Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Howdy! My first post here, and may I say what a great forum this is. I have a 4001C64 that has a bent D string tuner. Can anyone suggest a safe and correct way to straighten her out please. BTW - I lent her out to a dear friend, and it came back that way. Didn't get excited about it because "it is what it is", and a friend is a friend (ok, so I gnashed my teeth for a bit on initial inspection). Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. Pix below of me and my Rick!

where is bending? Peg plate? or shaft?
Anyway, It is very difficult to straighten by hand...Is there a way to get spare parts on Ric web site in US?

Try and straighten it. Take it off the bass first to be safe. If you fail in that, just order another tuner.

BTW, Nice bass.

Welcome, Clay! Judging from your pic I'd say you have a good handle on what most folks consider the holy grail of tone: a Rick & an Ampeg.

Welcome Clay, your friend must be "cute", otherwise they should buy.

No money? Make em carry that SVT for the next year. They will probably buy you a new bass after the first move.

Good luck!

That's why I don't lend my stuff!

Nice bass! You can get a single tuner from Allparts, but it won't be RIC...

Hi everyone - thanks for the great comments. The turner is bent on the key, so I'll give it a try and remove the thing, and ever so gently, bending it back to normal.

Jared - I'll follow your advise and keep my equipment all to myself from now on!

Use an adjustable wrench and a small piece of chamois or rag to protect the chrome. Carefully apply leverage and it will straighten out.

Hi Clay, welcome to the Forum, nice Fireglo.

David, I'm the same as you and never let anyone play my Ric's. This used to cause a lot of issues when I played with my Blues Band. For some reason a lot of folks, especially in Bars seem to think when there's a Blues Band on then it's a jam session. I've lost count of the numbers of bass players who've wandered up to the stage and invited themselves to "sit in for a few", and oh, can I use your bass .... um, no, I don't think so.

We've even caught flack from some Bar managers for not being "sociable", at this point I ask if the bar would like to insure my Ric, (usually a v63) for $2500 that raises the same responses you got about being selfish, but it shuts down the conversation.

I'd make the guy pay for a replacement tuner at least. When I had an old Steinberger L2 I used to let people use it at jam sessions. Those things are indestructible!

Lesson learned, sanity restored!

I used Ted's advise, and carefully removed the tuner, bent the key back and replaced the tuner (even made sure the screws went back to the original holes they came out of) - it worked like a champ!

My bass is now primo again. Thanks Ted!!

And many thanks for the support and feedback from everyone - what a great place!

There are a few people I'd have no problem lending gear to, & there are a whole lot of people I wouldn't.
It's not even that you can't trust 'em, if something happened it would be an accident, but just thinking of the results of such an accident are usually reason enough to say "Sorry, but no."

I usually have my trusty old Peavy Foundation with me as a back up. When the next CS wants to jump in, here you go mad dog!

The old girl sounds good and is built like a tank. Of course at times you will get, "I would have killed with the Rick". Yea you would have, me!

BTW, exceptions made to most forum members. Gotta watch some of them like bloody Brian. Hello buddy!

Well done Clay.

Clay,

That's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm a lefty!!

One of the other BIG problems is that it doesn't take too long to replace a Hofner 500/1 (even a lefty) as they are a bit easier to get. But with a MINIMUM of a year wait for a 4001C64, that kills the 'lending' thing right there. I would only loan it if I were going to be there at the show for the whole night to monitor it's use.

Rich