Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've had my '04 4003 for a little over 2 months. The first thing I did when I received it from a seller on ebay was get it set up. When I got it back the action was sweet and the new strings made the bass sing. Right now the strings have lost their bite, understandably. The action has raised significantly and its rather bothersome for me. I've played it every day for at least 2 hours, after which the bass gets put back in its case. I think it needs a minor truss rod adjustment, but I really wouldn't know how to do it fearing I might screw something up. The weather has been cold these past couple of months so I'm sure that had a factor as well. Does this sound about normal for the action to raise after a couple months?

It sounds like you just need to tighten the rods a smidge. Humidity plays a big factor in truss rod adjustment.

Top priority. Learn to do your own setups.

Its not difficult, and it will save you lots of time, frustration and money.

I've played really humid outdoor gigs where I've had to adjust my setup a couple times in a night.

I'm constantly tweaking my setups.

I would be willing to pay someone to teach me to do my own, but those modern dual trussrods frighten and confuse me, like a caveman! I have always made a mess when I have tried to do setups or adjustments. My Jazz I can tweak, but I've never had much luck with the dual trussrod thang! That being said, I have had a good setup last me over a year, when it is done by someone who knows what they are doing....

The dual trussrods definately make me second guess myself doing a setup. I've read an online tutorial on another forum that didn't seem to help me too much. Any tips for a first time rod adjuster Scott?

I am not a luthier.....I adjust the rods so that there is almost no relief under the G and E strings at the seventh fret , while pressing the string down at the first and last frets ( at both ends ) . This has worked very well on my 4004 Cii .

Here ya go with a big HT to Joey! Look on the left side for bass maintenance

http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Joeys%20frameset.htm

In most situations it is ok to think of the dual rods as one rod. If you turn one 1/8th of a turn, do the same to the other. Keep them balanced. The only time they should be treated differently is when the neck has a twist (fairly rare).

I echo and endorse the above statement from Scott. Learn to do your own setups. It is a small time investment that will pay off down the road. Joey's site is a great place to start your journey to enlightenment.

Its not that I haven't tried, I just fear those double trussrods. I don't have the same problems with a single TR, that seems much easier to my simple mind! Think of that scene in 2001 A Space Odessey when the apes learn to use tools.... But I will try as Ted suggests...
(looking for bone tools and 1/4 inch nutdriver...)

Thanks for the link Charly. That should help me from messing something up bigtime. Theres more to this whole setup thing than I thought. Now I just need to find a tool for the trussrods. I think maybe I'll try doing this on my old Ibanez bass first. Even though they're different, I need practice doing it.

I think it is easier for me with my Jazz because I don't worry as much if I mess that one up, the only ones that have the dual trussrods are my beloved Ricks! I went out to that link, and Joey's got some way-cool basses!

Gene & Matt, make sure you get a driver with thin walls & a LONG handle. It's the only kind that will work well.

There's nothing to be scared of, just follow the instructions for your particular style of rods from Joey's site & you'll be fine.

Any time I have to make any adjustments I keep referring to his site while I go through the procedure in case I forget something.

Here's a good Truss Rod Tool

Wow, thank you guys for the very kind words!

Jim, that may be a very nice tool, but in the hands of a person with little or no experience adjusting truss rods, they can possibly break a rod.

I like the truss rod tool that RIC makes. One modification I make to the tool(big surprise huh?) is to round off the outer edge of the socket of the driver significantly. This keeps it from gouging the wood around the nuts and, for the old style rods, makes it easier to get over the nut when the rod ends are bending downward in the truss rod cavity.

Joey, no matter what you use you'd have to over tighten the rods extensively to cause a break or shear.

The tool is meant to provide a means to apply a controlled and delicate touch. The other major advantage is that it allows for access to the rods with a lesser chance of causing damage to the surrounding finish.

I agree wholeheartedly that great care needs to be taken, especially for the inexperienced.