Done.

This is one useful page to bookmark, Flyingeagle. Thanks to you and iiipopes for continuing to share your knowledge about the electronics inside these cool Rickenbackers. I certainly appreciate it! Have a shining New Year, folks. Play on, pick often, jam with Toast(ers)® if possible, and prosper.....Goofyfoot.

Thanks Goofyfoot. In all fairness, iiipopes gets all of the credit for the electronics info, which leads me to the point of this thread. The idea as you stated is to bookmark this thread for easy access. On that note, there are many other tips to be posted here aside from what is already posted, so please feel free to and please add your knowledge.

Steve

_________________
"A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All"

POLISHING YOUR RICKENBACKER

From The Rickenbacker Forum As Stated By John Hall:
Turtle Wax #123- $2.99 a bottle and it works wonderfully.

From the Rickenbacker Owner’s Manual:
Polish using any non-abrasive pure carnauba based auto wax if the finish becomes stained or dull. Inexpensive Turtle Wax ® T-123 mixed 50/50 with water works better than most available specialty guitar polishes. Wipe in a circular motion at the speed which is slow enough to see small water bubbles form but fast enough to remove the polish completely before drying.
-------------------------------------------------------
Please feel free to add other maintenance tips here.

Steve

_________________
"A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All"

touch it, rub it, live it, love it

INTONATION (12 String Separate Saddles)

From The Roger McGuinn Video (and from Roger directly)
To get proper intonation from the 12 saddle bridge, you may have to remove the springs from behind the standard Low “E” and the “A” strings (Not the Octaves). The reason for this is that they may have to be moved back as far as they can go for proper intonation.

When I brought my 370/12RM to one of Roger’s shows for him to autograph (which he did), he personally showed me how much the intonation was incorrect due to the saddle placement on these strings.

For the record, I did not have to do this for my 660 and 660/12.
Personal Note: Intonation just as sound in general is very subjective. When adjusting the saddles, it is best to simply adjust for personal satisfaction

INTONATION 6 Saddle Bridge (6 and 12 String)

This one is easy. There is no right or wrong here. As stated above, Intonation is as subjective as sound, therefore it is best to adjust for the sound that you are looking for.

Personal note: I personally prefer the 6 saddle bridge for the 12 string model. The intonation may not be exact, but to me, this is a substantial part of what gives the Rickenbacker 12 string guitar its unique Jangle sound that we all know and love.

_________________
"A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All"

Howdy Folks,

I know that this is a long post as I decided to post my maintenance tips here once again in its temporary completed form. I'll do this from time to time here as I continue to add stuff here. The info below was taken from posts here on the forum, the Rickenbacker manual, and my personal experience. Again it is quite long, but worth reading. Also if anybody has stuff to add, please post it here.

Steve



Rickenbacker Maintenance

TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS - OLDER MODELS

If your Rickenbacker is an older model (Pre late 1984), DO NOT TIGHTEN the truss rods if the neck is bowed! This will cause the fingerboard to separate from the neck. The truss rods have to be loosened and the neck manually moved into place. When I am alone, the way that I do it if the neck is bowed and has to be tightened is to loosen the rods slightly, lean the neck at about the 7th fret on my knee with the body hanging down and then snug up the rods. The weight of the body hanging will bring the neck to its correct position. If I have someone with me, I place the guitar on my workbench and I have the other person hold the body in place. With a soft neck rest (I use a beanbag type), I then loosen the rods slightly, manually move the neck into place using the beanbag as a cushion, again somewhere around the 7th fret and then snug up the rods. If the neck is back bowed, then just loosen the rods evenly no more than ¼ of a turn daily until the neck sets. You can and should play the guitar between adjustments to get the feel that is right for you.
There is one other very important thing to know. ALWAYS USE A LONG SHAFT ADJUSTMENT WRENCH (¼ Inch Socket) WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE such as the one that usually is available in the boutique section of this website, and NEVER use a "T" handle wrench. The reason for this is because on the screwdriver handle, if tightened too much your hand will slip on the handle and the truss rods will not snap. With the "T" handle, the danger of snapping the rods is much greater!
It really is a simple procedure once you get over the fear of doing it.


TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS - NEWER MODELS

If it is a 1985 (Actually late 1984) or newer, then you can move the neck by adjusting the rods. The neck should be completely straight. Either way, the neck really should not be adjusted more than ¼ turn daily, regardless of the age. Of course you can play the guitar between adjustments to see how it feels to you. One adjustment may be all that it needs. Once the neck is straight, you may want to simply lower the bridge just a bit and also lower the pickups as well. This should keep the sound that you desire.

Please keep in mind that the neck should be perfectly straight on all Rickenbacker's, both older and newer.


DUAL TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS – AS STATED BY JOHN HALL

Each rod is more than strong enough to handle all the tension. The system is designed so that each side is as independent as it's possible to be sharing one neck.

Adjust each side to as loose or as tight as necessary to achieve the action you prefer; each piece of wood is different, so it's possible for the rods to be at extreme opposite adjustment to get best results.

Yes, there is some interaction; it's unavoidable. But any combination that provides the desired results is the right setting.


RESTRINGING A 12 STRING RICKENBACKER

When replacing strings, I remove the bridge cover and then replace first the slotted strings followed by the others. Before that, whether I am using the "R" tailpiece or the Trapeze tailpiece, I place all of the strings in the slots and place a small piece of masking tape on the bottom side or the tailpiece (Especially the "R" tailpiece) to hold them in place and place a cotton diaper underneath to keep the tailpiece from scratching the body. I then place a Kyser Capo with a weakened spring around the 5th or 6th fret to hold everything in place.
The actual order that I restring is:
11-2-9-4-7-6-12-1-10-3-8-5
The reason I do it this way is to balance the "R" or the Trapeze tailpiece while restringing. This works for me and it takes about 15–20 minutes with the older style slotting.
On the newer through the neck slotting, the time is about the same for me.


RESTRINGING A 6 STRING RICKENBACKER

Restringing the 6 string Rickenbacker with the "R" or Trapeze tailpiece is essentially the same as above using the masking tape, cotton diaper, and the Kyser Capo.
The order that I restring is:
6-1-5-2-4-3
Again, this keeps the tailpiece in place and balanced.

On models with a fixed bridge such as the 650D, the order of restringing does not matter and the masking tape, diaper, and Kyser Capo are not necessary since the bridge is in a fixed position and does not move.


USING THE 5th KNOB AS A BALANCE KNOB

How to use the 5th knob as a balance knob……

With the volume and the treble tone pots turned all of the way up and the bass tone pot turned to the off position and the pickup selector set to the middle position (Both pickups on), the fifth knob acts as a balance between bass and treble.


POLISH

From The Rickenbacker Forum As Stated By John Hall:
Turtle Wax #123- $2.99 a bottle and it works wonderfully.

From the Rickenbacker Owner’s Manual
Polish using any non-abrasive pure carnauba based auto wax if the
finish becomes stained or dull. Inexpensive Turtle Wax ® T-123
mixed 50/50 with water works better than most available specialty
guitar polishes. Wipe in a circular motion at the speed which is slow
enough to see small water bubbles form but fast enough to remove the
polish completely before drying.


INTONATION (12 String Separate Saddles)

From The Roger McGuinn Video (and from Roger directly)
To get proper intonation from the 12 saddle bridge, you may have to remove the springs from behind the standard Low “E” and the “A” strings (Not the Octaves). The reason for this is that they may have to be moved back as far as they can go for proper intonation.

When I brought my 370/12RM to one of Roger’s shows for him to autograph (which he did), he personally showed me how much the intonation was incorrect due to the saddle placement on these strings.

For the record, I did not have to do this for my 660 and 660/12.
Personal Note: Intonation just as sound in general is very subjective. When adjusting the saddles, it is best to simply adjust for personal satisfaction


INTONATION 6 Saddle Bridge (6 and 12 String)

This one is easy. There is no right or wrong here. As stated above, Intonation is as subjective as sound, therefore it is best to adjust for the sound that you are looking for.

Personal note: I personally prefer the 6 saddle bridge for the 12 string model. The intonation may not be exact, but to me, this is a substantial part of what gives the Rickenbacker 12 string guitar its unique Jangle sound that we all know an

_________________
"A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All"

I know that this is a long post as I decided to post the maintenance tips here once again in its temporary uncompleted form. There is always room for anyone here to add their knowledge. The info below was taken from posts here on the forum, the Rickenbacker manual, and personal experience from myself and our fellow forumites. Again it is quite long, but worth reading. Also if anybody has stuff to add, please post it here.


Rickenbacker Maintenance

TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS - OLDER MODELS

If your Rickenbacker is an older model (Pre late 1984), DO NOT TIGHTEN the truss rods if the neck is bowed! This will cause the fingerboard to separate from the neck. The truss rods have to be loosened and the neck manually moved into place. When I am alone, the way that I do it if the neck is bowed and has to be tightened is to loosen the rods slightly, lean the neck at about the 7th fret on my knee with the body hanging down and then snug up the rods. The weight of the body hanging will bring the neck to its correct position. If I have someone with me, I place the guitar on my workbench and I have the other person hold the body in place. With a soft neck rest (I use a beanbag type), I then loosen the rods slightly, manually move the neck into place using the beanbag as a cushion, again somewhere around the 7th fret and then snug up the rods. If the neck is back bowed, then just loosen the rods evenly no more than ¼ of a turn daily until the neck sets. You can and should play the guitar between adjustments to get the feel that is right for you.
There is one other very important thing to know. ALWAYS USE A LONG SHAFT ADJUSTMENT WRENCH (¼ Inch Socket) WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE such as the one that usually is available in the boutique section of this website, and NEVER use a "T" handle wrench. The reason for this is because on the screwdriver handle, if tightened too much your hand will slip on the handle and the truss rods will not snap. With the "T" handle, the danger of snapping the rods is much greater!
It really is a simple procedure once you get over the fear of doing it.


TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS - NEWER MODELS

If it is a 1985 (Actually late 1984) or newer, then you can move the neck by adjusting the rods. The neck should be completely straight. Either way, the neck really should not be adjusted more than ¼ turn daily, regardless of the age. Of course you can play the guitar between adjustments to see how it feels to you. One adjustment may be all that it needs. Once the neck is straight, you may want to simply lower the bridge just a bit and also lower the pickups as well. This should keep the sound that you desire.

Please keep in mind that the neck should be perfectly straight on all Rickenbacker's, both older and newer.


DUAL TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENTS – AS STATED BY JOHN HALL

Each rod is more than strong enough to handle all the tension. The system is designed so that each side is as independent as it's possible to be sharing one neck.

Adjust each side to as loose or as tight as necessary to achieve the action you prefer; each piece of wood is different, so it's possible for the rods to be at extreme opposite adjustment to get best results.

Yes, there is some interaction; it's unavoidable. But any combination that provides the desired results is the right setting.


RESTRINGING A 12 STRING RICKENBACKER

When replacing strings, I remove the bridge cover and then replace first the slotted strings followed by the others. Before that, whether I am using the "R" tailpiece or the Trapeze tailpiece, I place all of the strings in the slots and place a small piece of masking tape on the bottom side or the tailpiece (Especially the "R" tailpiece) to hold them in place and place a cotton diaper underneath to keep the tailpiece from scratching the body. I then place a Kyser Capo with a weakened spring around the 5th or 6th fret to hold everything in place.
The actual order that I restring is:
11-2-9-4-7-6-12-1-10-3-8-5
The reason I do it this way is to balance the "R" or the Trapeze tailpiece while restringing. This works for me and it takes about 15–20 minutes with the older style slotting.
On the newer through the neck slotting, the time is about the same for me.


RESTRINGING A 6 STRING RICKENBACKER

Restringing the 6 string Rickenbacker with the "R" or Trapeze tailpiece is essentially the same as above using the masking tape, cotton diaper, and the Kyser Capo.
The order that I restring is:
6-1-5-2-4-3
Again, this keeps the tailpiece in place and balanced.

On models with a fixed bridge such as the 650D, the order of restringing does not matter and the masking tape, diaper, and Kyser Capo are not necessary since the bridge is in a fixed position and does not move.


USING THE 5th KNOB AS A BALANCE KNOB

How to use the 5th knob as a balance knob……

With the volume and the treble tone pots turned all of the way up and the bass tone pot turned to the off position and the pickup selector set to the middle position (Both pickups on), the fifth knob acts as a balance between bass and treble.


POLISH

From The Rickenbacker Forum As Stated By John Hall:
Turtle Wax #123- $2.99 a bottle and it works wonderfully.

From the Rickenbacker Owner’s Manual
Polish using any non-abrasive pure carnauba based auto wax if the
finish becomes stained or dull. Inexpensive Turtle Wax ® T-123
mixed 50/50 with water works better than most available specialty
guitar polishes. Wipe in a circular motion at the speed which is slow
enough to see small water bubbles form but fast enough to remove the
polish completely before drying.


INTONATION (12 String Separate Saddles)

From The Roger McGuinn Video (and from Roger directly)
To get proper intonation from the 12 saddle bridge, you may have to remove the springs from behind the standard Low “E” and the “A” strings (Not the Octaves). The reason for this is that they may have to be moved back as far as they can go for proper intonation.

When I brought my 370/12RM to one of Roger’s shows for him to autograph (which he did), he personally showed me how much the intonation was incorrect due to the saddle placement on these strings.

For the record, I did not have to do this for my 660 and 660/12.
Personal Note: Intonation just as sound in general is very subjective. When adjusting the saddles, it is best to simply adjust for personal satisfaction


INTONATION 6 Saddle Bridge (6 and 12 String)

This one is easy. There is no right or wrong here. As stated above, Intonation is as subjective as sound, therefore it is best to adjust for the sound that you are looking for.

Personal note: I personally prefer the 6 saddle bridge for the 12 string model. The intonation may not be exact, but to me, this is a substantial part of what gives the Rickenbacker 12 string guitar its unique Jangle sound that we all know and love.


PROTECTING THE FINISH FROM BELT BUCKLE RASH
From The Rickenbacker Forum As Stated By John Hall:

Anything vinyl will be a BIG problem with your finish. About the only thing readily available in a clear, sheet form that won't damage anything is mylar.

(Personal note)
That said, what I do is simply wear a large fitting shirt NOT tucked in and turn my belt buckle to the left side (Thanks BlueAngel). Prevention is always best. Personally I would NEVER adhere any foreign substance to my Rickenbacker.

_________________
"A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All"

To prevent belt buckle rash, I agree that an untucked shirt is huge. Use a t-shirt, or if you prefer button-down shirts, soft cotton or flannel is perfect.

I also find a slight middle age gut sticking approximately 1" or more beyond the belt (and hidden behind the above mentioned loose-fitting soft shirt) offers great protection, from personal experience :)!

Furthermore......if you're a "Fat, bloated Elvis" Ric player--Like me--fear NOT!!!!!! Your Ric can sit within the lap of luxury.......pampered by the touch of loving hands.......OOOOHH, they just put out shrimp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


LeftyRickBass