Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All,
Just got a brand new (04/08) 4003 JG, and I love it (duh), but I tried to raise the bridge mute, and it will only raise high enough to get the A and D. Wont even touch the E and G. Anyone else have this problem. What should I do? I am not really going to send it away to Santa Ana for such a small imperfection, but I really would like the mute to work.

This is quite common, all you need to do is take the mute assembly out and bend it to match the radius better. Watch out for the ground wire, though.

Also note that the pad is a little longer and wider than the gap it's supposed to push up through. Use a sharp knife, X-acto, or razor blade (careful) and trim the pad some so that it raises unimpeded. Obviously, you'll have to do this with the pad out of the tailpiece, which means removing the strings, removing the tailpiece . . . .

Thanks Guys. I was trying to avoid taking my bass apart

It's not that difficult to do.

Sometimes the mute gets stuck ... the sticky glue adheres to the wood in the cavity ...

Greg ... you should convert it to a 5 stringer ...

Like jps said, it's not that hard. And while you have the tailpiece off, do the "washer-procedure" to prevent future tail lift: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthrea ... t=tutorial

Good luck!

jwr2 wrote:Sometimes the mute gets stuck ... the sticky glue adheres to the wood in the cavity ...

Greg ... you should convert it to a 5 stringer ...

LOL No way, I have 3 of those, I gone to playing both these days, 4 and 5 stringers. If I was getting a new 5 stringer, it wouldn't be a RIC, for Obvious reasons.

oler wrote:Like jps said, it's not that hard. And while you have the tailpiece off, do the "washer-procedure" to prevent future tail lift: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthrea ... t=tutorial

Good luck!

Luckily I do not have Taillift on my 01 Ric.

That is an excellent set of pictures showing how its done.
How does putting the washers in the cavity reduce the taillift issue?

wouldnt it be better to have the rear screws a little closer to the rear edge? you know, where the string tension is greatest?

Chris, when the three screws are tightened (overtightened?) with the rout they go into done too deep, it pulls the tailpiece down into the rout area. The ends lift up, but because of the wood rout shape/dimension and the lengths to the ends of the tailpiece and the string tension, the back end does most all the lifting.

johnallg wrote:Chris, when the three screws are tightened (overtightened?) with the rout they go into done too deep, it pulls the tailpiece down into the rout area. The ends lift up, but because of the wood rout shape/dimension and the lengths to the ends of the tailpiece and the string tension, the back end does most all the lifting.

I understand, Thanks