Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey all - does anyone know if the neck width was made wider on the 4003S-5? I seem to recall playing one a while ago and the string spacing seemed pretty close. Did Rickenbaker just add an additional string to a standard 4003 neck?

I was never able to discern whether or not there was an increase. It seems that they varied slightly, but perhaps not more than the variance seen among four stringers. So I didn't state that it was wider in the book. Some feel the spacing is too narrow for comfort, some get along with it OK. Never heard anyone think it was too wide. Jeff Rath converted many regular 4003 basses to five-stringers and widened the spacing at the bridge while using a new nut with the standard width. Both he and I feel that the earlier wider necks on the 4004 models were best suited for five-string conversions.

bassduke49 wrote:.....Both he and I feel that the earlier wider necks on the 4004 models were best suited for five-string conversions.

and eight string conversions!!!! My 4003s5 finger board seems to be about the same width as my 4001 (front to back the 4003s5 is thicker) but the pitch of the string does seem a bit smaller than the 4 (4001).

OK - so I bought the 4003S-5. Not as bad playing wise as I thought but the bridge is crazy lifted, I need to find Gary';s tutorial on getting this back to shape.

any pics to post and any to show the lift?
Does yours have the two extra screws in the tail piece? you can kind of see them all the way to the left in this shot.

The pic shows how bent the tailpiece has become. Once I straighten it out, I'm going to add the two extra screws like yours has Tom.

Wow! that is a good bit of distortion! good luck with the straightening out.

I have it screwed to a work table and I've already started the straightening process. Does anyone have any tips how to drill the two extra screw holes (when the time comes)?

Ahhh, it's a black one. Supposedly, the preparation for the casting to receive the blackening weakens the metal as many have discovered.

86kubicki wrote: Does anyone have any tips how to drill the two extra screw holes (when the time comes)?

Flip the tailpiece over and you should see two round casting marks towards the outer corners on the back. Drill through the middle of these with a 1/8" drill bit. Then flip it back over and countersink both holes from the top. You don't need to use the same size Phillips wood screws as on the rest of the tailpiece. You can use the next size down. This will be a little less noticeable when you're done. After you put the tailpiece back on the bass, take a nail and locate the spots to drill the holes for these screws in the body, and tap it with a hammer. Because of the slope of the top rear of the tailpiece, the screws won't be going straight down, but at an angle so the screw heads sit flush with the slope. Then drill the holes, being careful to hold the drill at the correct angle. This way, when you put the screws in an tighten them, the top of the tailpiece won't get so distorted. All 4000 series tailpieces should get this treatment since they almost all lift to some extent, however small.

aceonbass wrote:

86kubicki wrote:All 4000 series tailpieces should get this treatment since they almost all lift to some extent, however small.[/i][/b]

Well, except for the ones that came from the factory with this fix, like my 1984 4003:

Thanks very much Dane - you've confirmed what I thought needed to be done. Why these basses were ever released without the extra screws, I'll never understand.

86kubicki wrote:The pic shows how bent the tailpiece has become. Once I straighten it out, I'm going to add the two extra screws like yours has Tom.

Yoiks! That is a fair amount. I looked for 20 minutes for Gary's original post after you said you needed to find it but I couldn't find it.

Here 'tis:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=161788&hilit=blackstar

sloop_john_b wrote:Here 'tis:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=161788&hilit=blackstar

That's the one! I could not find it despite trying many search keywords. Kudos, John.