Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is there anything special about the Ric Truss rod tool (as sold on their Boutique) that makes it different from any other long-handled 1/4" nut driver?

Also, I'm gearing up to adjust the truss rods on an Electro ES-17, and I need a bit of diagnosis on what the neck is actually doing.

The action is great at Frets 1-5

The strings are buzzing anywhere from the 13th-20th frets (no clearance)

and the action is too high in the center (6th-10th frets). Is it just that there is too much relief, and I should tighten the truss rods (of course using the traditional "loosening the rods, bend back the neck &tighten" technique) ?

Will tightening the rods adversely affect the action near the first few frets?

Thanks!
-Collin

The truss rod tool sold by the RIC boutique is made by Xcelite (Cooper Tools). It is long enough that the handle clears the headstock. It may be made special for RIC. I don't see one as long on their website. http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/x ... d%20Handle

It's an electronics nut driver:

http://shop.willyselectronics.com/brows ... ,1061.html

You should unstring the ES-17 and loosen the truss rod nuts until they have no tension.

Let the guitar sit for a day or two, and then check the action with an accurate steel or aluminum straightedge. Is it flat? This will give you a clue to what condition the neck is in at rest.

Next, tighten the truss rod nuts just until they snug up. If the neck was flat, tighten another quarter-turn and string it up. Use new 10-46 Rick strings as a reference point for string tension. If the neck was low in the center, tighten the nuts another half-turn, a quarter-turn at a time, waiting a day in between. Check flatness again. Once the neck is flat with the straightedge check, you need to turn the rods another quarter-turn before stringing.

Now, check flatness after tuning up to pitch, and adjust in small increments to compensate. Tighten to remove bow, loosen to remove backbow. Fretboard should be flat. Check again at one-day intervals and adjust as required. If it's been "off" for awhile, it could take weeks for it to settle in.

Rick necks are quite responsive. The upside is that you can adjust them for unbelievable playability; the downside is that meat-fisted attempts at adjustment inevitably cause grief.

The Xcelite part number you want to get is an L8. That's their 1/4" long shaft nutdriver.

[quote="jingle_jangle"]It's an electronics nut driver:

quote]

Awesome, thank you indeed, Paul! I will get working on it (as described) and check back in a week or so with the results!

And the nut driver you linked to is about the right price I expected- (much cheaper than Ric).Thanks

Cheers,
-Collin

When I bought my RIC Truss Rod wrench there were two different types of them for sale in the boutique. Which one is for which guitars/basses?

One size fits all...

To be fair to RIC, they keep the boutique open as a service/favor to their retail customers.

jingle_jangle wrote:One size fits all...

To be fair to RIC, they keep the boutique open as a service/favor to their retail customers.

No doubt on that point! I've really benefitted from RIC having a boutique over the past five years, to say the least.

jingle_jangle wrote:To be fair to RIC, they keep the boutique open as a service/favor to their retail customers.

Oh yeah, no disputing that! They have been good to me as well. However, I will happily save some $ whenever possible..

Cheers,
-Collin

So Paul W,
I'm in the whole process (as described above) still. For some reason I thought the ES-17's had the "old style" truss rods, that you had to bend the neck into place with.

When did they change to the "new style" rods?

Cheers,
-Collin

I just happened upon this thread, and I think Paul accidentally gave you the directions for adjusting the new truss rods.

RIC changed from the old style to the new style in 1984.

Either style would be the same procedure in the same order, but in old style, you will need to pre-load the neck before doing any tightening.

jingle_jangle wrote: in old style, you will need to pre-load the neck before doing any tightening.

okay, cool.

This may sound incredibly retarded, but do you only pre-load for the initial 1/4 turn, and then tighten afterwards with out the "pre load neck bend"?

I preloaded and adjusted it 1/4 turn (because the neck was still low in the center), and I'm due for the 2nd 1/4 turn tonight, and I'm still learning the wonders of Ric truss rods, and I dont' want to wreck anything.

it seems to be working a bit already though.

Cheers,
-Collin

With the old style rods, you ALWAYS move the neck where you want it to be then turn the truss nut. Otherwise you risk (and probably will) pop the fretboard from the neck at the headstock end.

johnallg wrote:With the old style rods, you ALWAYS move the neck where you want it to be then turn the truss nut. Otherwise you risk (and probably will) pop the fretboard from the neck at the headstock end.

In addition (like that, Gary? ), you only want to snug up the nuts.