Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK I am aware that this is a very basic and slightly embarassing question but I am new here so please be nice

As the title suggests I do not know how to use my foam mute. From doing a little search round here Im guessing that its by turning the 2 screws on either side of mute pads on the bridge? is it as simple as that? this isnt going to ruin my bridge and need intonation fixes etc (which I am also incapable of doing)? I've just taught myself to read using the standing in the shadows of motown and want that old school thump...

Thanks

Well it seems like you've got it figured out! The mute shouldn't affect the intonation adjustments but can cause things to be a bit sharp while your using it, if you have it too tight. I used to use the mute a lot on my fretted 4003 for playing salsa. It helped in achieving the Ampeg eub sound. Nice for blues too. Have fun with that bass.

Thanks! I didnt want to have a fiddle on it before I checked out what I was doing.

One of the problems with the current mute is that the smooth foam pad is a bit too large for the mute housing. The edges of the pad, especially at the short sides, jam into the edges of the housing as you draw it up toward the strings. This squeezes the ends and makes the middle of the mute to contact the middle strings (A,D) first. The plate that the mute is glued to is already crowned to match the crown of fingerboard and strings. The best fix for this is a hassle. You have to take the tailpiece off and pull the mute assembly out (and this means destringing the instrument). Trim off all four edges of the mute so that it travels smoothly up the housing. Reassemble, making sure that you haven't disconnected the ground wire to the bottom of the mute plate. Fun.

AGP1 wrote:OK I am aware that this is a very basic and slightly embarassing question but I am new here so please be nice

As the title suggests I do not know how to use my foam mute. From doing a little search round here Im guessing that its by turning the 2 screws on either side of mute pads on the bridge? is it as simple as that? this isnt going to ruin my bridge and need intonation fixes etc (which I am also incapable of doing)? I've just taught myself to read using the standing in the shadows of motown and want that old school thump...

Thanks

You are not incapable of doing intonation adjustments - it's just that you've not learned how to do it yet! But any serious musician needs to be able to adjust his/her chosen instrument, otherwise you'll never be a master of it and it won't serve you well. The only tools you really need are a screwdriver and your own ears. Happy to advise you further if you're interested.

Ash

Another thought is that your choice of strings will play a big part in all of this. That Jamerson book is fabulous and refers to his use of flat wound strings. Lots of brands and guages to choose from. I've been using the Thomastik-Infelds for years now. Low tension, easy on the fingers, easy on the Ric. Even too loose for some. Apparently fender has some nice flats and those may be a better choice for achieving your Jamerson dream. With flats you might not need the mute.

Right! after testing out the mute it does indeed mute the A and D strings before the E and G unfortunately (it did sound pretty cool though). Maybe I'll just make do with an unsightly sponge before I get the courage up to take my bridge apart....

As for adjusting my intonation etc any tips would be welcome! I did get hold of the Jerzy Drozd (?) set up guide but it was all a little overwhelming and it seemed to say I needed an awful lot of tools i didnt have..

Strings unfortunately will probably remain roundwound for the time being. I use this bass for some projects that really need that round sound so I'll just settle with the mute for now to get as close as I can.

Thanks for the help guys.

Angus, try looking at Joey's Bass Notes web site. He covers pretty much everything you were asking about. If not PM him he is usually very good about getting back to you.

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Just bought my first Rickenbacker - the 1987 FireGlo 4003 listed on the register here, http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... 6order%3D5

I have a question about the mute, slightly different from all of the discussions I've found online since I bought the bass a few days ago. (Maybe I'm just searching for the wrong terms?) My question isn't about how to engage the mute -- that I've figured out by turning the screws to raise the mute against the strings (and btw, it sounds awesome, never knew a Rick could sound like that!).

Rather, my question is how to keep the mute disengaged. I loosen the screws and the mute goes down, but there doesn't seem to be a way to lock it down... the screws are loose, the mute is loose. So after playing for a few minutes, both the screws and the mute have moved around, sometimes the mute rising up to touch the strings enough to deaden the sustain when I don't want it to happen. And the screws are spinning/moving up and down.

How do you secure the mute in the "off" position, including keeping the screws tight?

BTW, I'm absolutely LOVING the Rick. I'm left-handed and I have about 15 basses, but I never owned a Rick. I guess you could say my main bass has been a P-bass in the 20 years I've been playing. But WOW this Rick is AMAZING!!! I am blown away by its feel and tone options. It's only been 3 days, but I'M IN LOVE!!!

rdavidson wrote: How do you secure the mute in the "off" position, including keeping the screws tight?

BTW, I'm absolutely LOVING the Rick. I'm left-handed and I have about 15 basses, but I never owned a Rick. I guess you could say my main bass has been a P-bass in the 20 years I've been playing. But WOW this Rick is AMAZING!!! I am blown away by its feel and tone options. It's only been 3 days, but I'M IN LOVE!!!

Sounds like you lowered the mute too much and it fell off the screws, and is now just rattling around loose in there. Prep for minor surgery.

I can still raise the mute, so the screws are connected to move the mute plate up and down. Thinking if I went too far when lowering, even if I don't lower all the way, the screws are loose. I can move the screws up and down with the mute plate, i.e., it's not secure and still prone to rattling. Could a part me missing? (spring, etc.)

rdavidson wrote:I can still raise the mute, so the screws are connected to move the mute plate up and down. Thinking if I went too far when lowering, even if I don't lower all the way, the screws are loose. I can move the screws up and down with the mute plate, i.e., it's not secure and still prone to rattling. Could a part me missing? (spring, etc.)

There should be two coil springs that go around the height adjustment screws and keep the mute assembly stable.

antipodean wrote:

rdavidson wrote:I can still raise the mute, so the screws are connected to move the mute plate up and down. Thinking if I went too far when lowering, even if I don't lower all the way, the screws are loose. I can move the screws up and down with the mute plate, i.e., it's not secure and still prone to rattling. Could a part me missing? (spring, etc.)

There should be two coil springs that go around the height adjustment screws and keep the mute assembly stable.

That must be the problem, certainly. No springs.

Thanks. I'll take a look at the schematics and figure out if a spring is missing.

There should be two springs, one for each mute adjust screw. They are between the mute mount bar and the underside of the tailpiece with the screws going through them to provide tension.