Rickenbacker photo thread

[ilan]

Good stuff! Wow!

[weekend warrior]

Thank you,Thank you all. :)The april 73 jet and the july 72 maple,Never had their original bridges.The jan 73 fireglo is completely original.The jet has a repro(pickguardian)pickguard.Other than the bridge its complete and original.The 72 is complete sans bridge.They are all completely different basses.They all have their own distinct voice.

[Highlander]

Nice group... and welcome from the UK contingent...

[weekend warrior]

Thanks again 

[Bert]

Thank you,Thank you all. :)The april 73 jet and the july 72 maple,Never had their original bridges.The jan 73 fireglo is completely original.The jet has a repro(pickguardian)pickguard.Other than the bridge its complete and original.The 72 is complete sans bridge.They are all completely different basses.They all have their own distinct voice.

I now have 9 Rickenbacker basses (and sold 2). None of them sound and feel the same. Otherwise I would not have 9 ehh. Early, or pre- '73 bridges are very hard to get. I need sadles for one of mine, the other has a later bridge.

[weekend warrior]

Other than original Horseshoe bass pickups,the bridges are the holy grail and impossible to find.That being said,the bridge to get is the allparts rick 4001 bridge.They cost about 60 bucks even less on the bay at times and they have steel saddles like the earlier ones.The bridge bass itself is made from steel as well so it will not lift.All you do is cut the notch or gap tooth yourself with a dremel and viola! you have an early70's bridge.

[Bert]

Early Rick's have aluminum sadles. Are these allparts bridges better than (later) originals?

[weekend warrior]

Yeah.Im looking at mine right now.It a different grade though.Its real high quality aircraft grade aluminum.It doesnt darken or tarnish.The newer ones darken and tarnish something terrible.Yeah they are.Like i said they use steel saddles so they never seaze up and tarnish. They look about as close as it gets.and they have a better bridge to baseplate fit.They dont rock back and forth.My early 70's original bridge is like that.Its a real snug fit with no rock to it.Im telling you the allparts is the way to go until you find the Grail. :)and a whole lot cheaper

[Denis]

Hahaha, I love the tarnished hardware. I think my '74 P-bass tuners even have green on the nickel somewhere. 

[weekend warrior]

Yeah,it just means that you dont have to use locktite on the bridge :mrgreen:I love that look on my old fender jazz basses too.But Rickys have always had that elegant chrome plating on there tuners and bridges.They just dont look right green and cruddy

[Bert]

Yeah,it just means that you dont have to use locktite on them

I did use that against ratling. But I somehow believe it might be the strings ratling in the sadles which are too deep now.

[weekend warrior]

Are you having troubles with the intonation on the bass?If not just make sure there is a sharp enough angle in the cut of the saddle.Mine are deep too but its dead on intonation wise and doesnt seam to rattle at all.

[Bert]

My favorite strings (rickenbacker strings) rattle in these sadles. But to my amazement TI Jazz flats do not. I am a lazy sod. I have not checked intonation recently. I usually tune 5th position whenever I suspect intonation is not 100 %.

[weekend warrior]

hmmnnn??? slots are cut to wide for your strings?Do you have any needle files?

[Bert]

I do not have any instrument related files at all.