Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Out of curiosity...

I was just wondering what the general consensus is of bass players who use a bass trem? I have one on an old Fender, and love it, but am considering finding an old 4001/3 for the same conversion. I do have a Kahler bass trem still in the box ready to go- my concern is the thickness of the 4001/3 body- could it handle a trem? It's a surface-mount type, but would still require some routing around the tailpice to make it work. I've been considering this for some time now, but have yet to undertake it due to technical concerns, as well as not yet having found a suitable 'donor' for my experimentation (I don't want to ruin an otherwise good guitar, ifyouknowwhatImean!! I don't have that kind of disposable $$!!)

Any takers?? (and if anyone has a suitable 'beater' they'd like to find a new home for, please let me know)

Thanks to all.

I put those bridges on for a few players ,I'm sue Kahler still has some in their original packages too!

These work the best on a Fender P Bass .The angle of the stings/nut/tuner relationship does not always wrk out .

If the nut is cut using the half round file (this was the standard file in the 1970's) then replacement will be necessary.You need to have a smooth slot ,not one that has a "V" style groove.

I would use MYCARTA or any phenolic you can come up with .Brass wears ,and causes burrs and many plastics won't hold up to the sawing action of round wound strings .

Just my bench "2 cent" .

Make that ...I'm SURE Kahler .....

I have no legal issue with American Precision Metal or Gary Kahler.

Thanks for the response- very much appreciated. Oddly enough, my current 'trem' bass IS in fact a mid-70's Precision, and yes, outside of the fact that I hardly ever USE the thing, it's been excellent. And, oddly enough, I did put a brass nut on it, with the difficulties you described. I used to replace it anually when I regularly used it. Thanks for the info.

One follow-up: Provided I find a 'donor' for this conversion, will the alignment issues you mentioned lead to intonation/setup/maintenance issues??

Once again, thanks for the advice. I am most decidedly a player and NOT a luthier!!

the question of neck angle on a Rick is the biggest issue and these do not lend themselves well to a Kahler whammy bar .I have installed at least 3 on these and all of themm came up with the same results.

Ibanez,Yamaha,Warmoth,G&L Music Man all have less of an angle and they do work fairly well.

But it relly depends on the rod system,grain of the neck,regidity and the girth of the thing combined with the headstock/tuner/nut angle issue.

The rest of it could be a Steinberger with a piezo element in the body carved to look like the nose of Sid Caesar.

Let me clarrify the 3 ....these were on 4001 basses and on 4003 basses .

I have installed many on other brands.