Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

yes....i know this has been covered like 20,000 times, but to tighten the rods i bend the neck to where i want it, then snug up the rods right?

but should the bass be at full string tension? or not?

what about loosening the rods, just loosen like any other bass?

Well, Owen, I always loose the strings on a bass guitar before adjusting (=tightening) the truss rod(s) on it. As for previously bending the neck to where you want it, this is a sensible practice, however I'm told that recent 4003s do not require it, only 4001s and 80s 4003.
As for loosening the truss rod(s) on a bass guitar, I keep the strings at full tension and slowly turn the rod(s) counter-clockwise until the neck looks correct to me.

this is with regards to a 1979 4001, with OLD STYLE RODS

ok, lets look at it from this angle:

•1. i have my 1979 4001, and its got too much relief in the neck, i need to tighten the rods.

I have been led to belive that the way to do it is to (with the bass at playing pitch) bend the neck manually to where i want it - then tighten up the rods to hold that position.

•2. i have my 1979 4001, and its got not enough relief in the neck, i need to loosen the rods.

To put more relief in the neck, do i simply loosen the rods like on a 4003? Or do i loosen, move the neck, then retighten?

i dont know,,,,its all so complicated

Owen: Points 1 and 2 above are correct.

In your situation, to give your 4001 more relief just loosen both rods off slowly, at little on one and then the same on the other, until you get the relief you want. Should you go too far and then wish to tighten them, it would be important with a 1979 bass to gently bend the neck to the desired position and then tighten the rods to take up the slack.

Peter - thanks for letting me know i got it right!

i guess its not so complicated after all!

With any bass I always put keep the strings at playing pitch and take the tension off the neck while tightening the truss rods a little, then check and repeat until satisfactory, I hold the bass upright on the floor and keep my knee behind the body and pull backwards on the neck and tighten the truss rods. That way I can sight down the neck immediately after my adjustment is done, and repeat again if necessary. To loosen them it is not necessary to take the tension off the neck, but only turn them about a quarter of a turn at a time, a little turn goes a long way when you are loosening them. It's actually very simple once you have done it a few times. You may need to repeat this several times, if the neck is badly bowed this may take weeks or even months.

Owen, according to the Rick web any bass produced after Sept. of 84 you should adjust the rods with normal tension from the strings. Turn the nut clockwise to correct an underbow, counterclockwise to straighten an overbow. I recently adjusted my 1985 4001V63 using this method and it worked perfectly. This was the first time I ever adjusted a Rick bass and I'm very satisfied with the outcome. No bending the neck etc. just adjusting the rods. Go here for exact instructions: http://www.rickenbacker.com/us/neck.htm

This is what I used.

Cheers,
Andy