Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Recently purchased a 1981 310.

Arrived with round .10s. Have replaced them with flat .13s IT's. This is has caused some next relief issues I am just not able to correct for some reason. I have been using the correct manual adjustment necessary for pre-1984 instruments outline in these forums.

I have contacted the store about my issues. The guitar was bought online and the listing stated that the truss rods are in working order. In my email to them, I asked if they were indeed working in the store as I am not able to correct the neck relief to accommodate the higher tension of the strings. They stated that .10 to .13 is a huge jump and it is like that the neck can't handle these strings.

Can this be true? I have read so much on these forums that .12 are a standard for short scales which makes me think the truss rods are indeed not working.

What's going on here? Why would it be that the truss rods are not correcting the relief? Does this mean they are possible broken and in need of replacement? What would be my best course of action?

Adam as an inexpensive experiment why not put another brand of 12's on this instrument. I suspect that your instrument will appreciate it. A lot cheaper to reduce string tension than to mess with the truss rods in the long run in my view. Yes. I know that TI's are expensive.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

I did try a set of 12s TIs yesterday. No luck with the truss rod again. Should I go down to 11s? The store said it might be best to start with 11s and work my way up to 12s max as the guitar has lived a long time with 10s and that's what it's used to so it will take awhile to adjust. Would there be any other recommended brands? I am particular to flats on this one.

Thanks.

Flats have the greatest tension. Yes,from a financial perspective I would try 11s prior to sourcing truss rods. Having said that this trussrod problem is fixable.

If you are saying you cannot get the neck straight and there is too much relief in spite of T-rod adjustments, you could try this trick that worked for me on a Gibson bass. Not sure if would do same on a Ricky, but:

1. Remove strings.
2. Return t-rods to neutral. Stand up bass and site down neck from headstock (holding the body - not neck for support)- should look pretty straight.
3. Now, with all strings still off, and no tension on the neck, turn Trod nuts clockwise 1/8 turn and safely leave the bass standing upright with only the bass body leaning on anything to hold it up. Nothing touches the neck.
4. Check back in 1/2 hour. Is there some backbow to the neck now? If so:
5. Restring and tune up and check relief.
If neck not straight enough, repeat the process, but go 1/4 turn from neutral this time. Give it an hour, look for backbow, then restring/tune and recheck relief.

I found on the Gibson, I had to remove all tension from the neck first, then do t-rods, then let it sit so the rod could work on the neck with no interference from string tension, then the neck would backbow enough to get going in that direction so strings would pull it back to straight when tuned up.

It was weird cuz usually on all my other basses, I remove tension, adjust, restring right away, and all is well. But The Gibson needed time to adjust before restringing. It would not adjust under tension.