Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I need a set urgently. They are out of stock on the RIC website and Mike Parks' website. Does anyone have a spare set they can sell? Or a lead where I can find it? Thanks!

I have one extra rod and one broken one ... somewhere in a box in my basement

I can make you a set. Do you have all of the other hardware?

Ted, you mean the acorn nuts, washers, etc.? I have them.

With the rods pulled out, sighting down the neck it's arrow straight.

This is how the rods look now. Can they be straightened? Will they be strong enough?

I straightened mine out and had good results. Just make sure you threads are nice and clean and you have good wood at both ends of the neck.

Mark, how long did it take you to straighten one rod?

And the paper wrap - do I need to wrap the rods before I insert them back into the neck?

See post in tech section.

Update in "the Vibrola" tech forum. In short: JH says that the rods are supposed to be bent, Mark Gilbert suggests a way to make sure they are positioned correctly, and it all works out!

I'm glad it's working for you. I can see how bent rods installed in the backbow direction can counteract a neck that has a natural upbow. I don't think they need to be bent to work, a pair of straight rods should be able to balance the tension of the strings in most neck situations.

No doubt about that. When you buy a new set (when they're in stock...) they are straight. And if they eventually flip over, I'll pull them out again and straighten them.

As long as the threads are in good shape they should be ok. Was there a problem that made you think they were not working?

The rods were maxed out, I was afraid to exert more force on the nuts, and although I did set the neck to zero relief, I could do this only with very low-tension TI Jazz Rounds. It was OK but I wanted it to be perfect. And I wanted to install medium gauge strings, which on a post-'85 4003 shouldn't be a problem.

I guess the problem was that the rods flipped over, to an up-bow position.