Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone have a picture of a long-plate Kauffman with the cover off? Just curious it's a a standard Kauffman mounted to a plate, or if the base of the Kauffman itself is longer.

Not with the cover off.......but it certainly looks like a standard Kauffman on a long base plate..............

That's what I needed to know Graham. Thanks. I was hoping they were somehow mounted on cut trap tailpieces. Looks like I'm in for more work than I had hoped.

It would be interesting to find out if anyone's actually figured out how to upgrade these things so they'll work decently for any length of time without, among other things, the handle coming off in one's hand, or if the design itself is just fatally flawed.

Heck, send a busted one to me; I have a workshop out back and some free time...

Two things help. The two springs are the same, but one has almost zero stress on it at neutral. I replace this one with a shorter spring. The other is usage. They seem pretty stiff when new, and have trouble returning to zero. I have an old one that actually works "ok", and it's near identical looking to a new one. It's not a case of manufacturing, as they are built the same. Graphite helps a bit, but not much. At the end of the day, it's a primitve design, that looks really cool.