More changes

[Dave W]

Like every other bass manufacturer then.

The fuel line in my car is a proper bastard to remove. I bought my car on the basis that I won't ever have to replace the fuel line. Only Rickenbacker fanatics are conditioned to think that yanking out broken trussrods is some sort of design advantage and a matter of course for bass ownership.

Exactly. Not that there's anything wrong with easily removable truss rods, but that's been the rare exception, not the rule. A Gibson employee invented the adjustable truss rod 100 years ago and it has served them well without being easily removable. There are more modern versions, like the double action rods, but they can't be yanked out either.

[ilan]

Like every other bass manufacturer then.

The fuel line in my car is a proper bastard to remove. I bought my car on the basis that I won't ever have to replace the fuel line. Only Rickenbacker fanatics are conditioned to think that yanking out broken trussrods is some sort of design advantage and a matter of course for bass ownership.

Unlike most other basses, Rickenbackers are neck-thru. You can't shim the neck, and the design makes the necks a lot more flexible.

I have two Rics that I saved by fixing the rods. An '86 Shadow with modern rods that needed straightening, and a '73 with hairpin rods that had the usual bent-down and stripped threaded ends. Both had ski-slope necks when I got them — unlike any Fender I ever encountered — and both now have laser-straight necks and play like a dream with low action. Had I not been able to pull out the rods, these two basses would have ended up as parts donors. 

[morrow]

They were the only company with removable truss rods .
Although it’s funny how so many people that were not familiar with Rickenbackers said such awful things about their truss rods .
I’m used to the older spring style rods , they’re incredibly stable . I’ve only adjusted my 4001 twice in twenty years . Not like Fender style basses that require a seasonal tweak .

[Alanko]

They were the only company with removable truss rods .
Although it’s funny how so many people that were not familiar with Rickenbackers said such awful things about their truss rods .

The hairpins work perfectly by all accounts, but having to manually flex the neck then adjust the hairpins to match is a fairly inefficient way of doing things. I've seen a good number of old Ricks on Reverb with the fretboard showing signs of having popped off at the lowest frets. Designing something where benign user error can cause this much damage seems slightly foolish.

The Rickenfanatics I've seen on Facebook are always very keen to slap down any new owner who asks questions about setups etc. "Take your Bass to a qualified tech with a good reputation for working on Rick basses, don't attempt anything yourself".


Fair enough if these were lovingly hand-built instruments from a renowned luthier who turns out a half dozen pieces a year, but plain daft for a production line instrument assembled in the main by unskilled labour.

[morrow]

A friend once described Rickenbackers as a confluence of unfortunate design considerations .
I still get a little weak in the knees when I see one .
I somehow got known around town as being a little nerdy about Rics , so I wound up helping a good number of people set them up . I always believed that setting up an instrument was just another aspect of learning how to play .

[Dave W]

About 20 years ago I was looking at a 360 in a local shop. It had too much relief, and I asked a sales guy if we could take a look at the truss rods. He removed the TRC and before I could stop him, he was cranking both of them like crazy with a socket wrench. Moron.

[gearHed289]

I've always wondered about the focus on truss rod removability (I think I just made a new word). I've owned probably a couple of dozen basses since 1977, and I've never had to have a truss rod removed. And I live and gig in the land of constantly fluctuating weather - Chicago.

Rics are quirky beasts, but definitely tamable. I often wonder how many Rics in the 70s that had "the neck go bad" were just worked on by someone who didn't know about the hairpin rods?

[morrow]

I was told to always look for the two telltale signs of truss rod abuse when looking at an older Ric . Fretboard separation around the first frets , and downward pointing truss rod nuts .
That’s the indication your old Ric was abused .
You have to seriously tork those truss rod nuts to do that …

[uwe]

When my luthier replaced the original Ric truss rods on my 8-string against thicker and more stable Ibanez ones, removable truss rods came in handy. And I now have metric nuts!

A reference to my Ric of course, not what you thought, yikes!

[ilan]

I'm in the process of restoring a 1963 Höfner Verithin. It involves replacing the broken truss rod. I had to have the fretboard removed, and a new one will be installed. I wish it had a removable rod. Maybe I'll use a Ric hairpin rod.

[morrow]

My blade pickup 500/1 has a broken truss rod , I guess they might be able to possibly re-thread  the end of the rod , or the fretboard might have to be pulled and a new rod installed .
It’s kinda on hold right now .

[ilan]

My blade pickup 500/1 has a broken truss rod , I guess they might be able to possibly re-thread  the end of the rod , or the fretboard might have to be pulled and a new rod installed .
It’s kinda on hold right now .

You might need a new board. I had a violin maker pull the board, hoped it would be hide glue, easy and clean. It wasn't. It was Titebond or something similar.

[morrow]

The guy I’m hoping to do the work usually works on uprights , violins and cellos , so he’s used to lifting glue . He’s also just moved and still getting set back up .

[Alanko]

Those old Hofners might be due a neck reset at this conjecture anyway?

[morrow]

The neck has separated already so it’s got to be glued back …