Nick. Hello from San Francisco. I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this. I followed your instructions and I finally adjusted the intonation on my Ric 4003 that I have had since 2001. Though time consuming to keep loosening the strings, it totally worked.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome! I’m glad I could help and thanks for writing from San Francisco. I’m from the other side of the country in New York.

The easiest way to adjust the intonation of a Rickenbacker is so simple... Replace it with the Hipshot Rickenbacker bridge! It is modeled to look like a regular 4001/4003 bridge and it's made of actual metal instead of whatever chrome plated mystery substance Rickenbacker uses... Great for added sustain also.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Paul, thanks for watching and for the advice on the Hipshot bridge.

"The most despised bridge in bass guitar history!" ... I agree although the Gibson three-point bridge pushes it close😳 Great tutorial, very well done 👍

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

John, thanks for the kind words, appreciate it. I just recently swapped out the three point bridge on my Gibson SG Bass for a HipShot bridge. It makes a huge difference and it looks so much better too.

@johnglynhughes4239

Жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 you have a cool taste in basses!

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

@@johnglynhughes4239 , Thank you John.

glad you mention intonation- no one ever thinks to do this and it is so important

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Tiny Dragon, thanks for watching. So many people seem to wrestle with their Rickenbacker bridge and tail piece, I'm hoping this helps someone who's having some challenges.

Hi Nick, I neglected to thank you for devising the way to overcome the intonating that miserable bridge on the older 4003. The next step for mine is to set it up. As soon as my preferred flat wound monel hybrid gage strings arrive, and the action gets very lowered I'll update you as to how it turns out. Kudos!

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Bruce, you are very welcome and I'm glad I could help. Your new Rick is gonna sound killer all set up with the flat wound strings.

@BruceHeffner

2 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 Hi Nick, I'm trying to find a soft case or gig bag for my Rick and it's proving to be a daunting task, I'm very aware of the risks; however, the Rick hard case istoo heavy for this old man to whip in and out of the gigs. Any ideas? Bruce in Arizona

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Bruce, I hear ya, I'm old and I can't stand hauling that heavy Rick case around. I found that my 1981 4001 Bass fits perfectly into my Spector Euro 4LX soft case. It's a really nice case with lots of padding to protect the bass. I know this doesn't help you but the cases are sold separately over here in Japan. I'm not sure if the cases are sold separately in the states but if you can find a case similar to the Spector case it might work for your Rickenbacker. If I can figure out how to post a photo of the case to KZread I'll try.

@BruceHeffner

2 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 The case is sent with the bass here in the USA, how do I order the case you have from Japan? I could locate an internet site. Thanks, and later today the new Rick gets it's flatwounds and a Bruce set up!

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Bruce, I found a website here in Japan that sells Spector cases. It seems to be an EBAY type of site, I've never used this site so I can't vouch for it. This will give you an idea what kind of Spector cases they have. I'd recommend checking the measurements on the cases and then take measurements of your bass. Also be careful of shipping charges from Japan and also import tax and duties. You might be able to find a similar type of case in the states so you won't have to deal with import taxes. Here's the site: www-sekaimon-com.translate.goog/s/spector%20bass%20case/-/all?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja&_x_tr_pto=nui,op,elem,sc

Wa!!!! Great to see a video from you my friend!!!!👍👍👍👍👍

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mark. I need to get back to KZread and catch up on your new videos.

Nice and clear instructions! This makes me glad that I got a Fender Precision bass instead of the Ric. I've always wanted a Ric, but this makes me glad I didn't get one...

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Arthur, thanks for watching and commenting. Yeah, the Rick bridge can be a bit of an adventure to set up. I agree, Fender Precision basses are excellent basses, I have a few and I love them. Enjoy the holiday season!

@mugsboroughpete3534

3 ай бұрын

I've been using rickenbacker 4001, 4003 for over 30 years I've been lucky I ve never had any trouble with bridges or adjustments

One time years ago on my first bass way back in high school 2002 I decided to try to improve my sound by messing with the thrust rod n tail piece. The nightmare I unintentionally unleashed had to have taken a few years off my life , the levels of stress and frustration were more than I had ever experienced then or since . It wasn’t even a rick i had a rogue $129 starter bass it was pretty simple design i just had no experience. Even now I wouldn’t dare attempt it again let alone with my rick, how ever it came from the factory is how it’s gonna stay until I die. I’ll probably die of stress the day I get brave enough to start messing with the double thrust rods in the rick and the innotation process yep that will do I’ll wake up dead

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and sorry to hear about your truss rod and tailpiece adventure. I did enjoy your sense of humor about it though.

Great vid. Thanks man

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

9 ай бұрын

you're welcome.

Hi Nick, today my new 4003S arrived with a totally different bridge than yours, after a skipping a heart beat my luck must have been good, as Rick changed the design to a bridge even I can intonate and adjust.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Bruce, congrats on your new Rickenbacker 4003S and great to hear your bass comes with the new bridge. Keep me posted on your new Rick.

That bass looks incredible! Bet it sounds great too. Looks a lot harder to intimate and change strings than your standard P-bass

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Colt Wheeler's Country Guitar, thanks so much for checking out my video. Yes, a P-Bass is so much easier to work on than a Rickenbacker.

Hi, love your very useful and well presented videos. How do you 'turn round" the bridge saddles on a Rickenbacker 4003. The A saddle needs to be further forward to achieve perfect intonation. To do that I think I need to 'turn it round". Is it possible without a ball ache of work?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

8 ай бұрын

David, thanks so much for the kind words and thanks for watching. Yes, you can turn the bridge saddle around I've done it a couple of times. Completely unscrew the intonation screw at the back the bridge being careful not to lose the spring or let it fly out, flip the saddle around and then put the screw back in with the spring in place. I will say, one time I had trouble with one saddle, when I flipped it around for some reason the screw would not go through the screw hole. I had to re-thread the screw hole in the saddle. I'm guessing the threads were stripped in the saddle. I have an extra Rick bridge so if you'd like I'll do a quick video showing how to do that. Keep me posted and let me know how it goes.

Great! Thank you.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

Hey nick I got a 4003s recently and it’s been an absolute nightmare to set up. I like high action for letting notes ring out but it is noticeably harder to play the higher notes because of the string height. What would you say is the best middle ground for string height?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

Sorry, I just saw this comment now. I would think that 6/64ths or 2.3mm on the bass side and maybe 5/64ths or 2mm on the treble side are decent numbers. If you have a new Rickenbacker with the updated bridge and tail piece you may be able to dial in the numbers a little better. I hope this helps and let me know how it works out for you.

Great video ! How can you adjust your action in this bass ? (lower or higher)

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Beatles Covers, thanks so much for checking out my video, I really appreciate it. My next video which I'm working on right now will be on showing how to adjust the action. It's just the hex screws on each edge of that bridge piece that I lifted out of the tailpiece.

@dbvetter7485

3 жыл бұрын

My question too, my strings are a little to high off the fretboard. The “Manual” is useless and info on the internet is rarer than spotting Bigfoot.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@dbvetter7485 , that's the reason I did these videos, there really wasn't much else out there that helped. If you have any questions let me know.

Does the Hipshot replacement bridge work any better? I have been curious about this for a long time.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Old Friend, thanks for watching. I'm sorry, I've never used a Hipshot Bridge so I don't have any information about them but I have heard that they are easier to work with than the stock Rickenbacker Bridge.

@mariuskozokar4341

3 жыл бұрын

The Hipshot replacement works fantastically. Pretty much comparable to any P-Bass type bridge in adjustment. Not only that, but they're super hefty and improve sustain/tone (IMO!)

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@mariuskozokar4341 , thanks so much for the information on the Hipshot, it sounds like a great bridge replacement for a Rick.

@staypress

3 жыл бұрын

@@mariuskozokar4341 hi does a hipshot increase the nice deep bass tone or does it just effect the bridge pick up .Also I have a set neck bass so maybe it wouldnt make any difference

@mariuskozokar4341

3 жыл бұрын

@@staypress It made a decently noticeable difference in both pickups I'd say. Of course, nothing absolutely transformative, but the main appeal of the bridge is the ease of adjustment anyhow.

I have a newer rickenbacker 4003s/5 bass with the upgraded schaller bridge coming in the mail, so I shouldn't have to deal with anything as annoying as that. Regardless, one of the biggest reasons I've seen people say not to get a rickenbacker is because of the truss rods and how annoying it is to intonate with the stock bridge. But honestly, after looking at a few videos, it all seems to make plenty of sense to me, and I don't think it would be such an issue. It all seems very simple when you break it down, it's just something people don't seem to want to mess with I guess. And I suppose for a $2k bass, you really shouldn't have to. But really it doesn't seem bad at all

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting. It's really not that bad at all. Good luck with your new 4003s/5 I'm sure it's a beautiful bass. Let me know how the updated bridge is.

Do you put all the strings in tune after each adjustment or can you leave the other 3 strings loose ? And adjust ?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

John Lynch, thanks for watching. Unfortunately, you need to re-tune all four strings after each adjustment and then check the intonation with proper tension on the neck. It's a bit of an adventure but eventually it gets done.

@johnlynch660

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 thank you and your instructions in your video are very well explained and very helpful I appreciate how you take it slow and repeat

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnlynch660 , thank you so much for your kind comment, I'm glad I could help.

i got string rattle on my e and a string near the bridge area what could it be?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 ай бұрын

Check for any loose mechanical parts; screws, grub screws, nuts, bolts, washers, springs. Are all the bridge parts seated properly? Also, the bridge saddles might be cut too wide. If the rattling sound is ONLY on the "OPEN" E and A strings and has a sitar like sound it could also be a problem with the nut. I hope this helps and let me know if you're able to get this rattling issue resolved.

It’s amazing such a great bass has the worse bridge and tail piece in the known universe. I regret the day I need to set the intonation on my 4003. maybe I’ll sell it and buy a new one :)

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

db Vetter, it's unfortunate that the bridge and tail piece are such a challenge to work with. I heard that Hipshot makes a good replacement for the 4003. Keep me posted.

@thatmarchingarrow

3 жыл бұрын

At least recently they finally decided to do something about it and redesigned the bridge. Still looks very similar, but now it's pretty easy to adjust, and you can adjust the string height for each individual string too. I just wish my bass had come with that new bridge.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@thatmarchingarrow , thanks for watching. I've heard about the new bridge and tail piece but I haven't seen it yet. I'd love to eventually get one but I'm guessing they're quite expensive. Which model Rickenbacker do you have?

@thatmarchingarrow

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 I've got a 4003S. Left handed, from late 2017, two years before they changed the bridge. I don't remember how much the new bridge actually costs to buy, although I did look it up some time ago, but it's more than I can justify, given I haven't had any issues with the old bridge, other than just being a bit of a pain to intonate.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@thatmarchingarrow , Same here I haven't had any issues with the original bridge so I'm not in a hurry to replace it. I really like the 4003s, I wish I had one.

Pretty laborious! Nevertheless required to get the bass in tune over the full length of its fretboard.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Jay, thanks for watching. It is a bit of an adventure getting the intonation done with this bridge, it's like going around in circles.

@ThunderBassistJay

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 Same with some Fender basses if it comes to trussrod adjustments. 1) measure, 2) release string tension, 3) take off neck, 4) adjust, 5) replace neck, 6) tune to pitch, 7) go to 1.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Jay, so true about some Fender basses, I've got a few that have the adjustment in the heal so the neck needs to come off. How about your G&L L-2000 bass, is it easy to adjust and set up? I've always wanted a G&L but they're very expensive in Japan.

@ThunderBassistJay

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 Mine is an Indonesian made Tribute L-2000. It costs only half the price of an American made. Tuning mechanisms, pickups and bridge are from Fullerton US. The bass can be set up with ease. The massive bridge features a locking screw, which secures the saddles in place. So once adjusted, intonation and action won't drift away. The trussrod can be adjusted at the headstock with the hex-key supplied.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Jay, it sounds like G&L put a lot of thought into their basses and made a proper bridge and truss rod system. I didn't know G&L had an import model, I need to see if they're available in Japan. I just noticed that Dave's World of Fun Stuff just posted a G&L bass repair. I need to take a look.

Ummmm? I never said you couldn't intonate the stock Ric bridge. But why would you want to when you can just replace it with a Hipshot! :) Love ya Nick!:) PS, nice bass. I gotta get me one of those. :p

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Robert, I'd love to replace the bridge with a Hipshot bridge but Hipshot parts are so damn expensive in Japan if you could actually find them. If I make it out of this pandemic alive and actually make it back home I'd rather buy one in New York.

@RobertGraham

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 Let me know when you get back to NY. We could meet up in the city for lunch and go to some of the new boutique guitar shops. W48st isn't there any more. Shame.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Robert, it is a shame that those music stores are gone. If I ever e.g. back we definitely need to have some lunch.

Thanks .Mind u its a shame u have to keep tuning the strings and the other stuff between each tweak .It will take a good 15 mins unless u hit perfect pitch on the first occasion.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

staypress, thanks for watching. Yeah it is a bit of a pain having to keep re-tuning.

For something that is so expensive how is the set up so disliked?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. That is a very good question. I hope my video helps someone who's trying to deal with the Rickenbacker bass bridge.

Great video, mate, super informative, but why do you call yourself Hiroshima Nick? I guess your name is Nick, but why Hiroshima?

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind comment I'm glad to hear my video is helpful. Yes, it's Nick originally from New York but I've been living in Hiroshima, Japan for 30 years more than half my life (yeah I'm old) so I thought it'd be more interesting than New York Nick.

@Voltanaut

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 Wow, that's really cool. Congrats on the move. I'd love to go to Japan some day.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@Voltanaut , Thanks again. Japan is quite an interesting place and there are so many incredible basses and guitars made here!

@Voltanaut

3 жыл бұрын

@@bass-hiroshimanick2534 I'm a Ric fan, but my 2nd choice is always Ibanez.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

3 жыл бұрын

@@Voltanaut , I hear ya, I had an Ibanez SR-900 but sold it to a friend and I've been kicking myself ever since!

So every time you make an adjustment to the intonation, you have to retune to check progress?!? What a wretched design.

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, that is correct. Thanks for watching.

That Bridge pisses me off 😢

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Ай бұрын

Sorry about that. Thanks for watching.

get a hipshot bridge

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I appreciate the suggestion.

That Rickenbacker bass bridge??.worst design ever

@bass-hiroshimanick2534

Ай бұрын

It is a challenge. Thanks.