Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey guys,
I have recently taken receipt of an '87 4003S that has some serious neck relief (to the point where I am concerned that the neck is warped). I adjusted each rod 1/8 of a turn clockwise, but that had little effect.

Anyway, my question is this:

I took off the truss rod cover, and I noticed that the nuts of the truss rods are not parallel. They are pointing away from each other.

I did a Google image search, and in every picture I see of the truss rod nuts for Ricks, they are parallel.

Do I have a problem on my hands?

How tight were the nuts when you turned them an eighth of a turn? Do the rod tips form an upside down letter "V"? How much relief are we talking about?? Here where the tern a picture is worth a thousand words" come into play.

Sepp

Thanks for your help, Sepp. I will post some pictures ASAP.

When I depress the E string at the first and last frets, there is enough relief at the sixth fret to fit two extra-heavy picks between the E string and the fretboard. I can fit one between the 7th fret and the string with just a tiny bit of rise of the string. That may not sound like much, but the gap sure looks huge.

When I depress the string at frets 3 and 9, there is a visible gap between the 7th fret and the string.

The "V" of the two truss rod nuts is pointing towards the nut.

When I turned the rods, there was a little resistance. Not much, but some.

Sounds like somebody over-tightened the trussrod nuts and deformed the plate the rods pass through, a pretty common problem from what I've seen here and elsewhere. If it's really bad, it may require replacing the trussrods, which is a job for a Luthier. It may be possible to straighten them and replace the metal thrust plate alone if it hasn't crushed the neck wood too badly. If you post pictures, one the experts on RRF can chime in and tell you how it looks pretty quick.

Here is a picture of the truss rod nuts: In this picture I can now see that the metal plate they run through is bent. Awesome. I can't get the rids to turn, either. The socket driver I am using keeps slipping.

Here is the relief at frets 6 and 7: I guess it's off to the shop for this one for a fat bill and a three week wait. @*#&$^//(&) $*^@/*

Looks like someone seriously cranked on those truss rods; look at how the spacer/thrust plate is bent and pushed into the wood.

Remove the rods and either straighten, re-tape and install them, or replace the rods altogether. They've rotated in their channels relative to the way they were originally installed, which causes any adjustment to be almost useless. I've seen this several times, and the previous methods almost always fix the problem.

Not any S model, but a Tux!

jps wrote:Looks like someone seriously cranked on those truss rods.

Great. I can only imagine the previous owner did this in an attempt to get rid of the neck bow, which obviously didn't work.

If cranking on the rods didn't help the neck bow, what will? I wonder. I am not looking forward to the report from the guitar tech.

Thanks for your input, everyone!

aceonbass wrote:Remove the rods and either straighten, re-tape and install them, or replace the rods altogether. They've rotated in their channels relative to the way they were originally installed, which causes any adjustment to be almost useless. I've seen this several times, and the previous methods almost always fix the problem.

Thanks, Dane! I don't have any experience with guitar repair, and my tools seems to be unsatisfactory for the situation as well, since I am having trouble getting my socket driver to get a hold on the nuts. I think it would be better to take it to a shop rather than trying to learn on an instrument that I really don't want to risk messing up.

s4001 wrote:Not any S model, but a Tux!

Not just any Tux, but a LEFTY Tux (I think, right?)!

bassduke49 wrote:

s4001 wrote:Not any S model, but a Tux!

Not just any Tux, but a LEFTY Tux (I think, right?)!

That's the one!

The socket is slipping off the nut because there is so much of the threaded portion of the rod sticking out of the nut. If the rods need to be replaced it's not tough at all. remove the nuts & push the rod toward the body until the acorn nuts clear the neck. Unscrew the acorn nut and push the rod out toward the headstock. What string gauge is on her now? If you loosen the strings does the neck move into a back bow?? If you sight down the neck like aiming a rifle, either with the headstock end toward you or away from you, you should see a slight rearward arc with no string pressure on the neck and loose rods. This will tell you what structural shape the neck is in with zero resistance either way.

The instrument you have is a very rare one so it's worth the effort to fix her. I realize you are looking for an instrument to play but unfortunately someone screwed with this one a bit.

Sepp

superheavydeathmetal wrote: I don't have any experience with guitar repair, and my tools seems to be unsatisfactory for the situation as well, since I am having trouble getting my socket driver to get a hold on the nuts. I think it would be better to take it to a shop rather than trying to learn on an instrument that I really don't want to risk messing up.

Your average guitar tech will just screw it up. Buy the rods and swap 'em out yourself. It's a pretty easy job.

aceonbass wrote:

superheavydeathmetal wrote: I don't have any experience with guitar repair, and my tools seems to be unsatisfactory for the situation as well, since I am having trouble getting my socket driver to get a hold on the nuts. I think it would be better to take it to a shop rather than trying to learn on an instrument that I really don't want to risk messing up.

Your average guitar tech will just screw it up. Buy the rods and swap 'em out yourself. It's a pretty easy job.

Where is the like button for this?? As long as your neck is not FUBAR then it will benefit from the addition of two new rods.

Sepp

Kopfjaeger wrote:The socket is slipping off the nut because there is so much of the threaded portion of the rod sticking out of the nut.

I did notice that, and my socket set has an extra 1/4" socket that is deeper, but I had the same problem. Maybe that socket isn't deep enough, either.

Kopfjaeger wrote:What string gauge is on her now? If you loosen the strings does the neck move into a back bow?

I'm not sure on either of those points. The strings feel like a pretty routine gauge, .40 or .45. Not especially tight, loose, thick or thin. As far as the neck profile with no tension, I can't tell as I don't have it with me. I dropped off at the shop this morning but I may go back and get it and try to replace the rods myself from what you and others recommend.

Supposing there is a forward bow with no tension on the neck, what would my options be? I will investigate this and necessary truss rod replacement parts and procedures.

Kopfjaeger wrote:The instrument you have is a very rare one so it's worth the effort to fix her. I realize you are looking for an instrument to play but unfortunately someone screwed with this one a bit.

Oh, I have every intention of getting it fixed. I already love this bass. It sounds killer with the stereo jack I put in and I love the body shape of the S. I am certain this bass will be to die for if I can get it playing well. Plus, I have my awesome Midnight Blue 4003 to keep me more than happy until the Tux gets healthy!

Thanks a ton, everyone!