Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello all,

Well, I posted in the official Rick setup forum but I thought I'd try my luck here if that's all right.

Anyway, I have a new 620, and in the absence of a trustworthy technician in my area I have undertaken the setup myself. My understanding is that the necks on Ricks should be straight, so I have straightened out the neck over the last two weeks. The problem, however, is that I still have buzzy strings (mostly the low E and A) at about the 3rd fret, even with the bridge at its highest position.

Is some amount of buzz inherent? It's pretty annoying, and I'm kind of wary to mess with the truss rods any more. Also, when I fret at the 1st and 14th frets, there is no space under the strings at the 7th fret; in other words, the strings rest completely on the fingerboard.

Do any of you play your guitar with some relief in the neck? I have a feeling this might help resolve the issue, but I wanted to start from scratch with a straight neck first.

Any and all advice is much appreciated! Thanks.

I always have some relief on my necks as the strings vibrates in an arc so there has to be some room for that. Have you checked for any high spots on those frets?

Daniel, the best way to check neck straightness is with a straightedge. Holding the string down at the first and last frets won't tell you if there's a backbow.

My 620 has always had a very small amount of buss on the low E and A strings, around the 3rd fret. Roughly the same amount at any bridge height setting. The neck is super straight and flat. The buzz does not come through any amplified signal however. Only when I play hard and unplugged. AFAIK this is normal.

Fret buzz on a Rickenbacker is not normal. If it can't be dialed out with truss rod and bridge adjustments, either nut modification or fret leveling/dressing will take care of it.