Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My recently arrived 4001 has the typical bent truss rods problem. I know it can be fixed easily by chopping the ends and re-threading these.

But I noticed there is now a replacement kit offered by Sound me Out (in the UK I think).

Anyone has experience with this kit? Does it fit properly? Are the rods less prone to bending?

Thanks in advance for any bit of information you may share on these.

I'm willing to bet they're just getting ahold of replacement truss rods from RIC or making their own. But then if there's more to the "kit" than that I haven't seen it listed to know, so I apologize. I would make sure it's 4001 compatible before ordering.

cassius987 wrote:I'm willing to bet they're just getting ahold of replacement truss rods from RIC or making their own. But then if there's more to the "kit" than that I haven't seen it listed to know, so I apologize. I would make sure it's 4001 compatible before ordering.

Looks like a genuine replacement kit to me. Definitely a 4001 design (look at the folded flat bars used).

http://www.soundmeout.com/store/index.p ... cts_id=861

But I am always a bit suspicious of replacement kits. You do not need much variance from the original part to end up with a rattling truss rod.

Frank Grubisa machined up new rods for my '74 4000. He also installed them and adjusted the neck to dead-straight.

Wish there was someone in Dallas/Fort Worth that knew how to work on Rics. I have tried to get that 4001's neck as straight as I can but it fights me. Whatever TR adjustments I make just doesn't make it straight enough.

Many of these replacement rods are ground to the shape, which in turn is not as strong as a press formed or drawn original.

Seans wrote:Many of these replacement rods are ground to the shape, which in turn is not as strong as a press formed or drawn original.

Very good point. Looking at the pictures of the replacement rods, the edges appear to be quite blurry. Most like ground after bending instead of cold formed.

Looks likely it is going to be a re-thread job instead.

I seem to remember the pictures they had on their ebay listing was a rod being passed by a grinding wheel with lots of sparks, all very exciting, but not to the items credit .

GuitarAngel in the UK supplies an improved thrust block.
It is thicker steel than the original aluminum block.
Worked very well along with rethreading the rods.
The main reason why one or both rods might not work is
that the rod is loose in the channel; all tightening does in this
case is make the rod separate in the channel. The larger block
seems to help add some "back" force. I think Mark Arnquist
popularized this mod.

I also bought a rod set to see what it was all about. It looks undersized
to fit snugly in the channel so it's on the shelf....

I do recomend the improved blocks though.

cassius987 wrote:I'm willing to bet they're just getting ahold of replacement truss rods from RIC or making their own.

Not getting them from us- WE certainly don't have them. The flattened rod stock seems to be quite tricky to find in the correct size.

I recently made a few bass pairs, perhaps I should have made more, but quite a long drawn out process, forgive the pun

chefothefuture wrote:GuitarAngel in the UK supplies an improved thrust block.
It is thicker steel than the original aluminum block.
Worked very well along with rethreading the rods.
The main reason why one or both rods might not work is
that the rod is loose in the channel; all tightening does in this
case is make the rod separate in the channel. The larger block
seems to help add some "back" force. I think Mark Arnquist
popularized this mod.

I also bought a rod set to see what it was all about. It looks undersized
to fit snugly in the channel so it's on the shelf....

I do recomend the improved blocks though.

Thanks for the reference about Guitar Angel. I will get their block.

Seans wrote:I recently made a few bass pairs, perhaps I should have made more, but quite a long drawn out process, forgive the pun

I would have taken a pair!!!

Ever made any Steinberger L2 saddles by any luck? That is another unobtainium item on my wish list!