Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've got the chance of snapping up a '77 4001 in really good condition.

The frets are good - excellent considering it's been played with stainless Roto's!

The owner has been using 45-105 gauge.....

I'm fairly new to 4001's so would appreciate a bit of advice here - if I pull the trigger, I'd certainly dump the stainless and fit some Nickel's....probably a far lighter gauge to be on the safe side.

My question is, essentially, if I fit a much lighter (for example 40-95 or 45-100 Ernie Balls) will the drop in tension cause problems on one of these?

I know the newer '03 necks are pretty bulletproof - but I'm just wondering if I would need a set-up on the neck to compensate for the change?

Any idea what is one there now? A drop in tension will probably be better if the gauge on there now was way bigger than stock. Remember, it's the older method of adjusting the neck.

You'll most likely need a new nut as well as intonate and fiddle with the bridge height.

Sepp

No problems, Iain, just readjust the truss rods. You will probably like the feel with lower tensions strings better, too. At the moment, I have TI Jazz Rounds on my '73 4001 with excellent feel, low action, and great tone.

I've always used D'Addario EXL-170 nickel round wound sets of strings on two 4001s from the seventies and on a set neck 4001S, I've always used D'Addario EPS-170 stainless steel round wound sets of strings. Never had a problem. I've set them each up once. Never had to touch the setup again.

Great advice, may thanks.

I really love the Ernie Ball 40-95 Extra Slinkys. I'll get them on there when I get it, and I've got a local Luthier can do a little tweak if needed!

It will probably need it - I have found it's currently wearing stainless Roto's, 45-105........

If there is slight relief now with the Rotos, it will probably be the same or more straight neck with a lighter gauge string. No worry really - between the 3 piece neck and the old style rods, it is really set and forget. The necks really don't move.

If the bass is coping with 45-105 rotos the neck is probably fine. However simply changing to 40-100 Rotosounds may be a smart preventative move.. My RM1999 did fine with 45-105 but it was on the limit of its adjustment, so its 40-100 from now on!

Eden.

Ironically, in spite of what is usually associated with stainless steel, stainless can actually have just a hair less tension for a similarly constructed string (conventional round wounds) than a nickel plated steel string. Just look at the D'addario string tension guide.

I used GHS Boomers 45-65-85-105 on the '76 4001 I used to own with never a problem, always stable, sounded great.

More damage occurs from improperly adjusting the old rods than from the static tension of whatever reasonable set of string would be used on it. No, I wouldn't use 50-110 strings on a 4001 neck, but any conventional 45 set of rounds, and even a 45 set of flats that has the lighter gauges in the middle strings (no more than 60-80 for D-A), should be fine.

Hi there,

I have the opposite concerns, the '78 4001 that I recently bought is fitted with 40/60/80/100 Roto's and I would like to put some 45/65/80/105 Roto's on there.

At the moment the neck is spot-on and I am a bit loathe to change the gauge of strings if it is going to create problems. Is the tension on these thicker gauge strings going to have a significant effect on the neck?