Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm not worried about voiding the warranty on my '72 4001

But I'm interested in being able to experiment with strings, and I'm curious where everyone is finding the tension information they're citing.

Does anyone know the tension for the Rotosound RS66LD ("Chris Squire approved") set? And what gauge of D'Addario Chromes would have similar tension?

Rotosound won't publish tension specs on their strings, and when I called them, they wouldn't tell me! However, I believe John hall once said they were about 200lbs, which is about 20% more tension per string, and to high. I don't care for their loss of brightness so quickly.

Which set is 200lbs?
The squire set? Hall says too much? Squire approves though?
I got my tension stats frim labella customer service.
Others here posted that they used the labella 760FL set and worked out great and they are 201lbs.

Mr.Hall was referring to the same Rotos that Chris Squire used. Ever seen the neck on Chris's bass? It's so bowed you could shoot arrows with it, and there's no way it will even intonate.

Thanks for that information!

I'll credit the shedua in the neck on my bass for keeping it stable with those Rotosounds all these years! But 200 lbs! I think maybe I'll look for a little less tension as I experiment with strings. I note that D'Addario aren't shy about putting the tension info right on the package.

johnhall wrote:This is compounded by the fact that the model year of the RIC instrument makes a difference, as they've only gotten more tolerant in the recent years, but anything we publish has to apply to all instruments.

I can see why this is such a challenge. My 2008 4003FL is a big wimp, as much as I love it. JF344s are pretty much the only thing it can take to get near-zero relief. On the other hand, my late 2015 4003S has a great neck that seems like it might withstand actual bridge cables. Same for my 2008 4004L that I bought from Dan Basica (RIP). And my 4001FL is basically locked at zero relief no matter what I put on it. I am guessing you can at least limit yourself to the last 5 years worth of models...? (The warranty period.)

It seems there was lots of variance before 2012 or 2013, and then I get the impression that necks really became drastically more consistent. Some kind of CNC improvement maybe, combined with the strength 2-piece neck.

If you want to try flats and aren't sure, TI JF344 is the way to go. I can also say that the lightest D'Addario Chromes set is not bad, but seems to have a smidge more tension overall than the factory strings, as it requires a tiny truss rod adjustment after switching.

cassius987 wrote:

johnhall wrote:...If you want to try flats and aren't sure, TI JF344 is the way to go...

Not to mention that Rick basses sound wonderful with those strings.

cassius987 wrote:My 2008 4003FL is a big wimp, as much as I love it.

I wonder if this has to do with the fact that they were starting to make the necks thinner around that time.

aceonbass wrote:Mr.Hall was referring to the same Rotos that Chris Squire used. Ever seen the neck on Chris's bass? It's so bowed you could shoot arrows with it, and there's no way it will even intonate.

Chris was still using his RM in concert up till the last. The way he plays all over the neck on any given Yes song,if there were any intonation issues,you would hear them.
I'm not defending rotosounds,haven't liked or used them for many decades now,btw.

Not the great shots but here are some views of Chris' RM1999 from the Syn show we saw in 2006.

I'm not seeing the extreme neck bow said to be there.

Is it just me, or does Squire have really huge hands?

Isaac wrote:Is it just me, or does Squire have really huge hands?

It's not just you! He did.

Isaac wrote:I'm not seeing the extreme neck bow said to be there.

Former RIC luthier Paul Wilczynski, said He saw it at the RIC factory a few years back, and the action was quite high, with a bow to the neck.

aceonbass wrote:

Isaac wrote:I'm not seeing the extreme neck bow said to be there.

Former RIC luthier Paul Wilczynski, said He saw it at the RIC factory a few years back, and the action was quite high, with a bow to the neck.

I believe he also said Chris's bass had by far the thinnest neck he'd ever seen on a Ric bass, which wouldn't help matters.

One thing to bear in mind is that every neck will have different parameters. It's all wood after all, and wood varies. FWIW I use 40-100 or 40-95 Rotos ( although I'm thnking of trying some 35-95 like I did in the old days) because I haven't found anything else that sounds anywhere near as good to me. I've been trying various nickels recently, including Dunlops, but they don't have the grind I like. Not keen on the Ric strings either.

A straight edge against the top pic at the edge along the neck where the fingerboard meets the white color of the neck shows that the neck is straight as an arrow.
I once saw an interview where Chris said his tech keeps his basses in tip top condition at all times.