Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello all! First post, so I am hoping that it is in the right place. I am wondering if anyone could recommend a good guitar tech in Oklahoma to set up my Ric? I know that the neck needs a little adjusting and I am having a really hard time finding anyone that really knows how to work on a Ric. Suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!

Welcome, Shane!

You might want to cross-post this in the Vibrola section as well, as that's where the 'real' luthiers hang out!

Shane,
This adjustment is something you probably can do yourself with just a bit of instruction and a couple tools.
A machinist straight edge or good quality metal ruler about 18" long and a trussrod wrench (nut driver). I started doing setups about 20+ years ago due to the fact I couldn't find a really good tech locally or get the turn around I needed. The best thing about learning to do it yourself is if you need to tweek something you don't have to leave your guitar somewhere for a few weeks to do a fifteen minute job. Plus you can't fine tune the adjustment to your liking unless you are right there with the tech.
I'm more than happy to help if feel you want to explore trying it yourself. Great to have you here among fellow Rick players and enthusiasts.

Thanks Kevin! I would really love to learn how to do some of my own work. I probably know a lot more than I let myself think that I do for the shear fact that I am lucky enough to have collected some nice things and I would hate to mess them up. My Ric is among one of my prized possessions and is on the short list of things that I would grab if my house was burning. Others would be my Vox AC15 and my wife. Not necessarily in that order! hahahaha If you wouldn't mind giving me some instructions I can promise that I am a good student and very willing to learn. You can send me a PM if that would be the easiest way to visit back and forth or I guess here if you think that there are others that might want to learn as well? Thanks!!

I'll try to get something together tomorrow after work when I can get my hands on one the Ricks up on the bench and hopefully add a couple pics.
It is pretty straight forward. I'll post here on this thread.

I always start with the trussrod adjustment before checking nut depth, action, or intonation. It really is key to get the neck straight first.
Stay tuned. I'm sure there are others here that have some great advice too and may join in on the topic.

This is a topic that has been covered many times, just in the last few years, and I'm sure Kevin's contribution will add some more to the mix. I think it would make a great sticky in the "Vibrola" section, along with all the other threads on this topic. We'll have to round them up and get Gil to swap them over!

Have faith in yourself and the expert friends here. I have done all my own setup and wiring repair too since I joined. And if I can do it, so can you!

Hey Shane,
First off did you get a book that looks like this with your Rickenbacker?:


It has a pretty good explanation of what's going on with the dual trussrod in a Rickenbacker.
If you've got it, I give it a look over in addition to the following.

Rickenbackers have dual trussrod that makes it possible to get your neck dead straight on the bass and treble strings.
Each string has its' own individual tension on the neck for its' respective position whether it be your low "E" or say your "G" string.
Since no 2 strings have the same tension on the neck for a given tuning, having only 1 trussrod is usually going to give you a close to straight neck
because you are going to adjust to the side of the neck that is straight first. In other words a compromise in many cases.
But with a Rickenbacker you can acheive a better result because 2 trussrods make it possible to get both sides of the neck almost, if not, dead straight.

A few tools are needed:
A fine phillips
1/4 nut driver
an 18" machinist ruler or very good quality 18" metal ruler ( most office centers will have someting)


I'll use a stock Rick 360 JG for this:

1. Remove trussrod cover which may require tuning down and pulling strings out of nut to facilitate getting cover off the headstock without scratching.

2. Tune your guitar to what ever tuning you usually play in with the string gauges you normally use. (This is important because we are talking about a specific tension on the neck for a given guitar) Alot of guys are using drop "D" tuning or tuning a the whole guitar down a half step down from the standard "E" tuning.

3. Use an 18" Machinist ruler (best) or a metal ruler about 18" long to check for straight.


I do this between the high E and B string for one trussrod and between the low E and A for the other.
What you are doing is putting the straight edge on the first fret and the last fret and seeing if the frets in between have a space between the edge of the ruler and the top of the fret(s) usually more about center point, if so, you have an under bow or relief. The ruler will swing side to side in the middle only resting on the first an last fret. If so, you need to tighten the trussrod, clockwise - half a turn at a time with a 1/4 inch nut driver and check, on that respective side until you get the desired results - usually close to dead straight. Now check the other side.

If you ruler is rocking in the middle of the neck on the center frets about half way up the neck and you're not touching the first or last fret (sesawing, if you will, on the middle part of the neck on the middle frets) you have a back bow. You need to loosen the repective sides' trussrod counter clockwise - half a turn at a time again with a 1/4 nut driver and check until you acheive the desired result. now check the other side.

Reinstall trussrod cover and check for action height.

NOTE: a neck that is way out of adjustment needs to have both sides gradually brought back, tightening or loosening [depending on if it is back bowed or under bow (relief)] each trussrod going back and forth checking so you bring the neck back gradually without twisting it. This situation may require a pro. But this case is usually on a guitar that is really hard to play - doesn't sound like your guitar.

All in all this is usually a pretty fast adjustment with some careful tweeking.
Check the high string side then the low string side and adjust the respective trussrod then check the center of the neck last.

This job can really make a huge difference in the playability of the guitar the whole way up the neck.
You may need to adjust your action height after the trussrod adjustment depending on how far out the necks' adjustment was.

After you have the neck adjusted
NOW it's a good time to check for intonation, Nut slot depth with respect to the first fret, and maybe check to see if you have a high fret or 2.
But that's another chapter.

One thing I've noticed for those who bend alot on a Rickenbacker - depending on how your saddle slots were cut/shaped, you may want to flair them out on the saddle to nut side a touch to prevent dampening on the end of the slot during a bend.

Shane feel free to send me a PM or ask any questions for clearification.
You can do this.

Wow, this is great!! I really appreciate the information! I really think that I can do this. Yeah, my guitar is not far out at all. This will really help me out a lot! Thanks!!

If I were going to make these same adjustments on a guitar with a single truss rod would I check for straight with the ruler between the D and G strings and then make the same adjustments?

Great info Kevin, I'll be getting that ruler since the old "eyeballing" it technique is becoming less acurate for me the older I get.

Thanks Kevin. This has saved me from writing a redundant post. The time has come for me to make a small adjustment in the neck of my 360/12 string. And I have to say my palms are a little sweaty at the thought. But if I have read correctly, easy does it. Fortunately, the underbow is very slight, and has taken me quite a while to notice it. After traveling clear across the country from SoCal to PA, and then to Kansas, then add in the drastic weather changes of the central plains, it's understandable.

The question is can I use a ¼" socket as a nut driver? Not a socket wrench...just the socket. I have a hand tool that accepts various sized sockets. The tool handle and shaft rather look like a flat head screwdriver without the screwdriver blade.
JimK

As long as the socket will fit over the truss pod nut in the confined pasce of the headstock, it will be fine.

This is usually why a standard socket won't fit in there. Get a thin wall nut driver or grind down a socket as needed to make sure you're taking a straight shot at it!

beatlefreak wrote:As long as the socket will fit over the truss pod nut in the confined space of the headstock, it will be fine.