Normal for a new Ric?

[JMDunn]

2017 4003sw. The neck relief was almost right but needed a little tightening. When I removed the TRC I discovered this.

Is this normal?

[cheyenne]

If your referring to one rod appearing longer than the other, it shouldn't cause any problems. I even think my bass is like that. Its just the way the rods were installed.

[bassduke49]

How long have they been doing the two deeper routes in the cavity?

The blue dot is probably a check indicator = blue dot means inspected by Joe, red dot means inspected by Jane, etc.?

[JMDunn]

I should be more clear: I am asking whether the truss rod nuts should be so drastically different in their position on their respective truss rods. There's almost a 1/4" of thread exposed on the one pictured right and no threads exposed on the one pictured left. My 1992 Jetglo is about the same rod to rod, so this seemed like a strange condition to me. What do y'all think?

[JMDunn]

If your referring to one rod appearing longer than the other, it shouldn't cause any problems. I even think my bass is like that. Its just the way the rods were installed.

THat is what I meant. I added a post to clarify before I saw your response. That is what I want to hear, but hopefully not just from one other person! Anyone else out there see differences in truss rod adjustment from rod to rod in your fully functional 4003s?

[cheyenne]

I dont think you have to worry about anything..I've been around here for a year or two,,,,I'm sure someone else will chime in.

[antipodean]

It concerns me that the tips of the rods do not appear to be even, suggesting one rod may have migrated up its channel. are you able to see inspect the anchor nuts at the base of the neck?

[cassius987]

Mine looks just like that and it has been very stable and is set up fantastically well. Don't worry about it!

It's nice that RIC is putting those channels in so the socket driver will fit easily.

[maxwell]

It concerns me that the tips of the rods do not appear to be even, suggesting one rod may have migrated up its channel. are you able to see inspect the anchor nuts at the base of the neck?

Probably this. Sometimes the wood at the acorn nut end gets compressed, often (but not always) by excessive tightening. One preventive solution to preclude further movement of the rod is to remove the rod(s) and place some/saturate with watery thin superglue over the wood surrounding the hole(s) for the rod(s). (If you did this, you might want to do both rod areas....) The glue soaks into and hardens the wood. You could then add a couple of extra small washers under the acorn nut to reposition the vertical position of the rod back to near the same level as the unaffected rod. (This is what I did for my Model 1996.)

But, it's a real PITA to remove the rods, with a risk of marring the finish of the guitar body, especially for the inexperienced. It's a "risk/reward" thing. I'd say if you're happy with your neck adjustment as it is--or even if you're not--don't worry about it. If it ever gets to the point where any adjustment does not change the neck and only results in the rod getting "longer," then you'll have to address the problem. (I'm a play-it-safe one quarter turn per day or two adjustment sort of guy; easier to see what's going on.) I suspect that if this compression effect has taken place (and I do) then the effect probably has "bottomed out" and probably no further compression will occur. If everyone removed their truss rod covers tonight and reported back about the relative positions of the rod ends, I bet there would be plenty reports of "non-even" rod ends (like JM Dunn reported). Put the truss rod cover back on--"out of sight, out of mind"--and just enjoy. (Congrats!)

[cheyenne]

Here's a pic of my May 2016 in Fireglo.

Apparently, they started cutting the little grooves sometime after mine was made anyway.

My rods are even after all. I have had basses with irregular rod length's like yours, and have had absolutely no problems with them. If it bothers you, and you bought it new, Rics are a pretty substantial investment, take it back for a different one.

[fretless]

my new 4003w is exactly the same way

[JMDunn]

Thanks to all who took the time to report back. I have long been a lurker here and appreciate the immense resource that is the RickResource forum and its members, but never had a need to post because somebody has already had my problem, but I'll be damned if I could find any uneven truss rod nut posts of yore. I am not sure if I am going to keep this Ric and your input has helped me at least rule out the uneven truss rod nuts as a reason to return.

There is actually a long story behind my decision to return. I purchased the bass at the end of July from an online retailer as a scratch and dent. It was listed as a 4003W without pictures but on level 3 discount for about 35% off actual retail price due to a cracked pickguard. I had been eyeing the 4003W for some time so it took about 8 seconds for me to pull the trigger on that and a $30 replacement PG from POTR. The bass arrived first and it was a 4003SW! The pickguard was cracked and the serial was right but it had been mislisted (and mispriced by $160 TOO MUCH!) so I am now faced with the decision of keeping the bass and getting a further discount of $160, or returning it for a full refund and walking away.

I am on the fence about keeping the bass. It isn't what I "ordered" but it is an awesome bass and maybe even a better fit than the 4003W I thought I wanted, maybe even a better compliment to my 1992 Jetglo as a second instrument. And I am sure as shoot never going to find a better deal on one. I used it frequently for a week or so, and the action was good but not great. If i couldn't get it to set up significantly better I was thinking I would send it back. That's when I opened her up and saw the uneven rods.

So over the past week, after the feedback here seemed to tell me it was not so unusual, I have adjusted it about half a turn on both rods (oddly enough, a little more on the one that was already showing thread) to achieve a very good action but still not as perfect as my '92 jetglo. So I think it is going back.

If someone needs a 2015 or newer pick guard (asymmetrical screw hole closest to the upper horn, fits the same models as the zeromod thumbrest 4003V2), brand new for $35 shipped anywhere CONUS, please PM me.

[maxwell]

Yeah, it's a lot easier to give advice than to actually live with the consequences of said advice. So, I'll concede that if I could return/exchange a guitar that I wasn't entirely happy with, I'd do it. (I've done it) Get one you can really bond with. Good luck!

[JMDunn]

Thanks! The advice of folks here, including yours, helped me realize that the truss rod nuts alone are not reason enough on their own to send it back, and so the go ahead to attempt to adjust it into perfection. I loved the sound it puts out, like a hi-def version of my jetglo, but I was disappointed to find that no matter what I did, I couldn't get the low action I have come expect from a Ric without fret buzz at the first few frets.

You are absolutely right, life is too short for instruments you do not feel that bond with. I have had that with less than a handful of basses during my 24 year infatuation with the low end, and this 4003sw is unlikely to join that elite club. Simple as that. I just feel lucky that I had the opportunity to evaluate this unique instrument and am now able to return for a full refund including return shipping due to the online retailer's mistake. Just a shame that bonding didn't happen because the price was very nice. Another case of too good to be true on planet earth. Alert the media.

[Gilmourisgod]

Nice to see that Ric has finally addressed the lack of truss nut adjustment clearance, that was always a PITA to get a socket in there. I've seen some photos of older models with slots under the rod not, unclear if they were original or gouged out by amateurs later. Maybe the Trussrod tool they sell will actually fit now?