Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was trying to fine tune the setup on my 2018 4003S and noticed that the frets on the treble side were pretty uneven. I used a fret rocker to confirm what I was seeing when sighting down the neck. I also have a twist in the neck that I have not been able to get completely out with truss rod adjustments. Anyway, here are some pics of what I have. Is this an issue of frets not seated correctly? They don't appear to be loose to the touch.

If they dont look correct, can I just relevel or should they be reseated?

I'd say you definitely have something going on there. I'd try tapping them down with a fret hammer.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ammer.html

Using a fret press to get them back down would be best, but a fret hammer will do the job.
And if you are successful you won't even need to recrown unless things require it.

If they don't want to re-seat you might consider trying to flow some thin CA (superglue) into the slot to help them hold, don't forget to clamp. And of course protect your fingerboard with blue (painters) tape.

Fret problems always seem to happen with the change of seasons and humidity levels shift.

Certainly a recoverable problem. The truss rod situation is another symptom of seasonal wood shift.
You could try the vintage truss rod setup technique even though yours has more modern rods, but the technique might just solve your twisting issue.

Good luck,
Dirk

This is a pretty uncommon issue for Rickenbacker, isn't it?

The problem with trying to hammer down fret ends that have sprung up is that tapping on a fret tends to straighten it out a little, so it will want to keep popping up. Try pressing down the fret with something hard like a spoon -- if it "retracts" easily and pops up again, tapping it back in definitely won't work, but you can use a capo to hold it down while you glue it.

If you try to re-level loose frets without first securing them, they will "retract" when playing, and buzz.