Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi guys.
I HAVE to get new saddles for my 1972 4001, the intonation is simply too bad due to the deep groves in them (the string ends up "too short" even when the saddle is all the way back).
I bought an entire new rick bridge to find out it will not fit into my vintage tailpiece.
The new saddles are also not good for me as their hole is too low and the saddle sits too high on the bridge.

Currently, the only solution which does not including modifying anything in the vintage hardware would be to get undrilled saddles and drill in the right place, alas - Rickenbacker won't sell them without the holes as they arrive this way from the factory.

Is there anyone else who might like to get undrilled saddles? perhaps if there are enough of us Rickenbacker can get a batch of undrilled ones.

A temp solution that I've heard of is to just place the new saddles in the old bridge and let the string tension hold them in place.

Thanks Jeff, not a bad idea

Anyone has decent pictures from several angles for old saddles? I know of a luthier with some kind of metal working machine who can make things. He wants pictures in order to tell me if he can make these saddles. (I need them myself also).

The saddles RIC sells now are machined, not by hand, and fit a tighter tolerance. I got these into a bridge that supposedly they shouldn't have fit it, being to new specs, but they worked out great and sit very flush. Maybe try the new machined saddles.

Old aluminum saddles have different measurements (a.f.a.i.k.).

Oh i have the same problem, but i wanted to replace the whole tailpiece (some lift occurred) + bridge saddless on my 1975 4001 ... basing on what Gil he's saying, new tailpiece and bridges will not fit on my rick, am i right ?

Mattia, not necessarily. The mismatch is between the early tailpiece and a later bridge. RIC has had several "generations" of tailpieces (Jeff Scott can show photos), and one of the design changes included a bridge that was slightly different in dimensions. I think the older bridges are a tiny bit longer and they bind in the cavity of the newer tailpieces, keeping them from sitting properly. If you wanted to replace an older tailpiece with a newer one, there shouldn't be any problem fitting it onto the bass. You may have to drill additional holes, though, as really early ones had only three mounting screws under the bridge. Later ones have five mounts, two additional ones "behind" the bridge cavity. There are also some with seven mounting holes, the additional two on the face of the bottom of the unit. So as long as you have a newer bridge and a newer tailpiece, the match should be good.

cangaroo wrote:Oh i have the same problem, but i wanted to replace the whole tailpiece (some lift occurred) + bridge saddless on my 1975 4001 ... basing on what Gil he's saying, new tailpiece and bridges will not fit on my rick, am i right ?

The new tail and bridge will work with your '75 4001, Mattia. It's the cast aluminum bridge/tail that RIC phased out in 1973 that has different dimensions.

Have you tried bending the tailpiece back? I've found it quite easy to straighten a lifted tailpiece using nothing but a 2X4 and a $3 C-clamp.

Ok my 75 has the 5 screws tailpiece so i guess newer tpcs will fit.

I never thought about straightening the tailpiece but i think i'll give a try ...

Here's a copy of Mike Chandler's photo that pretty much speaks for itself. I add a solid piece of metal (angle iron) between the clamp and the tailpiece to spread out the force a little bit.

Just contacted a guy for purchasing some new unfiled bridge saddles : he replied telling me that newer 4003 bridge saddles probably won't fit my 4001 bridge or they will rattle, he suggested to buy the whole bridge assembly (which costs a lot more).

What you think about it ? Is the whole 4003 bridge compatible with my 75 4001 tailpiece ?!?

Gil, just take the old saddles to a machinist and have him replicate them. Take the intonation screws with you so that he can cut a correct screw thread.

cangaroo wrote:Just contacted a guy for purchasing some new unfiled bridge saddles : he replied telling me that newer 4003 bridge saddles probably won't fit my 4001 bridge or they will rattle, he suggested to buy the whole bridge assembly (which costs a lot more).

What you think about it ? Is the whole 4003 bridge compatible with my 75 4001 tailpiece ?!?

This is not correct. I have had at least 20 Rick 4001/4003 basses and have tried newer saddles on older bridges and vice-versa. The problem is that from around 2003 until recently (I hear this has finally been corrected, but I'll believe it when I see it) many saddles were not drilled properly so that they will rattle on any Rick 4001/4003 bridge whether it's from 1974 or from 2006, or anywhere in between. I see no real difference in the way the bridge itself was made from 1973 until the present.

I've heard of many different solutions from people on this forum, from wedging bits of wax paper or aluminum foil underneath the saddles, to re-drilling the holes on the saddles.

What I do, and what I would recommend is to just buy old saddles and/or an old bridge off of ebay such as this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICKENBACKER-BASS-4 ... 2c572ac718

You can see from the photos that the saddles sit flush on the bridge, and that's all you really need.

I see that this guy won't ship outside the US, so if you buy it you can send it to me and I'll send it to you.

rickaddict wrote:
I've heard of many different solutions from people on this forum, from wedging bits of wax paper or aluminum foil underneath the saddles, to re-drilling the holes on the saddles.

I have used brass shim stock in the past with good results. If I still had acess to a mill (those days are long past) I would fabricate some saddles from aluminum billet.