Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

On my 4003 the truss rod nuts are too close to the back of the truss rod cavity to get the truss rod tool in. Grinding the tool down will help (assuming i find a handy grinder), but without that i'd still need to take probably 1.5 mm out of the wood behind the nuts. Is it ok to do that? I see a couple of posts saying people have had to shave the paint off etc, but this getting into digging a hole and i feel less comfortable about that. *puts the chisel back in the box.

I think you're on the right track. Either adapt the tool you have or get the correct one. There's no need to carve into the truss rod cavity. If you grind off too much of the tool, no big deal. If you carve out too much wood, that's a big deal.

What kind of wrench are you using?

Thanks for replying guys, I'm using the recommended Xcelite tool. I was able to get a collegue who had access to a grinder to take about 50% off of the OD of the socket part. Turned out that was just enough to do the job. I was sure, eyeballing it, that it would need more than that. It was a bit of a Grr moment as I'd just spent an hour tweaking and sorting out the 4001CS then moved to the 4003 to find this in a new guitar. I was beginning to wonder what else the Rickenbacker gods could throw at me.

Bill - here's a vid from Joey's Bass notes to help.

But that bass is Fireglo, mines Midnight Blue.

Seriously though, nice tip with the screwdriver.