Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi all,

I'm having a new nut made for my March 1973 4001 and I want to have it cut with the correct narrow string spacing for the era. Does anyone know the measurements for the proper spacing? Specifically, my luthier asked for the distance in millimeters between the center-line of the E and G strings and the edge of the fretboard, and then he will space the strings evenly in between. Any help would be much appreciated!

As an aside, the nut is being cut from bleached bone. I know this is not the correct material but I've chosen it because I think that a bright white delrin or bakelite nut isn't going to look great next to the mellowed color of the binding. Hopefully the ivory color of the bone will look a little more at home on the bass. That being said, the pickguard is original and is, of course, bright white, so maybe I'm overthinking this.

Dennis

I wouldn't overthink the string spacing; it probably varied a bit anyway as they were hand cut. Plus, you already are altering it by using a bone nut, which is fine, so just go with what you are comfortable with as to string spacing.

Here is a photo of the headstock and nut on my March '73 4001 for reference, in two different sizes so your luthier can gauge the "proper" size (on my bass anyway). Hopefully these will help you.

I measured a lot of basses getting my custom built, and both my Ricks (75 4001, 2004 Laredo) have a 7/16" string spacing at the nut, the same as my bud's 99 P bass and 91 Stingray.

Thanks. 7/16" spacing is just a bit tighter than the spacing on my 2011 4003. Jeff, have you ever measured the spacing on your 4001?

ibal wrote:Jeff, have you ever measured the spacing on your 4001?

No, but I could. I'll get back to you in a few minutes.


















Okay, it is a few minutes later....................

Edge of neck/fingerboard/end of nut to center of the E string is 5mm, and for the same on the G string is 4mm. Hope this helps.

Thanks, It is interesting that the center of the E string is a little farther from the end of the nut than the G string. I wonder if that's intentional, to account for differing thickness of the strings?

ibal wrote:Thanks, It is interesting that the center of the E string is a little farther from the end of the nut than the G string. I wonder if that's intentional, to account for differing thickness of the strings?

Look again - I think there is a shadow on the G side of the nut. Look at the fretboard under the first fret - the E and G have the same amount of rosewood on their outsides.

jdogric12 wrote:

ibal wrote:Thanks, It is interesting that the center of the E string is a little farther from the end of the nut than the G string. I wonder if that's intentional, to account for differing thickness of the strings?

Look again - I think there is a shadow on the G side of the nut. Look at the fretboard under the first fret - the E and G have the same amount of rosewood on their outsides.

Whoops, you lost me. Doesn't the fact that there is same amount of rosewood between the E and G and the edge of the fretboard mean that the centerline of each string can't be the same distance from the edge? If the distances were the same, then there would actually be less rosewood visible between the E string and the edge because the E string is thicker than the G string.

In any event, Jeff measured the distance on his bass and, unless I misunderstood his post, the centerline for the G is 1mm closer to the edge than it is for the E.

jdogric12 wrote:

ibal wrote:Thanks, It is interesting that the center of the E string is a little farther from the end of the nut than the G string. I wonder if that's intentional, to account for differing thickness of the strings?

Look again - I think there is a shadow on the G side of the nut. Look at the fretboard under the first fret - the E and G have the same amount of rosewood on their outsides.

I measured my bass to provide those numbers, Jason.

ibal wrote:Thanks, It is interesting that the center of the E string is a little farther from the end of the nut than the G string. I wonder if that's intentional, to account for differing thickness of the strings?

It may be, or, it could be just how it happened to be cut that time.

I asked my luthier and he said he would expect the center of the E to be farther from the edge of the board than the G to account for the difference in the string gauge.

That makes perfect sense.

Makes perfect sense to me. In addition, when we play, our fingers tend to push the strings down onto the fret and possibly a little up toward the E string, but pretty much never down toward the G string. So there's little need for a lot of fretboard outside the G string, but a bit outside the E string could be useful.