Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I only noticed recently that looking down on my bridge the strings don't seem to align very well, is this 'normal' for a 4001? I would have thought that the strings should pass pretty much centrally through where the string dampers are, the strings don't lign up with the pole pieces particulary well either.

I don't know whether the bridge is original on this 1978 model, well the bridge itself looks original, but could it be that a previous owner has replaced the bridge saddle insert and filed the string grooves in the wrong place?

By moving each string out of its groove and placing the string centrally on each bridge piece then they would all line through perfectly (and centrally over the pole pieces as well), so why are the 'V' notches all off-centre??

It might be that the tailpeice was mounted a bit off centre, and then the saddle slots were filed a bit off centre for the strings to run straight down the neck. ??? Don't know if current production saddles will be a good fit in a '78 bridge. You might have to get a complete brid ge w/ saddles if you want to correct it. But be aware that if you correct this so that strings are centred on the saddles, if the strings run straight down the neck today they might not do that after the fix.
I don't think that the strings being a little off-line from the pole pieces will have any effect on sound.


Here you can see how my '79 was when I got it.
http://www.nationwideguitars.com/1979ri ... kerlh.html
The saddle slots were pretty much centred, but the tailpiece itself was so off centre that you can see the strings are not running straight down the neck. I moved the whole tailpiece to correct this.
Also, you can see that the pickguard is mounted a bit low (not pushed all the way up against the surround for bridge pickup) resulting in the neck pickup being way off centre (compared to the bottom of the neck).

For me, none of these "problems" had much/any impact on sound and playability, except the G string getting a bit close to the edge down the neck. For me it was mostly an aesthetical issue, especially looking at how the ran down the neck.

It's because your strings are installed backwards...

I'm pretty sure on other bridges I've seen they too have the notches in the saddles 'off-centre'.

Perhaps the guy did it this way to increase the string spacing slightly?

This is done to get the strings in the right place (according to tech cutting the saddles) on the NECK. The pickup poles are so much less important than getting the strings lined up properly on the neck (it doesn't usually look totally even when it's done right, IME). If these symptoms extend to the fingerboard however I'd get new saddles and start over.

cassius987 wrote:This is done to get the strings in the right place (according to tech cutting the saddles) on the NECK. The pickup poles are so much less important than getting the strings lined up properly on the neck (it doesn't usually look totally even when it's done right, IME). If these symptoms extend to the fingerboard however I'd get new saddles and start over.

I'll have to check the string alignment on the neck and report back.

Baker69 wrote:I'll have to check the string alignment on the neck and report back.

Please post some photos showing how the strings are aligned on the fingerboard, both at the heel end and at the nut, thanks. Straight down shots perpendicular to the fingerboard would be best, not angled shots.

Here are some pics of the neck, (sorry the close-up one's are not very clear).











AND NOW.......same pics but with the strings taken out of their grooves and placed manually in the centre of the bridge supports. (Note now strings pass directly over poles).

...just from the fingerboard it looks reasonable, despite the sightly "deformed" heal end at the E-string side...
BTW:Your Rick might have had a refret?!

heinpete wrote:...just from the fingerboard it looks reasonable, despite the sightly "deformed" heal end at the E-string side...
BTW:Your Rick might have had a refret?!

To me it looks much better with the strings centrally-positioned on the bridge saddles, everything seem more symmetrical and the strings pass over both pickups pretty much spot-on. Whether it is worth the hassle of changing the saddles I don't know (£90.00 UK price), the bass plays really well as it is. I keep looking but I can't work out why they have been grooved out off-centre like this? Perhaps the guy who did it may reply as I think he is a fellow Forum member.

Yes, the guy I bought it off said it had been re-fretted, (well tha bass is 34 years old!) The frets aren't scored at all so it must have been a fairly recent job, looks like it has been done professionally.

Not quite sure about the 'deformed' heel, when it was made perhaps the corner may have took a knock as the binding seems to go at a slight angle there?

...those un-centered grooved sattles I've seen quite a lot! Seems like the respective person ar RIC thought to groove them this way to have a bit of flexibilty in adjusting to various neck position differnces after production. So they might be this way stock on purpose .
Actually I flipped quite a few of them on some 4001/4003 I owned through the years to adjust to pole pieces and string distances.

BTW: The refet really looks perfect (no scraggy fretboard around the frets, nicely smoothened fret ends,...)

Yes, I was pretty sure given the look of the tailpiece (slight pitting in the chrome) and the general aged look of the bridge saddle unit that they are all original fit items.

I had quite a good look at the frets and they seem to have been done very professionally, in fact the whole bass had been set up before I had it, the neck is set perfectly as is the intonation and string height (the lowest string height I have had on any of my basses actually!), am very pleased with it.

When you "centered" the strings by taking them out of the grooves, it messed up the alignment of the strings with the taper of the fingerboard. Notice the G string slowly creeps "inward" as you approach the body. (And as to be expected the low E seems to have a little less real estate on its side but I suspect that's not as big an issue as having to reach further in for the G; however you could also see some sliding off if you have a heavy touch.) I'm sure it looks better over the pickups but it probably doesn't sound any different and won't play as well as it could. The original saddle cut is well done in a center-to-center method. Again, the D-G spacing is the worst change about your centered mod, throwing off the pattern you should see of an increasing gap between the strings (from E to G) if you are doing center-to-center spacing.

If it were me I would do nothing about it.

If you're careful ( early 70's ) you can move the bobbin/magnet together on the pickup base. This is what I do once I have spaced all strings correctly to the neck.

cassius987 wrote:If it were me I would do nothing about it.

Agree.