Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So I just got the 4001v63 today (referenced in the For Sale section, got it off of eBay). The good news is that it sounds really sweet and it's almost entirely in great shape. One issue, and I'm not sure how big it is, but it seems like a big one: the neck has a twist in it. Please see the pic:



I haven't tried to do anything to it yet, but I've never made any real adjustments to a bass myself. The action's a bit high, so I was going to bring it to my friendly Chicago repair shop for a setup anyway.

I'm hoping someone who knows about this stuff can tell me how big a deal this is, and if I should take it up with the seller (who operates a real guitar store, just nowhere near me). Even if it requires some investment to fix, the price was really good.

I think the nut is a bit higher on the E-string side, but you can still see the twist in this pic.

I think what you are seeing is just the nut's top surface cut at an angle in relation to the fingerboard. Mine is exactly like yours and it has no twist in the FB.

I agree with Jeff. That's the first thing I thought of too when I saw it.

Jake, can you post another photo taken a little differently:

Instead of shooting down the left side, shoot exactly down the center of the neck. AND, back off another foot or so away from the headpiece, so that we can see the relationship between the headwings and the bodywings.

A small amount of twist can be taken out with the trussrods. Also, one of them may have flipped, or rotated, inside the neck. This is fixed by destringing the guitar and then pulling the trussrods out. After scraping and sanding them smooth with extremely fine sandpaper, you can shrink some heat-shrink tubing around them, reinsert, and carefully alternate tightening them a quarter-turn at a time (with a small short hand wrench, not a big socket wrench) with properly-tuned strings back on (wait at least 8 and preferably 12 or more hours between each quarter-turn once you get then kinda tight), until the neck straightens back with no backbow. By starting with the nuts snugged equally, and turning each rod's nut the same amount each time, you will balance the tension on them and any neck twist that you may have had will disappear. It is usually unequal tightening in the past that causes twist.

Looks like the nut to me, also....I remember the first time I noticed that "problem"....I think it was on Jeff's V63!

Nuts to me, S'Fireglo though .... Hmmmmm!!!!

Seems a smidge more pronounced than on my CS.

I once let a friend who thought he was a guitar tech do a setup on my 4001. When I got it back, there was a twist on the EA side from the nut to the third fret. I asked him what he did and he said the truss rods were really loose so he tightened them. I loosened them and everything was fine.

Thanks for looking, everyone. Here is Elys' suggested angle, as best I could manage with a mere 2 hands.



(please pardon the hairy arm, two cases, and the corner of the diaper genie!)

Elys, you sound like a thorough kind of guy!

Jake. I just got back from China. You would be a celebrity there. They are fascinated with hairy guys.

Stanley, ouch! I've quizzed the guys at my repair shop a few times and they seem to know their stuff. I had lots of recommendations for them, just not from any Ric players (sad to say I don't know any in person).

Kris, cool! I've had my eye on a t-shirt that says "I'm huge in Japan" for a while; maybe they're similarly fascinated. Keeps me warm in Chicago, anyway.

There is a slight twist to the G side. Most of the time that is not a problem. If it affects the playability you can take some twists out with the dual rods. Take a little tension off of the G side then check it. Next, add some to the E side. Sometimes it helps to counter-twist as you adjust. Grab the headstock and twist it to the E side.

Thanks, Ted -- minor issue rather than major? I won't even mention to the seller if it's minor.

Very minor, Jake, I wouldn't even mention it if I were you

If it plays right, don't sweat it. Hopefully the wood is done settling and the twist will stop there. Though not very likely, it could even be just a bad neck adjustment. Some (most?) techs just don't know how to do Rick necks.

1) Loosen the strings.

2) Remove the TRC.

3) Inspect both rod adjusters for chew marks and excessive thread beyond the end of the nuts.

4) Loosen both nuts - are they about the same tightness?

5) Sight down the neck to see if the twist is still there.

6) In any event, tighten the nuts finger-tight then use the wrench to go about another 1/2 turn. They should be even at this point.

7) Check the neck again. There should now be a little back bow.

If the twist is still there, now is the time to try to adjust it out by tightening the E side a little at a time up to about 1 full turn past the other side.

9) If the twist does not come out at all, rebalance the rods at finger tight plus 1/2 and retune.