Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

man this was once a nice bass ... I guess it can be repaired ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=3739952830&rd=1

Man, that is one beat bass.

I am guessing it has a broken truss rod. The delaminated fingerboard is a bit disturbing but I guess that could happen if one rod was overtightened to compensate for the other not working. My concern otherwise would be compression and/or twisting of the neck from hevily counter loading one side and not the other. There is hope for this one though . The seller obviously does not know what the instrument is. Bubinga fingerboard?

I may be a little slow here but, why would the rods need replaced? Are they broken? Why would the fingerboard be popped like that on a Rick with the modern truss rod system? And whats up with that bow?

All the newer Ricks that I have owned seem to have necks that tend to be very straight or want to bow toward the strings.

I live in Ohio and experience a variety of climate changes from time to time, but this must be a severe case of neglect.

....just a guess here but if someone broke a rod and then tried to adjust the remaining rod to carry the entire neck load, the resulting compressive force of the rod nut could cause the fingerboard joint to fail like that.

the rods are easy to replace ... but will the neck flatten out with new rods? ... that fretboard scares me ... I've never seen that on a moder 4003 ...

I've never seen a neck like that period, almost all the bow seems to be from the nut to about the secong fret, I wouldn't touch that thing with a ten ft. pole. I don'tknow if a broken rod would do that, you can usually hold a Ric neck with only one rod if you have to, especially a new one.

Bob: What you are seeing is a bit of an illusion caused by the delaminiation. The bow is consistent with insufficient counter force.

Ted, if you grab it can we do a trade?

Bob: It is also possible that both rods are broken.
Jaymi: Sure, I would be open to trades should I land that 4004.

You are the man Ted..

You might be right Ted, but that thing still looks nasty to me. Takes a long time to get a bad bend out of necks sometimes. I think someone may have used that for a canoe ornament instead of playing it.

I have worked with a few Ricks that were left strung and tuned with two broken rods. They eventually straighten out. It might take a week or so. Once it is glued and clamped it should be ok.

Who is frankensteinberger anyway? Does he hang out here?

Yes, that is Gregg Silagyi....a fellow Shadow owner...