Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently sold my 77 Autumnglo locally to a guy that wanted a Rickenbacker bass. As I had a feeling he was someone that needed a very simple bass to adjust, I suggested to buy one of my 4003 instead. He prefered the 4001. After giving him an half hour course on how to adjust the truss rod, he left happy.

Two weeks go by and I receive a phone call from the guy saying there is a backbow in he neck and a luthier told him it cannot be fixed.

Me: You change the strings for a lighter gauge?
Him: Yes and the bass E string buzz since. I modified the nut and it still buzz. You sold me a lemon.
Me: Did it work well until you change the strings?
Him: Yes but the luthier told me truss rods are screwed and the neck now has a back bow.
Me: Did you buy the truss rod adjusting tool as I told you too?
Him: Er... Nooooo?
Me: Did the luthier adjust the rods like I showed you it needed to be done?
Him: I do not know. But he knows his stuff, he works in his basement and has a nice bench. He told me I bought a lemon.
Me: Can you give me his phone number? I told you it was important to adjust the truss rods properly and that P***y O****y is the only luthier able to adjust a Rickenbacker 4001 in Perth.

So I called the guy. Needless to say, he adjusted the rods like any other basses or guitars, bent these with no results and gave up.

I called back the owner, let him know he gave his bass to a clown. I asked him to bring the bass back to me and I would adjust it. Owner comes to my place, of course, rods are bent to the point my tool does not fit. Bend the rods up a bit, now tool fits, untighten the nuts, end of the back bow. Happy owner.

Last time I sell a 4001 to a non 4001 educated owner. Life is just too short.

I hope you charged him for your skills and time to "repair" his bass!

jps wrote:I hope you charged him for your skills and time to "repair" his bass!

Maybe I should have but I think he would have choked at what I should charge to give up my "day job" as I left the office an hour earlier to accomodate him...

I undid the horrible job he did on the nut (filling the E slot with plastic and superglue) for the same price of zero dollars.

Next 4001 basses to go will be sold to forum members!

Anyway, what is left in my stash of 4001 deserves to go to the right persons (all prior to the post checkerboard era).

He's damn lucky he did not crack the neck!! Horror stories like this drive me nuts!!

Sepp

I'm definitely nontechnical,and won't work on my basses,but the knowledge i've gained from being a part of this RRF family has been invaluable to me. If i am taking any of my basses in for work,i always bone up on the particulars,and in what ways the Ric must be approached differently,and have a lengthy discussion with the tech before agreeing to let them do any procedure. There's been too many horror stories like yours over the decades regarding Ric's, most of which involve the earlier truss rod system.
Ps ,glad you got the problem worked out for this numnutz.

I'd like to tinker with the truss rods on my RM1999 but am out of my depth unlike Jeff's buyer who seemed to not know what he didn't know. Apparently mine has a slight forward bow but plays well (I changed the strings to the lightest gauge (XL Superlights) as suggested by the good members of this forum).

Anyone downunder who knows a luthier in the Melbourne region who is good with old Rics?

Kopfjaeger wrote:He's damn lucky he did not crack the neck!! Horror stories like this drive me nuts!!

Sepp

pun intended?

Those truss rods are simple to adjust if you know what you are doing, to take relief out of the neck I stand it up on the floor in front of me and pull the neck back taking pressure of the strings off the neck and then tighten them a little let off pressure and sight down the neck then play it, several times of this and your all set. Then let it settle and check again in a day or two. To add more relief I do the same except of course loosen them a little at a time.

Somewhat related question: can the old style rods be replaced with new style rods without much modification?

John,

I'm no luthier and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn last night but I'm thinking no, not easily. From what I understand the newer truss rod channel is slightly arced to allow the rod to act on the neck and force it rearward (backbow) against string tension. The newer rod also needs a stop for the acorn nut and star washer to press against. The old hair pin is a straight channel.

Sepp

Kopfjaeger wrote:John,

I'm no luthier and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn last night but I'm thinking no, not easily. From what I understand the newer truss rod channel is slightly arced to allow the rod to act on the neck and force it rearward (backbow) against string tension. The newer rod also needs a stop for the acorn nut and star washer to press against. The old hair pin is a straight channel.

Sepp

Yep, you cannot change for the new style of truss rods without removing the fretboard.

I wouldn't want to change to the new rod style. I find the old style rods hold the neck in place better from season to season.

sys700 wrote:I wouldn't want to change to the new rod style. I find the old style rods hold the neck in place better from season to season.

+1

sys700 wrote:I wouldn't want to change to the new rod style. I find the old style rods hold the neck in place better from season to season.

What Rod said.

IF you were to try replacing, you would need to make custom length rods and a plate with two holes in it to be the acorn nut end stop. But I don't know about the channels, if they are correct for how the new rods work.

What Rod, Joshua and John said. IMO only, of course. The old style rods once set properly virtually never go out of adjustment.