FINALLY I HAVE BLUE LEFTY RICK 4003-SOME QUESTIONS

[rocker19]

Hello guys

I haven' t been there for a long time...A few days ago I purchased beautiful /midnight?/ blue Rick 4003 February 1997./photos/.

 

I would have a few questions:

 

1.The most important: E tuner is bent-see last photo.It is quite easy to fix -straighten?- it but I am not sure if it could break...It would be disaster..It works perfectly it's only a matter of look.

2.There is a foam to mute strings which I am not going to use.Do I have to unscrew the entire bridge or use a razor to cut out it?

3.The truss rod needs adjusting I did it appr 8 years ago /its my 2nd Rick/ I don' remember how I did it,  it's quite easy I would say but RIC manual recommend only 1/4 of round once a time do I have to wait some time/minutes-hours?/ between each adjustment or can I do the whole job within a minutes?Without strings of course...

4.On the photo you can see huge Acoustic 201 300W GUITAR cabinet  cca 1972 eq. with 2x 15inch CTS speakers and horn /switchable/. I use it for bass too in my apartment only - not more than 15-20watts putting into it.Can I damage the speakers?I seldom set  bass more than 1 o' clock position.I guess not but I am not expert.Mainly I use ACC 126 bass combo /photo/ but I like ACC 201 sound better.

 

Thank you for an advices  Jan Slovakia

 

I am putting 7 photos here the Rick is very rare I think black binding and lefty...And beautiful color./Which blue exactly is it?/I bought it on Arni's /great guy/ leftybass site from very nice German bassist. He told me /and sent photo/ that E tuner was OK when packing...I believe him.

A few info on gear you can see-some might be interested...From the left: Czechoslovakia/Slovakia/ TESLA /Tesla Vrable/ 40W tube amp 1968 NOT designed for instruments mainly for use at schools etc..Microphone input moded for 100mV believe or not it sounds ALMOST like 1000€ Fender bassman.I paid 85€ for it...Unbelievable.It stands on ACC 126 bass combo 120W 1981. On the right there is mentioned ACC 201 300W guitar cabinet with awesome famous ACC 260 "Doors" amp on it/it's guitar amp but bass and keys sounds beautiful too/ and on it  you can see British HH IC 100/Bolan, Waters, John Deacon too?/ as you all surely know it very well and GED 2112 preamp.And very rare today Marshall 4145 4x10 100W guitar combo 1979 /Rush, SRV/ .BTW small Marlboro box is NOT cigarettes but rare old transistor radio, MW broadcasting ended a few years ago...

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by rocker19

[itu]

If you want to try, and go really slow, take a big wrench (Bahco, anyone?). Turn the tuner leaf slowly. If it seems to turn back, you're fine. But turn it as slow as you can. A quick bend may kill the leaf.

 

One nice set of stuff you have there.

[Doctor J]

Don't cut the foam!

 

There are two thumbscrews at either end of the plate the foam sits on. Use them to lower the foam out of the way.

[Waddo Soqable]

If you're going to tweak the tuner with a tool of some kind, I'd put something like a bit of thin plastic or even card over the surfaces of the key to avoid scratching the black finish with the tool (I'd close up an adjustable spanner on the key and try bending it carefully ) 

Lovely bass BTW.. 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Waddo Soqable

[PaulThePlug]

I'd be dropping the 'lovely people at Rickenbacker' an email and include your address, so they don't have to come back and may send a freebie... you only need the Key Part, if they happened to have a scratched tuner at all...

 

And the same to Schaller....

 

I wouldn't try and straighten if ally?

Worst case, a cheap black tuner and swap over keeping the R'backer back plate.

Edited February 19, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[Bassassin]

That's a stunning Rick, always liked the black hardware/binding combination & it looks great with the blue.

 

Tuner's an easy fix if you're careful. If you have access to a bench vice, remove the tuner from the bass and clamp the leaf in the vice. Protecting the finish, perhaps with a piece of thin card, would be a good idea. You'll be able to hold the tuner body and bend it straight. Don't worry, it won't break! If you don't have a vice, an adjustable spanner will do the same. I'd still recommend removing it from the bass.

 

The string mute is adjustable, the screws should lower the foam away from the strings. Having said that, it does look as though someone might have put an extra bit inside the mute assembly - if so you should be able to just pull it free, no need to cut anything.

 

Rickenbacker truss rods (even on 4003 models) can be temperamental things, hopefully one of our Rick specialists will be along in a minute!

Edited February 19, 2023 by Bassassin

[TheGreek]

I'm not a Rick fanboi  but I like the look of that. 

Black hardware really works. 

[ezbass]

I'd take the tuner off and warm it up before trying to straighten it, pop it in a plastic bag and put in a cup of boiling water for a few mins should be enough. Then gently ease it back as straight as you can get it.

 

As has been said, loosen the thumbscrews either side of the foam and that'll drop it down.

 

Truss rods (there will will be two if it's like my old 4003s). Opinions differ on how long to wait, but I'd give it half an hour and see if any difference has been made. However, expect to have to make another adjustment the next day, one way or the other. 

 

Finally, that's a tasty looking bass!

[fergs40]

Couple of thoughts from another 4003 owner.

 

Firstly on the foam in the bridge. As @Doctor J said, usually you just loosen the two thumb screws and the mute drops away. But I think @Bassassinis right that there looks to be too much stuff in there.
 

When you buy replacement foam for the mute (it rots/loses elasticity eventually) it is oversized - you have to cut a piece the right size to glue to the metal former it sits on. I wonder if someone has bought new foam, not realised this, and shoved the whole lot in there?

 

If so, you’ll need to remove the bridge to get to the underside of the mute mechanism to do a decent job of trimming the foam. Not a difficult job - I’d capo the strings at the first fret then loosen them enough to get the saddle out from under them. In the resulting gap you’ll find the screws you need to remove to get the bridge off.

 

The only thing to be careful about is the earth wire connected to the mute assembly - don’t break it lifting the bridge away from the body or getting the assembly out of the bridge. But just a bit of soldering if it does snap off (or just jam the exposed end of the wire back under the bridge when you replace it - that’s what I did when I replaced the original bridge with a Hipshot…)

 

There are libraries filled with advice on Ric trussrods, but here are my thoughts based on owning a 2011 4003 and a 2003 620/12, which should be relevant to a 97 bass. The really temperamental Ric trussrods were on the 4001 basses and possibly the early 4003 ones - then they came up with something more sensible. Well, a bit.

 

The biggest headache is finding a tool to do the adjustment. You need a 1/4 inch socket (the metric equivalent - I’d guess 6.5mm - might work, but I’ve never tried it). The problem is that the clearance around the nut is so narrow that most sockets don’t fit. I’m lucky enough to have one that came with a set I bought in Halfords (UK auto parts store) years ago that fits perfectly. Others speak of grinding down the outer diameter of a socket to make it slim enough. Or spring for the genuine Ric tool (or a guaranteed copy…).

 

Once you can turn the nuts, the rules are pretty much as for any other bass - don’t do anything too crazy and check the results regularly under full string tension/at whatever pitch you play at. NB you don’t have to loosen the strings to make these adjustments - again, that was only required with the older 4001 system.
 

The idea of having two rods is supposedly to make correcting a twisted neck possible. However, I suspect any Ric with a twisted neck got that way precisely because someone who didn’t know what they were doing used this advanced technology to put the twist into it…

 

Anyway, my approach has always been to do the same thing to both rods. As elsewhere, an eighth or a quarter turn is plenty. I don’t think you need to give time for an adjustment to settle, but equally @ezbass’s advice makes sense. An excuse to make a cup of tea if nothing else 🙂

I might, just might, leave the bass side rod a quarter to a half turn looser than the treble side overall to allow more swinging room for the thicker strings, but only if it feels right/suits your playing style - these things are sooooo subjective.

 

Good luck!

Edited February 19, 2023 by fergs40
Clarification re different eras of 4001/4003 trussrods

[fergs40]

PS That is a splendid looking bass. Respect!

[rocker19]

Hi guys 

 

I THANK YOU ALL A LOT! I posted it only yesterday and got so many advices! I appreciate much-indeed.

Of course I know what the big screws adjusting foam height are for..The problem is the strings are horribly high /the neck is a bit bow-haven t been adjusted for years and with Rotos on...The seller plays jazz and hadn t been using Rick for years.

As you know Rick bridge is...OK I will be polite:-)./I few days ago I got Hipshot from USA for my lefty Fireglo 2004 maybe when I have money /it cost me 244 euro including import taxes/ maybe I will purchase black one for this blue beauty.../ There is not much space to adjust ANYTHING and when I lowered strings at max  they touched the foam and muted...

So I will definitely remove the foam tomorrow I am going to instatll new Rotos Swing 66  45-105 and I guess I will be able to remove the foam without dismounting the bridge.

 Strightening the tuner is really a question.Thank you all for advices especially PaulThePlug I will definitely write to Schaller /no import taxes/ and i fthery won t help then to RIC people who unfortunately DO NOT sell anYthing outside USA and Canada.

And last solution could be ezbass advice-to warm tuner up before doing anything and then very slowly to straighten.

 

And of course I thank to all for truss rod adjustment advices.As I wrote I did it already but years ago..I have the right tool I bought it for appr 5-7 euros /yes!/ is special tool store it is nonsense that RIC doesn t include this with its products...

So thank you all again and when it all is done I will let you know and post photos.

Jan

[Richard R]

That is the best looking Rickenbacker I have ever seen.

 

Ever.

 

Please be careful with it!

[rocker19]

On 20/02/2023 at 14:49, rocker19 said:

Hi guys 

 

I THANK YOU ALL A LOT! I posted it only yesterday and got so many advices! I appreciate much-indeed.

Of course I know what the big screws adjusting foam height are for..The problem is the strings are horribly high /the neck is a bit bow-haven t been adjusted for years and with Rotos on...The seller plays jazz and hadn t been using Rick for years.

As you know Rick bridge is...OK I will be polite:-)./I few days ago I got Hipshot from USA for my lefty Fireglo 2004 maybe when I have money /it cost me 244 euro including import taxes/ maybe I will purchase black one for this blue beauty.../ There is not much space to adjust ANYTHING and when I lowered strings at max  they touched the foam and muted...

So I will definitely remove the foam tomorrow I am going to instatll new Rotos Swing 66  45-105 and I guess I will be able to remove the foam without dismounting the bridge.

 Strightening the tuner is really a question.Thank you all for advices especially PaulThePlug I will definitely write to Schaller /no import taxes/ and i fthery won t help then to RIC people who unfortunately DO NOT sell anYthing outside USA and Canada.

And last solution could be ezbass advice-to warm tuner up before doing anything and then very slowly to straighten.

 

And of course I thank to all for truss rod adjustment advices.As I wrote I did it already but years ago..I have the right tool I bought it for appr 5-7 euros /yes!/ is special tool store it is nonsense that RIC doesn t include this with its products...

So thank you all again and when it all is done I will let you know and post photos.

Jan

 

Hi again. FINALLY I have results..so:

1.THE BENT TUNER - I immediately gave up to write to RIC - overseas customers mean NOTHING to them..I wrote to Schaller, quite nice people, quick responding.They sell the tuner here:

https://schaller.info/en/machine-heads/287/bass-bm?number=10250401.26.71&c=53

 

Firstly I tried to strighten the original tuner by myslef.I used "bench vise?" to strighten it.I did it simply..Fixed the "wing" in it and strightened the "leg" with hand...slowly and carefully.I posted a photo.

2.THE FOAM-I cut it "longwise?".Now it no longer touches the strings.Anyway I don t need it at all..

BTW I don't understand WHY is metal plate bent...See photo.It causes the foam muted the strings.

3.Thank you for truss rod adjusting advices.I adjusted only slightly 1/6 of a round and after 3 hours another 1/6 of a round.On another day I put the strings.

I am adding 3 photos and 2 videos that I made and uploaded on YT.

 

I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE ADVICES AND VERY NICE COMMNETS.Jan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by rocker19

[prowla]

Nice Ric! (But then again, all Rics are nice...)

You did reattach the Gnd wire when putting back the bridge/tailpiece unit, right?

There's no need to remove the strings to adjust the truss rods and 1/4 turn is quite a lot; older Rics needed a different technique to Fenders to adjust the rods (ie, push the neck backwards at the 1st fret and use the rod adjuster to hold it in place), but that was sorted by the time of the 4003.

I'd be inclined to remove the Treble pickup cover and put a black bezel in to fill the hole; that does require undoing the surround plate and unscrewing the height adjuster screws, plus taking take of the rather flimsy wires.

Has yours got the push-pull Treble Tone pot? (I'm not sure they were doing them in '97.)

Incidentally, the tuners are, I believe, made by Schaller.

[rocker19]

Thank you PROWLA for advices everything is done already.I post the results above..And no it hasn't got Vintage tone selector they started to add them in 2006.

[prowla]

23 minutes ago, rocker19 said:

Thank you PROWLA for advices everything is done already.I post the results above..And no it hasn't got Vintage tone selector they started to add them in 2006.

My '78 and '88 have push-pull pots. 🙂

[rocker19]

I believe you but your push pull pots haven't been added by RIC.Definitely:-)

Edited March 27, 2023 by rocker19

[prowla]

1 hour ago, rocker19 said:

I believe you but your push pull pots haven't been added by RIC.Definitely:-)

Correct - I did them. 🙂