Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm looking for advice on getting a truss rod spacer. Over the summer, I bought a very-abused 1983 4003:
It came missing almost everything, pickups, bridge, tuners, half the pickguard, etc. The paint was worse than the photo shows; most of it has been removed; still cleaning around the binding. One truss rod is missing and the other needs replacing. I already have the truss rods, but I am having trouble finding a spacer. Does anyone know where I can get the correct spacer for an '83?

Apologies if this is posted to the wrong place or otherwise wrong. This is my first post.

I recommend posting this also in the section, '"Vibrola" Rickenbacker Technical Forum: By Paul Wilczynski', as the luthiers will spot it there and maybe help.

FWIW from what I remember on previous such repairs, folks have bought bar stock and fashioned their own from it. I have not done this repair myself.

I'm not sure if a new one from RIC would fit correctly. If you could measure the size you need, you could have one made.
I hope you're going to give that 4003 a lot of love. It looks like it needs it. Then it will reward you back.

rickenbrother wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 2:48 pm I'm not sure if a new one from RIC would fit correctly. If you could measure the size you need, you could have one made.
I hope you're going to give that 4003 a lot of love. It looks like it needs it. Then it will reward you back.

The bass in question was is one that the truss rods adjust from the body end, right?

jps wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 8:27 pm The bass in question was is one that the truss rods adjust from the body end, right?

It looks like an early 4003 truss rods that adjusts at the body end. It's been a very long time since I've looked under the hood of one of those. One spacer for each rod? I forgot about that.

rickenbrother wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:36 pm

jps wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 8:27 pm The bass in question was is one that the truss rods adjust from the body end, right?

It looks like an early 4003 truss rods that adjusts at the body end. It's been a very long time since I've looked under the hood of one of those. One spacer for each rod? I forgot about that.

THe space looks like those that would be at the headstock, only cut in half and a bit longer to compensate for the rods beeing a bit wider apart at the heel end of the neck (they may not be exactly parallel as they run down the neck).

jps wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 8:27 pm

rickenbrother wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 2:48 pm I'm not sure if a new one from RIC would fit correctly. If you could measure the size you need, you could have one made.
I hope you're going to give that 4003 a lot of love. It looks like it needs it. Then it will reward you back.

The bass in question was is one that the truss rods adjust from the body end, right?

Truss Rods-4003 Heel End Adjust © A-Step-Towards 01.jpg
Truss Rods-4003 Heel End Adjust © A-Step-Towards 02.jpg

That's how my truss rods are supposed to look, if both were there and intact. I had not thought of cutting a different spacer in half, but it looks like that might do the trick. And yes, I am given it lots of love. My main concern now is getting it properly stripped without screwing up something I can't undo.

Stripping the finish off shouldn't be much of a problem, just be mindful of the binding.

Better to sand off finishes than to use a chemical stripper. Binding and position markers are plastic. Granted, this was 50 years ago, but I removed the finish from my old '72 with Zip Strip, and it ate into the binding and (gasp) the crushed-pearl position markers! When I realized that was happening, I wiped off the stripper and sanded off the rest of the finish.

Yes, as Paul says. I was using the word stripping as one would their clothing (remove).