Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've never had a guitar with a tailpiece like my 330/6, and I just got this guitar today, so I'm not sure if this is normal, or if it's anything at all to be concerned about: I notice when playing it unplugged (can't test it plugged in right now, it's too late at night) that when I strike a chord sharply and stop it, the strings behind the bridge ring.

Can anybody tell me if their guitar does this, and if so, is it a problem? The part of the strings that's ringing is not over the pickups, so it may not matter, but I thought it sounded odd, and wanted to see if it's a quirk I should ignore.

My 330 indeed does this. Harmonics vibrate certain strings in "sympathy" to the note played. Its one of the idiosyncrasies of these incredible, live instruments. By the way - the tremelo springs on my strat do the same thing!

Yes indeed.
Also, if you strum between the bridge & tailpiece you get sympathetic harmonics on the strings. I've used this in recordings to get sort of an Exorcist effect, if you know what I mean.

It's a quirk. You should ignore it.

My Fender Jag did this to such an extent that I could double-pick the B string behind the bridge, and using the vibrato, get a convincing and irritating siren sound. It can be heard on NOM's Impact Zone CD, on our cover of "Police Car".

My first Ric, an early '00s 360, had this problem and it drove me nuts. I think it must have something to do with the R tailpiece.

1965 wrote:My first Ric, an early '00s 360, had this problem and it drove me nuts.

Problem? I call it the Spirit of my '07 360... although it rarely happens to it, tbh

All of my favorite guitars have string length behind the bridge. Besides the interesting harmonic incidents, pedal bends and air raid siren effects are possible. I like to think of guitar "quirks" as opportunities.

customxke wrote:I like to think of guitar "quirks" as opportunities.

Hendrix would be proud.

Any guitar with this configuration will have some ringing behind the bridge. It is not nearly as noticeable amplified, if you wish to get acclimated slowly you can mute it with a piece of cloth or felt like Elvis used on his L-5.

A different brand of strings may alleviate some of the ring.

This is a common occurrence and honestly I've never ever heard anyone consider it a problem. Never seen a Strat with the tremelo springs muted either...

I've come across this on a couple of occasions, and helped another forumite rid themselves of this; quirky appeal aside, an adjustment to the placement of the ball ends of the strings in the slots of the "R" tailpiece might eliminate the ringing. Take a look at the back side of the "R" tailpiece to see if the ball ends of the strings are completely settled in their slots. If not, capo the strings to the fretboard at the 5th or 7th fret, and loosen the strings at the tuning key on any strings that are not quite in the slot. Pull the slack in the string past the capoed section of the string, and use the slackness to aid in getting the string end properly settled into the slot; you can use your finger, a thin dowel, plastic pen, jeweler's screwdriver, pointy pliers (carefully), or something like that, to slide the string end into place in the slot. Once you have this done, gently pull up on the string between the tailpiece and the capoto maintain string tension while you tune the string to pitch. The ringing should be much reduced, if not eliminated. Failing that, the ringing might disappear with your next string change.

I noticed this on my 360/12 after a string change. Someone here just recommended some black felt. I went and bought a piece (cost me fifty cents at a fabric store), cut a thin strip, strung it in and out between the strings and slid it down to the tailpiece where it is completely hidden. Worked perfectly.

I also have this ringing on my Casino. Impossible to hide a piece of felt on that one's tailpiece so I just live with it or play with a polishing cloth stuffed beneath the strings. Most times it doesn't bother me at all; but for times when I want a perfectly crystal clear sound...out comes the polishing cloth.

Hi Steve -

It's really not a problem in any way. In fact it's very much a part of the Rickenbacker sound; all those sympathetic vibrations between the tailpiece and the saddles contribute to the jangle, much as the cavities in any guitar contribute to its resonance. It's part of the 'thing', as it were, and it's not for everyone, but I bet you'll learn to love it. They're great instruments and they give back whatever you put into them.

- Chris

Like I said, it really did bother me on my 360 as you could hear it through the amp and all. It was loud. You couldn't play staccato chords, cause the strings behind the bridge would be ringing. I tried felt on the tail and a number of other methods but nothing really helped. I ended up selling it, and since then I haven't had this problem on any other Rick I've had.