Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, I have recently acquired a 1980 4001 and two of the big central screws that secure the machine heads at the rear of the headstock, plus their washers, are missing. In actual fact the string tension stops the whole assembly from falling apart but its obviously not satisfactory.

So does anyone know the screw and washer sizes or part numbers so I can get two replacements?

Sorry to ask such a dull question ... but it is raining heavily in London and its August!

I would buy 4 new tuners for the bass from www.rickenbacker.com

Hi Jeff, thanks for the suggestion - however $85 plus postage is a lot to pay to replace two missing screws and washers! Plus the tuners on y bass themselves work just fine.

Mark, I've gotten the exact screw and washers at OSH (or your local equivalent hardware store)before. I also had them chrome plated to match. The screws I got were a little bit longer but it wasn't an issue.

I'd take off the screw and washer from one of the other tuners and march on over to my local hardware store.

May the force be with you.

Plus you most likely have reverse tuners on there, much cooler than the new ones.

Mark wrote:
"... but it is raining heavily in London and its August!"

Sounds like a secret password - But I don't know what the counter response is!

It is a Rickenbacker bass ... it deserves a new set of $85 tuners ...

I hate the old Kluson nickel plated reverse loose tuners that came on my old 3000 basses. I cleaned them all up and sold them for enough money to by the new chrome RIC set.

I have the old dull reverse turning tuners ... they look bad and every time you tune the bass you have to turn them the wrong way .... AARRGGHH!!

Love 'em, is part of what made a 4001 a 4001. Hey you guys that don't want those useless old dull loose reverse tuners just send on up my way, this includes those krappy old Wavy Grovers, always falling apart every time you turn around.

I meant to say I hate the old reverse tuners ... I don't have them on any of my basses ... I figure I have an expensive quality bass in a rickenbacker bass ... I don't want to cheapen it up with old, dull, tarnished, backwards tuners ...

That was the feature that I really hated about my 1968 4001 ... the old tuners ... that was even more annoying than the old pickups ...

and I agree with bob ... the Grovers fall apart ...

I figure I have an expensive quality bass in a rickenbacker bass ... I don't want to cheapen it up with old, dull, tarnished, backwards tuners ...

That is how I feel about a lot of basses made these days. You will find the same cheap Gotoh GB7 tuners on $150.00 beginner basses and on custom made $50,000.00 Alembic basses and everything in between! You would think that on more expensive instruments you should get better quality hardware.

I like the Gotoh tuners ... they are light and smooth and compact ... and they turn the right way!!!

I like them in many applications. I have a Fender 5 string Jazz with them. My gripe is they look small and out of place on most bass headstocks. For instance, on the 4004 if that's what they use, they look like aftermarket replacements. The open gear Hipshots in aluminum "look" more appropriate, but the GB-7s are smooth and work well.