixation! "

I can think of much worse things to be fixated on.

the Allparts replacement tailpiece and bridge assembly lock together better and they resist tilting better ...

The Kahler bass bridge is the best tailpiece/bridge choice for a Ric bass ... the silver 2030 on this web page has the most sustain of any Ric bass that I have ever played ... http://www.3dentourage.com/425/striped.htm ... even though it is a bolt on ...

I have an All Parts and I have to agree with you Jeff. Certain aspects of the All Parts are better than the original.

Does the Allparts unit replace just the Rick bridge, or the whole tailpiece assembly?

The Allparts piece is complete, both bridge and tail piece.

Where did the thread about coping with the "tailpiece lifting" go? I'm currently facing such "serious adverse event" on my '97 4003, after 9 years of peace! Don't remember the tricks to overcome the lifting? Somebody kindly give me a "wink to the link" (thread)!