Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is there a difference in weight between the 2014 4003 oem bridge and the Hipshot replacement bridge?
Thanks!

All of the die cast tailpiece/bridge assemblies from 1973 are the same dimensionally. That said, the Hipshot isn't as low as the stock bridge when bottomed out. So, maybe the Hipshot will get the action as low as you want it, and maybe it won't. Remember, the stock bridge sits below the deck on the front of the bass in a pocket, while the Hipshot saddles sit on a 1/8" thick plate on top of the body.

Ahh.....I thought you said height. Oh well...since Hipshot makes these in brass and aluminum, the aluminum one would be closest in weight to the stock part. However, what I said about height adjustability still applies.

I tried the aluminum hipshot on my 4003. The hipshot was lighter & the bass neck dived.

Great info...thanks guys! Guess I'm stickin' with the oem bridge.

I had an aluminum one on a V63 and gigged it that way for over a year. I did not have a neck-heavy issue with it and the tone was much improved.

I have one on my 4001 and it is down low. No problems with any neck diving. Better action and sustains better. I have one to put on my 4003. I expect the same performance.

Badanovski wrote:I tried the aluminum hipshot on my 4003. The hipshot was lighter & the bass neck dived.

When i received my aluminum hipshot,i did a "hand-to-hand" weight comparison with the presumably Oem bridge off my '74 4000. They felt extremely similar in weight. I never experienced any neck dive as a result of the change,the hipshot has been on the bass for about 6 years now i reckon. The action is as low as i would ever want it to be as well.

teeder wrote:I had an aluminum one on a V63 and gigged it that way for over a year. I did not have a neck-heavy issue with it and the tone was much improved.

BALDERDASH!!

No bridge is better than the stock bridge!

Who are you again and why are you here?

Just got my new 4003 MG from Bruce @ Wildwood last night.....Think I'm going to leave the bridge and tuners alone....at 9.3 lbs with my 2.5" LEVYS strap, it feels lighter than 9lbs. Such a sexy lookin' beast!

There ya go, Stephen! Why not give it a shot as is. Those OEM Schaller tuners are great, BTW.

Enjoy it, and congratulations.

So what's the verdict on new Rick production 4003 bridges, tail lift or no tail lift? Not looking for an argument or trolling (got personally flamed by John Hall for bringing this up once before!), just genuinely curious. Since the extra 2 rear screw version was nixed, I'm wondering if this has finally been fixed? I think this is partly what's driving the market for Hipshots. Regarding brass vs. aluminum, I would have thought the brass would enhance sustain better, any feedback on that from someone who's tried both? Does the chrome finish hold up on these bridges?

Depends on your criteria for "lift." On current production models, in almost every case, there is a tiny bit of "lift" of the back end of the tailpiece - enough that you could probably slip a credit card underneath the edges. There are some who believe this is a problem, and others who understand that it makes no difference in the performance of the tailpiece or instrument. Now, there are some cases where the tailpiece (usually older ones from the late '70s) that lift much more than this, but seem to have stabilized and not gotten worse. Then there are some of the powder-coated black ones from the late '80s and '90s that were supposedly weakened by the powder-coating process (baking?) and some of those REALLY lifted, especially those under extra strain (5-string, 8-string). The most famous documented case was the original tailpiece on Gary Clauson's five-string Blackstar which bent up nearly 90º !!! Realizing the problem, RIC began to add two more screws to the back end of the tailpiece. I believe they eventually made a new mold for the tailpiece that allowed reinforcement of the castings, and eventually stopped using the two extra screws.

So, long story short, if you're looking at a bass made in the last decade or so, there might be a tiny bit of lift, but it is stable and is not a problem.

Thanks Paul, as usual, you know all the ins and outs. Have you considered writing a book on the subject........? Say........Wait a minute! What's that book in you avatar?