Join music gear discussions on Equipboard. Talk about guitar gear, electronic music production, get help identifying gear, ask for feedback on your music, suggest ideas to improve Equipboard and more.

Is Rickenbacker cutting corners?

Reply
dave_crowder
dave_crowder|49

Just bought my second 4003 LH and found it to be unplayable - I got the first in 2001 and it was perfect out of the box (case, actually). I had to buy a truss rod tool, straighten the neck a bit, then set the bridge height and intonation. It took hours - I thought that part of the cost of a Ric was the set up pre-purchase. What y'all think?

dukeuke
dukeuke|3378
In reply to dave_crowder:

As in action, and intonation unplayable?

boom762
boom762|12239 MODERATOR

No guitar or bass should be considered all set up upon purchase in my opinion. Every tech will set it up the way THEY like it or the way they THINK it's supposed to be. Take that, as well as climate changes and travel and you will usually have a slightly different setup than the one they made in the factory.

When you adjusted the neck, did you just buy an Alan wrench? Usually new instruments come with an Alan wrench for just this purpose.

dave_crowder
dave_crowder|49
In reply to dukeuke:

Yup. Just not set up in any way.

dave_crowder
dave_crowder|49
In reply to boom762:

Absolutely right: everyone likes a different set up but there is a 'ground zero' place that suits a good number of players and only need small tweaks to finish off. I bought the authentic rickenbacker neck tool (£20!!) which did the job but, sadly, was not included in the case candy. For that matter, neither was there a correct size Alan key (meaning imperial size) to adjust the pickup screws nearer to the strings - so I just see a cost cutting exercise in hand as though accountants have taken over at Rickenbacker. It is a shame because once set up, these basses are so good (IMHO).

Reply