Vintage truss rods
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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a1x
Vintage truss rods
just out of curiosity, what was the modern modification to the v63 truss rods that made them able to accept roundwounds as the standard stings?
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jwr2
here's a quote from John Hall ceo RIC ...
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A completely new truss rod system was designed for the 4003 (and subsequently all Ricks). While it is somewhat stronger, the main feature is adjustability and how intuitive it is. The old system was actually quite good, and I notice a number of makers now using something like our old system, but you really had to know how to make adjustments. Not doing it right damaged many otherwise perfectly good basses. The newer system allows as much as 3/8" of over- and under-bow at the 12th fret, no matter how heavy the string. Also, two new laminations with reversed back-to-back wood grain, which you cannot see in the completed bass, increase the static strength of the neck. The fret wire was never changed, as we have always used the hardest alloy available. An almost pure iron string like the Rotosound is going to wear any fret material away more than, say, a nickel alloy string will.
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A completely new truss rod system was designed for the 4003 (and subsequently all Ricks). While it is somewhat stronger, the main feature is adjustability and how intuitive it is. The old system was actually quite good, and I notice a number of makers now using something like our old system, but you really had to know how to make adjustments. Not doing it right damaged many otherwise perfectly good basses. The newer system allows as much as 3/8" of over- and under-bow at the 12th fret, no matter how heavy the string. Also, two new laminations with reversed back-to-back wood grain, which you cannot see in the completed bass, increase the static strength of the neck. The fret wire was never changed, as we have always used the hardest alloy available. An almost pure iron string like the Rotosound is going to wear any fret material away more than, say, a nickel alloy string will.
Very interesting! It has always been said that the necks are multi-laminates but when looking at a neck on a 4003 or 4004 it looks like a one piece neck, discounting the wings, fingerboard or any body laminations, I'm talking the fingerboard area of the neck itself. So the laminations are internal to the outer "skin" of the neck. I'd like to see a drawing of that design. This sure is a different way of building a neck. Very Interesting indeed!
