Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Help,
I have a brand new 360 six string. Amplified, the strings are making a buzzy/vibrating noise(NOT fret buzz, however the sound is similar to a string slightly touching a fret as it vibrates..). This is hardly noticeable on a "clean" setting, but on a "dirty" setting it is all there - unignorable and horrible. When you bang out chords you can almost overlook the noise, but play a single note, open or fretted, and theres that terrible sound. Flatwound(Pyramid)strings don't make the above mentioned noise, but I don't like the feel of them, exept for on my 330/12.(By the way, I've tried all kinds of strings, including the factory specified guage of RIC strings which are currently on the 360.)
So, I'm writing you because I just got my guitar back from Rickenbacker, where they completely redressed the frets and rethreaded the neck in order to eliminate the problem. However the problem remains, and all I got is a great set-up...and a beautiful guitar that makes an ugly noise. Tell me what I should do.
Alex

The guitar first needs to go throught the setup check ;

1 tune to pitch ot the pitch you normally use

2-check /adjust the truss rods

3-check nut depth-this requires that you install a capo to eliminate the nut as the trouble spot as well as the normal slot depth check .

4- check bridge height

If all of those are okay ,then the bridge and the tailpiece are suspect

I will assume that the work done at the factory was a setup and fret dressing ,and that was it .Maybe a quick play on an amp to make sure it functioned .
With quirky sounds sometimes without the owner present ,it is hard/difficult to pinpoint what you are looking for .

So here is what I would look for and do ;

1-check the saddles for sideways wobble ...this is not common ,but is one of the Rick quirks.

2- check the slant of the notches in the saddles .This is common to all makers with saddles that require filing/notching .

3- check the 4 legs that mount to the bridge plate .One of them may have worn/loose threads ,or one may not be seated properly.

4- This is rare ,a loose truss rod nut
5-even rarer a tailpiece that has burrs on the underside of it and the ball end is vibrating in the hooks


This is what I would check .....I have no idea what the factory did ,but I'm sure they felt it was solved .
I'd give them the benefit of the doubt .
This is from the voice of experience with many types of guitars and many types of brands .They ALL have quirks in one way or another ...you just got a tough one to solve perhaps.

I'd check the saddles second ,and take it off the guitar ,but not until I checked the legs .

This is a difficult type of problem to analyze and gets into a pretty subjective area. Our guitar techs do spend some time with every new and repaired instrument. In fact, they have their own little rooms out of the noise of the shop, amplifier equipped naturally.

These are all suggestions worth looking at but these would have been checked or noticed during service. My vote would an effect related to the amp, such as an improper ground or a problem with the preamp input which doesn't like our lower output, very high impedance pickup.

Mr. Hall: Out of curiosity, what amp(s) do the guitar techs use when testing new/repaired guitars? Thanks!! By the way, I think it's great that you stop by to answer questions or address issues in this forum.

I have no idea what amps are being used at the moment ,but when I was working there ....we used some old silver covered Rick amps .

I don't have any idea what models they are ,but there were amps that were the size of Fender Twin amps.

They had to be at least early 1960's and all/100% tube .