Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I do admit that I almost had a heart attack when I was changing the strings for the first time. I'm new to any non-Rick guitar and the rolling (roller?) bridge. That thing slid off the guitar and my jaw dropped.

I've been using the DJ as the main practice guitar this week and I like it but it's not a Rick.

You should only take one string off at a time unless it's absotively necessary.

I had my setup guy fit the base to the top of my guitar, as Paul suggests, and secure it with double sided tape. I still change strings one at a time, but the the bridge stays put where it should be. He even stained it to match the fingerboard.

Jdog, I know I know. But the frets needed some polishing due to it sitting in a box for a year.

To polish the frets, I tape off the fretboard between each pair with good quality masking tape. Then I polish the frets one at a time using fine Scotchbrite, cut with scissors into a 1" X 2" piece and polishing in the direction of the fret, not across it. Remove tape, wipe board and frets with Dr. Stringfellow's Lem-Oil, wipe dry with soft cloth, restring and Robert's your mother's brother!

I just received my DuoJet. It's thing of beauty, and it may be closer in detail to George's guitar than what they used to build as this model. The finish on the back is much lighter than I expected, the headstock seems very narrow, and the rear access plate is triangular. Woohoo!

Paul, I have been able to adjust the intonation on the middle four strings by moving the strings laterally (laterally in relation to the bridge, not the guitar). It isn't much of an adjustment, but it does happen (or, perhaps, my Korg GA30 is lying... hehe). That does make my string spacing a bit irregular (nothing severe), but it's really only slightly noticeable over the pickups and doesn't seem to make much difference over the frets.

Alisha, while it may be blasphemy to say it here, I don't have the feeling that my G6128T-57 is any less a guitar quality wise or performance wise than any Rick I've owned (620, 325c58, 1997, 360v64, 325v63, 4003). It IS nicer than most of the other Gretsches that I've owned, including vintage models ('67 Clipper, '68 Streamliner), pre-FMIC ('89 G6131T), and FMIC (G6119-HT, G6128T, G6131T). Admittedly, though, only two of the Ricks I've owned were brand new.

I was a little skeptical about both the Bigsby and the bar bridge when I got my Tennessee Rose.

Astonishingly, once I set the bridge at the correct position and angle, the intonation leaves nothing to be desired and the Bigsby works very well. So much so that the guitar stays in tune up and down the neck pretty well no matter how much I use the Bigsby.

Although I have noticed that it does take a little time for it to settle down after re-stringing.

Quality wise, there is not a problem with the guitar at all.

I took the time last night to compare my new G6128T-1957 to the detailed pictures of the G6128TSP on the North Coast Music website. My guitar looks exactly like this guitar (same headstock shape, access panels, color, slightly aged bindings, etc), with the exception of the space control bridge instead of the rocking bar. It was built in 2005 and I suspect that it needs an immediate change of strings to sound right. Needless to say, I'm very happy!

Apparently not everyone is as happy. A guy on VoxTalks says that his new Duo Jet arrived with rust pitted frets and loose or poorly installed hardware. He is sending it right back.

"A guy on VoxTalks says..."

I think maybe you should consider the source, eh?

Looks like Musicians Friend has sold out of these. =(

Update -- My bar bridge (not to be confused with a bar fridge) arrived today and I've put it on the G6129T-57 (replacing the space control bridge). I VERY MUCH prefer the bar over the space control. The guitar has a more "solid" & stable feel to it now, and the increase in sustain is as expected. Interestingly (to me, anyway), the intonation is spot-on across the board (all six strings intonate correctly -- not just the low and high E strings). It really feels like this is the bridge that's SUPPOSED to be on the guitar.

Woo hoo!!

Got mine also..so far I'm ok with the space control..having a problem with I believe shielding as when I touch the pickguard it makes a static type sound..plays great and love the tone other than that.

Lawton: Do you have a recommended source for the bar bridge?

http://www.guitar-parts.com/content/estore_details.asp?category=20&product=840

It doesn't say so anywhere on the page, but the linked bridge above is the "rocking" version that's designed for Bigsby equipped guitars. That may be all that's produced now, but there are non-rocking (stiff set) bar bridges out there.