Guitar and Bass Care & Maintenance Manual In this comprehensive manual, you will find all of the information needed to fully enjoy and take care of your instrument. C ongratulations on your purchase! You are now the owner of a distinctive instrument renowned for quality craftsmanship, tradition, and the legendary Rickenbacker name. Dual Truss Rod Neck Design Most Rickenbacker necks are built with two truss rods for added strength and adjustability. Exclusive Head Design Unique and easy tuning head shape on all 12 string models. Pickups All guitars equipped with pickups manufactured by Rickenbacker. Bridge Assembly Rickenbacker guitars come with a six way adjustable bridge, with individual string saddles for increased adjustability. Basses are equipped with the professional adjustable bridge/tailpiece assembly. Nameplate Truss rod adjustment nuts located under the nameplate. Easy Stringing "R" Tailpiece The famous Rickenbacker "R" tailpiece, is built with a no hole slot design for easy restringing. Pickguard Many Rickenbacker guitars offer sturdy plastic pick guards. Many models also have a two-level adjustable pickguard. . Output Jacks Deluxe models come with the exclusive Rick-O-Sound jack for effects and multi-channel capabilities. Exclusive Fifth Tone Control Some models come with a fifth tone control for increased tone adjustment capabilities. Balanced and Contoured Body Superb design provides total playing comfort, detailed with exclusive high gloss finishes. Tone and Volume Controls Most guitars and basses are equipped with separate tone and volume controls for each pickup and have three position pickup selectors. Volume and Tone Controls When it is in the middle, all three pickups are on. When it is up, both the bass and the middle pickup are on. Rickenbacker basses with two pickups have the same volume and tone controls as the six and twelve string guitars, as well as a three position pickup selector. Many Rickenbacker guitars and basses come with a fifth control knob providing extra tone adjustment capabilities. Using this control to adjust the volume of the bass pickup in relation to a pre-selected treble pickup lead volume setting, you can set it at the tone you will use more often. Or it can function as a bass/treble equalization control. To use the fifth knob as a bass pickup volume equalizer, first place both volume and both tone controls on the instrument at their maximum clockwise positions. Then, move the pickup selector to the treble position and set the amplifier to the desired lead sound. Now, switch the pickup selector to the bass pick up. The fifth tone knob can now be adjusted in order to bring the rhythm sound to a volume compatible with the already selected lead sound volume. To use the fifth knob in a set position, first place both volume controls and both tone controls on the instrument at their maximum clockwise positions, and move the pickup selector to the center position. Now, adjust the amplifier, by setting the gain controls at the desired volume and the bass and Most Rickenbacker six and twelve string guitars come with separate volume and tone controls knobs for the bass and treble pickups. In addition, each guitar has a three position pickup selector which allows instantaneous selection of the bass pickup, the treble pickup, or a tonal blend using both pickups. When the pickup selector is combined with the tone and volume controls, three different sounds can be present and chosen simply by switching the pickup selector. When the volume and tone knobs are turned all the way clockwise, they are in the wide open "on" position. When the pickup selector is down, the treble pickup (closest to the bridge) is in use. When the selector is up, the bass pickup is in use. The middle selector position is a blend of both pickups. When using only one pick up, only that pickup's tone and volume controls will have an effect. On Rickenbacker models which have three pickups, the bass pickup and the middle pickup are wired together, and the instrument is then controlled just as if it had only two pickups. When the selector is down, the treble pickup is on. the treble controls at their maximum positions. Finally, adjust the fine tone selection knob on the instrument until the tone which will be used most frequently is reached, and leave it in that position. After the small knob has been set, the pickup selector may be moved down for maximum treble or up for maximum bass. The variable volume and tone controls on either the amplifier or the instrument can now be moved to the desired volume and tone settings. To use the fifth knob as an equalization control, first place both volume controls and the treble tone control on the instrument at their maximum clockwise positions, and move the pickup selector to the center position. Move the bass tone control on the instrument to its maximum counter-clockwise positions, and set the volume and tone controls on the amplifier to their desired positions. Now, with the instrument's treble up full and the bass at its minimum, the fine tone selection knob can be used as a tone equalizer, moving the instrument through the entire tonal range without adjusting the amplifier. When using a Rickenbacker guitar with the Rick-O-Sound effect, much of the tonal variation produced by playing through R.O.S. can be better controlled through two different amplifiers or through two channels of one amplifier. However, when using Rick-O-Sound, the fine tone selection knob now becomes a balance between the two amplifiers or channels, and can be adjusted to provide the desired blend of treble and bass. Reverse Controls Some replica models have volume or tone controls which operate in reverse fashion or are located a different relative position. In keeping with 1950's specifications, the Model 325C58, for example, features reverse-wired tone knobs so the tone is brightest when the knobs are turned completely counterclockwise. PZ Piezo Option Some Rickenbacker guitars are available with the special "PZ" option, which is comprised of six saddle-mounted pickups and active circuitry to achieve a rich acoustic guitar timbre. These instruments are also equipped with unique output and control systems, which are designed to optimize the use of both the magnetic and piezo pickups. The dual outputs of the "PZ" equipped instruments offer the versatility of either a mixed output for use with one amp, or a split signal for use with multiple amplifiers. When using only one amplifier, plug into the rear output with a standard mono cable. This will give a mix of both the piezo and magnetic pickups. When two amplifiers are available, simply plug into both outputs with 2 standard mono cables. When used this way, the rear output carries the signal from the magnetic pickups, while the front output provides the piezo signal. The controls for the "PZ" models are configured in the following way : 1. Pickup Selector 2. Magnetic Volume 3. Piezo Volume 4. Mix Knob 5. Piezo Tone 6. Magnetic Tone String Height Adjustment Most Rickenbacker guitars come equipped with a six way bridge. Individual string saddles allow extremely critical pitch and action adjustments. Four bridge height adjustment screws are located at each corner of the bridge assembly. To raise the height of the strings from the surface of the neck, raise the bridge by turning each of the four adjusting screws clockwise using the adjusting key supplied with the instrument. Lower the playing action by turning the adjusting screws counterclockwise. Some replica instruments with vibrato assemblies feature bridges that have individual rollers supporting each string. Just like the original instruments, it is possible for these to become loose, vibrate, and provide undesired string noise. Pliers may be used to squeeze the saddle from either side to stop roller rattle. It is not generally necessary for the roller to spin freely as the string will easily slide across the brass surface during tuning or vibrato use. Rickenbacker basses come equipped with bridge assemblies that have just two height adjustment screws, located at either side of the bridge assembly. To raise the strings, turn each of the height adjustment screws clockwise. To lower the action, turn the screws counterclockwise. tailpiece assembly, in which the individual bridges are adjusted separately for each string. Each bridge piece is adjusted by two hex screws, located on either side of the string it supports. To adjust one of these bridges, first loosen the locking screw, if present, so that an adjustment can be made. Then, using the metric wrench supplied with the instrument, turn each of the two adjustment screws clockwise to raise the string, or counterclockwise to lower the string. Some models may be equipped with saddles which have threaded rollers to allow for string centering. Lift the string and turn the roller to move it to either side as appropriate. Rickenbacker string sizes, you can readjust the pitch by turning the saddle adjustment screws on the back side of the bridge. When making any pitch adjustments, first loosen the string, then make an adjustment, and finally bring the string back up to pitch. If another adjustment is necessary, repeat the process until the intonation is correct. This method protects the strings from damage. Simply use the hex key to raise or lower the saddle and use a small screwdriver to move the entire saddle forward or back to correct for pitch as described above. retightened after positioning the handle to the desired location. KauffmanTM Vibrato The height of the handle is a direct function of string tension and can be adjusted by removing the cover on the back of the guitar to access the vibrato springs. Tightening the retaining screw will cause the handle to rise away from the body while loosening it will bring it closer to the instrument. It may be necessary to add or remove a spring when changing to a string type of significantly different tension. Note that all adjustments on this type of bridge are interactive, i.e. one adjustment may affect another. Make sure to fully retune the instrument each time an adjustment is made before making another one to minimize this effect. AccentTM Vibrato This vintage replica vibrato assembly does not have the adjustability and precision of modern vibrato assemblies but does eliminate entirely the friction of springs and bearings. The only adjustment is that for handle position which may be loosened with a screwdriver and In keeping with 1950's specifications, this is a sideways vibrato, unlike most vibrato units which operate in an up-and-down motion. It can be neutralized by either removing the bar or gently turning the tip of the bar towards the pickguard and out of the playing field. First, check the pitch of each string. If the string pitch sounds flat when played at the 12th fret as compared to the open harmonic at the fret, turn the length adjustment screw counterclockwise to shorten the string. If the string sounds sharp to the harmonic, turn the screw clockwise to lengthen the string. String Length and Pitch Adjustment Each string saddle on Rickenbacker guitar and bass bridges may be adjusted for perfect pitch or intonation. Each saddle is set at the factory for the gauge of Rickenbacker strings that come with the instrument. If the pitch should become slightly sharp or flat, or you desire a change from standard It is vital that the neck is dead straight before making intonation adjustments as the location of the bridge components was chosen on the basis of a well adjusted instrument. Hi TekTM Vibrato Intonation and individual string height adjustment is accomplished in the same fashion as the 650 Series fixed bridge assembly. This authentic replica shares the shortcomings of the original design. Specifically it may not always perfectly return to pitch and may produce some noise of its own during use. Neck Adjustment Most Rickenbacker guitars and basses are reinforced with twin truss rods. This exclusive design gives greater strength and stability to the neck of the guitar. The truss Certain models, such as those in the 650 and 4004 Series are equipped with a special bridge/ rods are separately adjustable, allowing either side of the neck to be readjusted independently of the other, should it become necessary. Three indications that the neck may require adjustment are: 1) the strings begin to buzz against the frets; 2) the action of the strings seems too high; or 3) the truss rods rattle. With the instrument in tune, sight the neck for a bow or under-bow by resting the body on a level table at an approximate 45 degree angle holding the top horn near the strap bolt. the neck. Using 1/4 inch nut driver wrench, such as the NW1 neck adjustment tool, turn only a half a turn at a time. Turn the nut clockwise to correct an under bow, counterclockwise to straighten an over bow. Continue this until the desired angle o ...