Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The reason I ask is because I have been having this slowly growing deadening of my low E string, no matter the stringset, over the last few months.

It feels like there is a vibration dampening thing going on. I was wondering if the rod may be vibrating funny in the channel and that maybe taking off the trod nut, then manually turning the rod in the channel a half turn might change the vibration characteristics.

Thanks for any info.

I am also running thru a short checklist of things to try first before I do this like:
Tighten bridge mounting hardware
Tighten tuner hardware
Set up according to ric factory setup like when I first got it (good thing I recorded the measurements!)
Make sure pup height is right, etc.
Any other suggestions appreciated.

I'd pull them out and add a little extra curve to them. You'll have to remove the pickguard, as they come out from the body end of the neck unless you have one from the early 80s with a two piece pickguard. Reinstall them with the arc towards the fretboard.

Thanks!! Just what I needed to know.
Are you the guy who dared people to send them their dead E rics fir a setup challeng?
If you have any pointers let me know.

lumgimfong wrote: Sun Jul 10, 2022 2:32 pm Are you the guy who dared people to send them their dead E rics fir a setup challeng?
If you have any pointers let me know.

I might have said that, many years ago.

"Dead" E strings can be caused by any of the following.

• Poorly installed string

Correctly reinstall the string.

• String action either too high or low

Check the neck and bridge.

• The pickup or polepiece is either too high or too low

Make the necessary adjustments.

• Excessively/quickly tightening truss rod nuts

Sometimes just a slight tweak to either nut (usually the E side) solves the problem. Sometimes a slight tweak to both,

Thanks again!!!
All points covered but I will tweak the rods and see.

What strings and gauge are you using?

I was using Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45-90 for the last three months. Newest set was a month old but low E sounded funny from start. This week I tried SIT Power flats 105 set. Totally dead E and deadish G strings. A and D were bright and crisp.

So today, I tightened hardware for tuners and bridge mounting screws - no effect.
Tweaked the low side rod - no effect.
Then I took off the strings and undid both rod nuts til they started coming loose from the face plate. I could not turn the rod to rotate it by hand, nor could I push it. They are really snug in the channels.
So I then snugged the nuts gently against the face plate and then tightened each rod another quarter turn and threw on a set of Rotosound Swing 66 40-100.
The E is fine now! So I don't know if I had two sets of flats of different brands with both having dead E strings, or the truss rod reset change did the trick.
Relief is at .30mm 8th fret with first and last fret depressed and action is E-side 3/32 at 12th fret, 2/32 at G side.
I just hope it stays playing and sounding good from now on.

Praise the Lord everything is ok now and I can play it at church this week.

Any more thoughts on this subject are greatly appreciated in case this ever happens again.

Make sure the pickguard, nameplate screws are snug, just be careful not to overtighten. Make sure the strap lock screws are tight. T nuts that hold the pots and pickup selector switch should be snug also.

Will do! Thanks!

lumgimfong wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 10:34 pm Will do! Thanks!

I forgot to mention the jackplate screws and jack nuts.

I’m missing a pickguard screw.
They don’t sell them at the boutique. Anyone know where to get them?

lumgimfong wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:12 pm I’m missing a pickguard screw.
They don’t sell them at the boutique. Anyone know where to get them?

Hardware store?

lumgimfong wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:12 pm I’m missing a pickguard screw.
They don’t sell them at the boutique. Anyone know where to get them?

I bought these in black when I blacked out my 4003S/5. The thread is a little different than the RIC p/g screws, but they went in nice and snug with no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KS ... =UTF8&th=1

rickenbrother wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 8:39 pm

lumgimfong wrote: Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:12 pm I’m missing a pickguard screw.
They don’t sell them at the boutique. Anyone know where to get them?

I bought these in black when I blacked out my 4003S/5. The thread is a little different than the RIC p/g screws, but they went in nice and snug with no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KS ... =UTF8&th=1

They're metric. I'm thinking that RIC uses what we Americans laughably call standard screws, which would explain why the threads are different.

Isaac wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 9:52 pm

rickenbrother wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 8:39 pm
I bought these in black when I blacked out my 4003S/5. The thread is a little different than the RIC p/g screws, but they went in nice and snug with no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KS ... =UTF8&th=1

They're metric. I'm thinking that RIC uses what we Americans laughably call standard screws, which would explain why the threads are different.

Probably so.