Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently purchased a second hand 4003 2011 and I have noticed that the D string isn't aligned over the pickup poles correctly.

The photos are not great, but give you an idea.

On both pickups:

E String is off slightly, but the fat string covers most of the pole.
A string slightly off
D string looks bad.
The G String is almost perfect.

I believe the problem starts with the bridge; so could this be easily fixed with a re-string due to it being a floating bridge, or is it something more involved?
Gary

That's really good as they go and shouldn't affect the pole output, but if you want to correct it, the D saddle will need to be re filed with a bias towards the A saddle, obviously you will need to re file all the saddles to get the heights to match again, that is if they are correct. I do this on every bass I buy.

Trying to figure out if there is any significant volume difference with the D string might be tricky, but do you reckon that the positioning is ok? I don't want to create a potential mess unnecessarily.

Can the string sit OK in a larger filed saddle or would there be too much potential for the string to slip in the saddle?

I doubt you will notice any difference in volume due to the misalignment. Your real issue is that the strings are not evenly spaced at the bridge and this will affect how you play. This is something I hate and would fix immediately. Buy a new saddle and file it or have it filed in the correct location.

1. You will very likely experience no change if you get the string a little more centered over the pole piece.

2. The string spacing at this time looks like it was cut center-to-center and doesn't look quite right down by the tailpiece but your pic of the end of the fingerboard looks pretty much like what center-to-center spacing should look like. The biggest gap will be between D and G, and the smallest between E and A, and that's pretty much what you've got going on. You appear to have room on the fingerboard to widen the spacing if you really want but you shouldn't have to.

To me it looks like problems are being invented here, that don't need any fixing. What you really need to do is play this bass for a while and if an issue does come up, see if it's somehow related to these observations. But if the bass gives you no trouble playing it or getting the right string volume, it's not worth all the trouble of filing new saddles and so on.

p.s.: To figure out if the string outputs are roughly even I use a DAW like GarageBand or ProTools. The bigger strings will inherently be a little "louder" on the DAW because they generate more signal.

cassius987 wrote:To me it looks like problems are being invented here, that don't need any fixing.

I agree, this is nitpicking; I have seen the same with other brands, especially Fenders and the relative alignments of strings to Jazz Bass pickups, in particular. Stop using yours eyes to play the bass!

cassius987 wrote:2. The string spacing at this time looks like it was cut center-to-center and doesn't look quite right down by the tailpiece but your pic of the end of the fingerboard looks pretty much like what center-to-center spacing should look like. The biggest gap will be between D and G, and the smallest between E and A, and that's pretty much what you've got going on.

Are we looking at the same picture? To my eyes, the largest gap is between the A and the D.... the D is out of place. To me, it appears that it would be far enough off to feel with my right hand. But I agree, if it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it.

maybe you can just flip the saddle around , or replace that one saddle ? I think it would have to be farther away to affect it's volume . I do prefer even string spacing though for playability .
This is something you must deal with every string change with a roller bridge .

It seems a very similar condition to my current posting regarding the bridge on my 4001.

Other Forum members have advised me that the basses are set up in the factory for optimum string to neck alignment, which is more critical than trying to get the pickup poles aligned centrally under the strings. Presumably this is why all Ric Bridges start out life without any notches as they are notched to suit the string alignment of each individual bass.

Although the bridge saddes are notched slightly off centre (to get the string to neck alignment) it seems to me as though the pickguard may have been fitted slightly out, as it looks like all the pole pieces are out of alignment on the same side by the roughly the same amount. Unfortunately as you know you can't alter the neck pickup position, the only way is to drop the pickguard down slightly which might involve making more holes in the body. Failing this you could buy a new pickguard (without holes) and use the existing holes after having first made a template.

The bridge pickup isn't as much of an issue as you use the chrome pickup cover.

POST NOTE

Just been looking at the photo of the neck pickup again. It seems to be tight up against the top edge with all the clearance between the pickup and the pickguard being down the bottom end. It's possible if you loosen the pickup and adjust it down to the bottom it might make the poles more central??

daveman wrote:

cassius987 wrote:2. The string spacing at this time looks like it was cut center-to-center and doesn't look quite right down by the tailpiece but your pic of the end of the fingerboard looks pretty much like what center-to-center spacing should look like. The biggest gap will be between D and G, and the smallest between E and A, and that's pretty much what you've got going on.

Are we looking at the same picture? To my eyes, the largest gap is between the A and the D.... the D is out of place. To me, it appears that it would be far enough off to feel with my right hand. But I agree, if it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it.

The diameter of the strings plays some tricks on the eyes, but if you look on top of the fingerboard (which is where this all matters most) the E-A interval is clearly smallest (good), and the A-D and D-G intervals are arguably close to the same or depending on which spot you look one might be a little bigger. It's negligible. I do agree that the D saddle re-cut would do the most good but how much good? Very, very little. In the end it is all about how badly the OP wants to do something about it, but I've put my 2 cents in so they can (maybe) benefit from it.

I doubt any sound change would result by getting the string more centered over the pole. Give the magnetic field some credit.

I will give the magnetic field some credit Thanks for all the wisdom folks.