Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm so glad I'll really need to use my '75 4001FL in one of the bands I'm in. I was playing it and sliding harmonics that I have to do in one song (Pearl Jam's "Evenflow"). I wasn't getting the harmonic to sustain well when I started to slide up. Probably because I've never changed the strings on it since I have it.
I don't remember having this problem with my Gibson Victory fretless. So I went to get it out of it's case and when I pickup it up out of the case, the G string saddle fell right off the bridge. This is a bass that I installed the Wilkinson 4+1 5 string mod on. The saddles have a quick hook for the ball ends. one half on the G string saddle hook got tired and snapped. The bridge is 16 years old, but I've never seen a bass bridge break, unless it was abused!! The piece that broke off might be too small to weld and I doubt there would be a glue that could hold it...although I will try. I'd hate to have to mod this back to a 4 string bass. The mod is easily and completely reversible, but I won't have a 5 string fretless anymore.

If the piece is brass you should be able to weld it without any problems.
If it's a zinc alloy it'll be the 4 string option ..

...I'm pretty sure it's not brass.

4 string basses aren't all that bad

Joey, does it look like this?

Yes Ken, that's the same one. I put the saddle assembly with the tuner at the D string.

The arrow shows where the hook is broken.



There is the choice of two places to hook the ball ends. If I hook the ball ends at the hook on the end of the saddles on my bass, the strings just lay flat against the fingerboard since there is no angle produced from that point to the top of the saddle.

Actually the third saddle to the left of the arrow is cracked on this one. This is in my possession but belongs to a friend. Email me at the address in my profile and I will see if we can get you this one for the spare parts. Carvin used to sell these about 10 years ago. Maybe they have some spare parts.

Ken, that would be greatly appreciated. These bridges have been out of production for several years.

That's a nice Gibson. I remember ogling pics of those back in the early '80's. What does it sound like?

Ken, thats very nice of you Joey's a good man it will be remembered guaranteed.

Thanks Ken J and Ken S.

I guess it will depend on if Ken J's friend wants to sell it. If not, I can see if Carvin has any spare parts...thanks for the tip on that, Ken J.

Kevin, this Gibson Victory bass is really sweet. The pickups placement makes it have a very wide range of tones, very warm to jazz bass like growl. It sounds very articulate without being sterile especially if you use a pick. It has active electronics, yet it has a passive mode so I don't have to worry about the battery dying at a gig. This is probably one of Gibson's best basses. When I bought it in 1983, my intention was to get a fretless Rick, but I couldn't find one. My only other choices at the time were Fender and G&L. This bass felt and sounded better than either of those.

Joey, email sent.