Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi guys,
A while ago I complained about having the grooves of my saddles to deep (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=390175)
As a result I can't tune to octave of the E string as it goes as back as it can and still a bit too high.
I bought a brand new bridge as I was told the new saddles won't fit my old bridge.
To make a long story short - the bridge itself won't fit in the cavitiy!!! it is too thick... The Length (the dimension between the 2 Allen screws that hold the bridge) is fine, but the width is too big and it doesn't fit the cavity.
Very frustrating as I don't want to mod my original bridge...

This is not a big deal because I managed to take the E saddle a bit more to the back, still - I want to have my bass in perfect pitch around the octaves, I hate the extra 15 cents I have there.
Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Yes Gil the post 73 bridge will not fit the pre 73 tailpiece. I believe the saddles can be made to fit (in some slightly wonky manner)
Try not to seperate the original 73 bridge from it's tailpiece as they are becoming a rare pair...

Just fiddle a new saddle into place as best as you can, or make a trip to your local friendly machine shop and get a price on making some new aluminum saddles for your old bridge..

Eden.

i modded (milled) slightly my sand cast tail piece to accept the newer bridges. there is enough material rearward of the saddle bridge to safely perform this mod. i did this to all three of mine,'64, '68, '70. i also had to pull the whole tail piece back a little to get the full width of intonation for the roundwounds. these basses were my tools for stage, not collectors pieces, and the only way to play them in tune , thus the reason for the mod. after 24 years, no tail lift or probems. but this was my decision. in the mid eighties, i had bought a pile of the post '73 style string saddles and screws in '86 from RIC in case i needed to replace them at some point.

if you look at pics of squire's bass , you'll see that he had pulled his tail piece back as well...note the slight gap in front of the mute area ! this is where i got the idea from a 1976 circus mag pic and confirmed it in close-ups in tour programs and dan hedges yes biography pg. 94.

When I bought my 1972 4001, the previous owner had dealt with the intonation issues by drilling some new "divots" for the bridge height adjustment screws. These allow the original bridge to be positioned slightly farther back. This seems a little less drastic than milling material off of the tailpiece to fit a newer bridge.

Thanks guys,
I am a no irreversible mods man... For now - the original bridge and saddles are okay (took it back as much as I could).

how did you overcome the saddle bridge slot as it sits in it ? you could dowel the original holes and pull the tailpiece back a la squire.

When I put back the bridge I managed to take it a mm or so back. Along with putting the problematic saddle all the way back.