Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So how do you reach and adjust the intonation screws on a 4003?
Brent

loosen the strings ... alot ... so you can remove the bridge ... and then adjust the screws and the replace it and tighten up the strings ...

the ric bridge sounds great but it is a pain in the butt to adjust ...

It's a major pain in the posterior, Brent. Something that should have been corrected long ago.

Throw a badass bridge on it. Problem solved.

Well, that would solve the ease-of-adjustment problem. Unfortunately the Badass absorbs most of the fundamental and severely damages resale value.

The original bridge is essential to the Rick sound.

Remove the bridge as Jeff suggests. That's the way I do it. I've done it so many times it's easy now. Once set it's not necessary to readjust unless you change to different gauge strings.

I had a ric with a badass bridge ... it did not look as good or sound as good ... it was easier to adjust though ...

Chances of a recent Ric bass becoming a conversation piece are slim to none. Make it a good playing bass without thinking that upon resale you will only get $800.00 instead of $900.00. You only live once. Make that bass kick butt. I have a 73 with a badass on it and I will never go back to that un-adjustable cast metal thing Ric calls a bridge!

Has anyone replaced the original saddle screws with those that can be turned with an L-shaped hex driver? It would make intonation adjustment a lot easier, if such screws do exist.

My screws got toasted already. Why are they so soft?

I ream all eight intonation screw holes a little, specially the four rear ones, so that the screws can be turned very easily. In some of my 4001s I also have spring loaded the saddles. Does this mod work? Beautifully.

Sergio,
Would you explain in more details the mod you mentioned above?
What kind of tools to do the job with?

Hi, Paul.
I use an electric drill to make the eight saddle screw holes very slightly larger. This renders turning the four intonation screws very easy and allows you to adjust intonation without removing the saddle assembly as suggested by Jeff. Provided you don't run out of travel, you can spring load each saddle by fitting a small compression spring between the threaded vertical portion of each saddle and the front wall of the saddle assembly, i.e. the wall with the screw heads.

Thanks, Sergio.

Paul, I like your idea about using allen wrench (hex) screws to replace the stock ones. I dug around and found some old screws that I had replaced from my 4001 and I intend to search for the allen screws. I have 2 really good hardware stores nearby with great assortments of screws, bolts and such, and every time I get a used bass needing parts those are the first places I go. I'll let you know if I find a match, and pick some extras up if I do. David

David, that's very kind of you.
I'll also go search around my local hardware stores after these busy days and see if I can find some proper hex screws for the "improvement".
Let's keep each other posted.