Important: before you attempt to do any of the following procedures, please carefully and thoroughly read the entire page, then read each section as you do that procedure of your set up. For best results, do your set up procedures in the same order that they are found on this page. If you have little or no experience setting up guitars or working with hand tools, I suggest that with the exception of changing strings, you first learn do set ups or any other maintenance and modifications on an inexpensive instrument.

Maintaining and setting up a Rickenbacker bass can be somewhat different than other bass guitars, especially the 4000, 4001 and 4002 models. All Rickenbacker 4000 series basses have a dual truss rod system, which helps get a more accurate neck adjustment. "What's the difference between a 4001 and a 4003?" A 4003 is actually a modernized 4001. The neck laminations of wood are different and stronger in a 4003 neck than they are in a 4001 neck. The dual truss rod system is also stronger in the 4003 and each rod of the 4003 is adjusted like any other guitar truss rod. The truss rod system of a 4000 and 4001 bass is adjusted differently than other basses and that procedure is covered on this page. Many necks of 4001 basses were ruined by players and even guitar repairmen that did not know the proper procedure of adjusting the truss rods. 4001 basses were designed and factory set up to handle the Rickenbacker set of low tension flatwound bass strings. Back in the '70's, many Rickenbacker bassists installed the Rotosound Swing Bass round wound strings to get that Chris Squire or Geddy Lee sound. The higher tension of Rotosound strings produced a forward bow in most of the necks. Quite a few 4001 basses handled the tension with no problem. Some of then were fine after they properly adjusted. Some might have handled the extra tension if they were adjusted properly, some just couldn't handle it at all, as every piece of wood is different even though it might be of the same type. Most of the 4001 basses that are still around have necks that are in good shape. 4001 basses from '72, until RIC ended production about '84 have a strip of shedua that runs through the middle of the entire length of the neck through body construction. Many people mistake this dark wood for walnut. The pre '72 4001, 4001V63, 4001C64, 4001C64S 4003 and 4004 basses do not have the shedua strip. All 4001 basses have a 0.0047 mfd capacitor wired to the bridge pickup. The 4003 basses from '79 to about '85 also have that capacitor. This capacitor removes most of the low frequencies, which also reduces some volume from the bridge pickup. This was an innovative attempt by RIC to compensate for the limited frequency range of early bass amplifiers. This is most effective when the 4001 is used with a Rick-O-Sound box and two amplifiers. The Rick-O-Sound box or similar assembly allows the 4001 and 4003 basses to be played in "stereo" which really means the neck pickup will play through one amp and the bridge pickup plays through another amp. The 4003 bass from 79'to '85 had the truss rod adjustments at the body end of the neck with a 2 piece pickguard for easier access to the adjustments. From 79'to '85 the 4003 has 2 extra tailpiece mounting screws in the heel. Most of the 4003S/5 basses had the 2 extra screws in the heel of the tailpiece from when they were introduced until they were discontinued. The latest 4003 basses (from very late 2005 to present) again have the 0.0047 mfd capacitor in a special vintage tone circuit which gives you have the option of using the 0.0047mfd capacitor or not, by the push-pull feature of the treble (bridge) pickup tone potentiometer. This is a great component added to these basses, making them even more versatile than ever. It's sort of like having a 4001 and a 4003 in the same bass guitar.

The 4004 basses have the same basic body style as the 4001/4003, but with super contoured edges and a modern look. They have dual truss rods that work like those in the 4003 basses. 4004 basses have humbucking pickups, which have a very high output and are dead quite as far as noise is concerned. There are two different 4004 models. The 4004L (Laredo), which has a body and neck through body stock that is constructed entirely of maple, the fingerboard is bubinga. The 4004L has chrome hardware. There is also the 4004Cii, which is the second version of the Cheyenne. The body wings of the Cii are constructed in sort of a maple/walnut/maple sandwich. The neck through body stock is entirely maple and the fingerboard is bubinga. The hardware on the 4004Cii is gold. As well as al the standard RIC finishes, the 4004Cii also comes in green, red and blue translucent finishes which are not offered on any other Rickenbacker model. The Laredo has a somewhat brighter sound than the Cheyenne due the body being constructed entirely of maple. The Cheyenne has a warmer sound due to the walnut in the body wings. With proper use of tone controls and equalization, the Cheyenne can produce bright tones and the Laredo can produce warm tones. The first version of the Cheyenne (Ci) had body wings that were constructed with walnut on the front and maple in the back. Since about mid 2004, the 4004L has a conversion varnish finished fingerboard, whereas the 4004Cii fingerboard is left unfinished. Older 4004Cii basses have a conversion varnish finished fingerboard.

The finish on Rickenbacker instruments is their own proprietary conversion varnish formula, which is more durable and looks better than finishes applied by other guitar companies.

*****

In my own humble opinion...

Until a few years ago the 4001 was a great bass to invest in. No one loves the 4001 more than me, they are great basses, but suddenly within the past few years, the resale value of a 4001 bass has reached "collectible vintage" status. I suggest that it would be much better for the bassist who wants a workhorse gigging Rickenbacker, to buy a new 4003 or 4004 bass. Now, the new 4003 and 4004 basses are great to invest in. The latest models are built much tougher and have much more output from the pickups. You may pay the same price or less for a new 4003 than would for an old 4001 and get a top quality, new instrument that no one has modified, worn out or abused, with a warranty. If you gig regularly or are a fairly new bassist that wants a Rickenbacker, it might be wiser to leave the 4001 basses to the collectors and the seasoned Rickenbacker bassists. No other brand of instruments hold their value as well as those manufactured by Rickenbacker.

Rickenbacker instruments intonate and play best when the neck is as straight as possible. I have gotten quite a few emails from Rickenbacker bass owners who are not comfortable to yet do their own set up, telling me that a certain guitar repairman insists that a Rick bass neck should have relief just like any other bass guitar. If a guitar repairman tells you this, then it should immediately tell you that this guitar repairman has little or no knowledge and experience setting up or repairing Rickenbacker basses. Take your Rick elsewhere.
To tell if the neck of your Rickenbacker bass needs an adjustment, hold your bass in your lap, just like you are going to play it. Laying the bass down whether the neck is supported or not changes the relief somewhat, so you what to check the neck relief just like to are going to play your bass. Then using the tuned strings as a straight edge, fret the first with the index of the your fretting hand or get a guitar capo and capo the strings at the first fret. Holding the string down at the last fret with your other hand, you should be able to slide a piece of loose-leaf paper between the string and the 9th fret, with the string moving just a little. Or you can hold the string down with your first finger on your left hand and hold the string down at the last fret with your other hand. With your pinky on your left hand go to the furthest fret you can reach with it and tap down on the string. It shouldn't move much, just enough to hardly hear a tiny plink noise. The plink sound should be softer and less audible than you would hear from other bass guitars, since other bass guitars should have a little relief in the neck. If there was no sound at all, your neck might have a back bow. Do this with the E and G strings. If it's a five string Rickenbacker bass, use the B and G strings.

Truss rod adjustments of all Rickenbacker basses should be done with the strings in tune.

The truss rods of 3000, 3001, 4000, 4001 and 4002 basses adjust differently than the truss rods of 4003, 4004 and 2000 series basses. Please read the differences carefully!

3000, 3001, 4000, 4001 4002 and 4005 basses: The difference between adjusting a truss rod on one of these basses and other basses, is that the necks of these basses must be manually moved to the desired position and then the adjustment nuts are tightened (turned clockwise). If you have detuned any strings to remove the truss rod cover, retune the strings before adjusting the truss rods. You will need a straight thin walled 1/4" nut driver that will fit in the area of the truss rod adjustment nuts. You can get the tool from Rickenbacker if you desire or you can get one at a hardware store. Do not use a nut driver with a "T" handle nor should you attach a ratchet type handle, as these will allow you to use too much strength when you turn the nuts and possibly break the truss rods. You might need the assistance of someone else to hold the bass down on a workbench to do this procedure or you can clamp the body of the bass to a workbench. In my opinion, the best method is to pad a workbench or table with a towel and use a clamp with rubber jaws and other soft material that you can put between the bass and the jaws of the clamp. You can place a bean bag or tightly rolled up pair of thick socks on the workbench or table, under the neck at about the 7th fret to use as a neck rest to help you straighten the neck. With the strings in tune and the body clamped to the workbench, loosen the truss rod adjustment nuts enough so are just a small distance the bearing plate, which looks like a metal plate behind the nuts. Then turn the truss rod adjustment nuts clockwise so that they are just touching the bearing plate. Now look down the length of the neck and hold the neck straight by the top of the neck with one hand, and then tighten the nuts. After you tighten down the nuts, you then let go of the neck. Tighten the nuts snug, using only the strength of your fingers, not your whole arm. Another method is to have the neck clamped with a 2"x 4" with adding smaller blocks of wood in between the fingerboard and the 2" x 4" and a cushiony material like cork in between the blocks and the fingerboard, or you might just find suitable blocks of cork to put in between the 2" x 4". Then loosen / tighten the truss rod nuts as I explain in the previous method. I will provide pictures of this technique soon. Some guys are comfortable with supporting the body between their legs while they do this procedure. I find that cumbersome. Some have been known to just support the neck just below the headstock on their leg, as they hold it by the headstock with one hand, letting the body hang free as they tighten down the truss rod adjustment nuts with the other hand (known as the "Quick and Dirty" method). Never try to tighten the nuts with more than the strength in your hand. If you use the strength of your arm to tighten them, you might break the truss rods. Never adjust the truss rod nuts of a 4000, 4001 or 4002 without following one of these procedures or the fingerboard might pop off the neck, sending you with your bass to a luthier to set the fingerboard on again. Never force an adjustment nut to turn. It might be stuck due to corrosion, or it may already be at the end of it's traveling distance of the threads on the truss rod. Forcing the nut to turn can break a truss rod and or pop the fingerboard off the neck. If you have never done any of these procedures, take your time and be very careful. It may take you more than one time to get the neck adjusted the way you want it.

4003, 4004 and 2000 series basses: The truss rods of 4003, 4004 and the 2000 series basses adjust like any other bass guitar except like the 4001, there are 2 truss rods for more accurate adjustments. It is not necessary to manually hold the necks of the 4003, 4004 or 2000 series models while adjusting their truss rods. You might only have to adjust one truss rod or one needs to be adjusted less than the other. The 4003 basses in the first production years (approximately '79 to '85) had the truss rod adjustment at the body end of the neck. You can tell these from the newer 4003 basses, since the ones that have the truss rod adjustments at the body end have a two piece pickguard. To access the truss rod adjustments on the early 4003 basses, you must remove the part of the pickguard that is closer to the neck. 4003 basses from about '85 to present have the truss rod adjustments under the truss rod cover. If you have loosened any strings to remove the cover, retune the strings before making any truss rod adjustments. Turning the truss rod adjustment to the right (clockwise) reduces forward bow, no matter which end of the neck the adjustment is located. Turning the truss rod adjustment to the left (counter clockwise) reduces back bow, no matter which end of the neck the adjustment is located. The truss rod adjustments should never exceed more than 1/8 turn at once. After making the first 1/8 turn adjustment, wait about a day to see if the truss rods need to be further adjusted. Give the rod(s) a chance to set the neck relief. If you feel that the truss rod(s) need to be further adjusted, make a second 1/8 turn adjustment on the following day. It might take two or three days to get your neck to the proper adjustment. Never force the adjustment nuts to turn. Use only the strength of your fingers, not your arm. If you can't turn the nut, it might be stuck due to corrosion or it may already be at the end of it's traveling distance on the threads of the truss rod. Forcing it can break the truss rod and /or pop the fingerboard off the neck.

If a truss rod nut is stuck due to corrosion, it must first be treated with a penetrating oil, like WD-40 or better yet, if you can find a product called Corrosion-Cracker. Apply one of these products sparingly (a drop or two at most) on the threads at the opening of the nut, using a needle bottle or the tip of a toothpick. You do not want to get any these products on the finish of you bass, so put a towel around the areas that you might accidentally get some on. After you've applied about a drop or so to the threads on the truss rod(s), wait a while for the product to penetrate. Then gently try to loosen the affected nut (turn counterclockwise). Do not try to tighten! There is still always the chance that you may break the truss rod. If you break a truss rod, new truss rods for 4003 and 4004 basses can be purchased from Rickenbacker. 4001 rods would have to be repaired or new ones would have to be made by a luthier who knows how to make a 4001 truss rod.

3000, 3001, 4000, 4001 4003, 4003 and 4005 basses have a bridge that "floats" in the well of a tailpiece that is supported by two height adjustment screws, one on each side of the bridge. There is no individual height adjustment for each saddle. The individual saddle height is fixed on the bridge to match the radius of the fingerboard. To raise or lower the first and second strings, the height adjustment screw on the first string side of the bridge is adjusted. To lower the strings, use an Allen wrench to turn the screw counter clockwise. To raise them, turn the screw clockwise. To adjust the height of the third and fourth strings, do the same for the bridge height screw near the fourth string. After you have changed the bridge height, you will have to retune the strings since lowering the bridge height will loosen them and raising the bridge height will tighten them.

The 4004 basses have ABM bridges which have individual saddle height adjustment screws. Adjusting the bridge saddles is done by turning screws, one on each side of the bridge saddle. The screws are adjusted with an allen wrench. Turning the screw clockwise raises the bridge saddle, therefore raising the string height. Turning the screw counter clockwise lowers the saddle, therefore lowers the string height. The height of the strings are usually 3/32" from the bottom of the E string to the top of the 12th fret. The first string can be slightly closer to the fret. The overall string height as well as the string to string height on your bass should depend on your style of playing, and the type of strings that are installed on your bass. The ABM bridges also have a string to string spacing adjustment roller on each saddle. Loosen the string and turn the roller to change the string to string spacing to best suit your style. Do that to each saddle so that the string spacing is the same between all of the strings. Pick style players usually prefer the strings closer together. Finger and slap style players usually prefer wider string spacing.

It’s best to adjust your pickups with your bass plugged into your amplifier so you can get the output you desire, quicker and easier. Don't have the volume level on your amp too loud as you most likely will make some popping noises during the procedure.
The screws on the sides of the pickups adjust the pickup height. Rickenbacker bass pickups have one pickup height adjustment screw on each side. Unlike most basses, on 3000, 3001. 4001, 4002 and 4003 basses, turning the screws to the right (clockwise) raises the pickups. Turning the screws to the left (counterclockwise) lowers the pickups. This is because the height adjustment screws go into mounting hardware instead of the body wood.
Since the 2000 series, 4004 and 4005 basses have height adjustment screws that go into the body wood, they adjust pickup height like most other basses. Turning the screws to the right (clockwise) lowers the pickup. Turning the screws to the left (counterclockwise) raises the pickup. The 2000 series and first run of the 4004Cii/5 basses have HB2 pickups which have the height adjustments screws in the rear of the body.
In 2006, RIC began to install higain pickups with individually adjustable polepieces in 4003 basses. The polepieces on the pickups of the new 4003 basses are adjusted by using a hex key. It makes it easier to balance out the string to string volume with the individual polepieces.
The height adjustment screws of the 4001/4003 neck (bass) pickup are found at the sides of the pickups on the surface of the pickguard. There is a rubber washer (grommet) on the shafts on the neck pickup height adjustment screws to cushion and take up some space between the neck pickup and the pickguard. If you have an old 4001 that seems to have a wobbly neck pickup, these rubber grommets might be missing. The height adjustment screws of the 4001/4003 bridge (treble) pickup are the two large screws found on the top of the metal pickup surround plate. There is a spring on the shaft of each of the bridge pickup height adjustment screws between the pickup mounting plate and the pickup surround plate to hold the pickup to the height that is set by the screw. If you want a reference point, set your bridge pickup height to 5/32" between the top of the pole pieces and the bottoms of the strings, though this is hard to do if you have the bridge pickup cover on your bass. Depending on your playing style and music you play and the type of pickup, you might want to lower or raise the pickup slightly to get the sound you want. If you want the most output from your bass, raise the pickups to just below the point of getting unwanted clicking and popping noises and unwanted distortion. The closer the pickups are to the strings, the louder the output from your bass will be, but if the pickups are too close, your notes will have less sustain and you can have unwanted distortion and the notes might sound odd, especially on the upper frets.

I’ve recently gotten several emails with complaints about a poor or weak sounding E string on a new 4003. I’ve also read about this issue on Rickenbacker forums. Don’t panic or get frustrated or get the feeling you've gotten a flawed 4003. There is a solution.
Take advantage of the adjustable polepieces on the new Rickenbacker higain pickups. Adjust the A, D and G string polepieces down (lower) in relation to the E string and then raise up the whole pickup using the pickup height adjustment screws. Just the same, in case it's a G tsring that sounds weak, lower the E, A and D string polepieces, then raise up the whole pickup.
Sometimes bringing the pickups too high defeats the purpose and makes matters worse as the magnetic attraction can shorten the sustain and or produce poor tone. Just as well, a pickup that is too low can't grab all it can from the strings resulting in weak output and possibly poor tone.
If the adjustments I've just described in the paragraph above do not help the E string tone, give each truss rod nut a clockwise quarter turn tweak. That shouldn't be enough to change the relief of the neck, but might be enough to tune out a resonance issue.
If that still doesn't help the E string, if you have a skinny rat-tail file (long and round) or much better yet, a .105" nut file, make the E string nut slot just very slightly deeper. Be careful not to widen the nut slot or the string might rattle in the slot when you play it open and that would sound terrible.

Many bassists tried out a 4001 or early 4003 and couldn't understand why the neck pickup had so much more output than the bridge pickup and that the bridge pickup sounded very thin. This is because of the .0047 mfd capacitor that is on the output of the bridge pickup. It takes out most of the low end of the pickup, which also results in the reduced output. In a modern rock band, you need all the volume you can get from your bass. Leave the capacitor alone if you like the way the bass just the way it is.

As of late '05 / early '06, Rickenbacker 4003 basses come with a Vintage Tone Circuit which features a push - pull treble tone control pot. With the knob on the pot pushed in, the capacitor is out of the circuit. If the knob is pulled out, the capacitor is engaged in the circuit. You can do this modification to your 4001 or 4003. You can purchase a push-pull potentiometer available at authorized RIC dealer or straight from RIC. The push - pull pot will replace the existing treble pickup tone pot. This is how the newest Rick basses (from late '05 to present) are wired. The push - pull pot that you get from RIC will come with a diagram that shows how to wire in the new pot. If you get the pot from a source other than RIC or a RIC authorized dealer, follow the diagram called '4003 with Vintage Tone Circuit Wiring Diagram PDF' that I have made, located at the bottom of this page. If you get a push - pull pot that is not the genuine RIC part, the inside portion of the pot might be too tall for the space between the body route and the inside of the pickguard and you may have to route that area a little deeper to make the pot fit.
An alternative to the push - pull pot, is to wire a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch in parallel to the .0047 capacitor and have either sound at the flick of the switch. Of course you will have to mount the switch on the pickguard by routing a hole. Notice the mini switch on my '79 4001 fireglo at the bottom of this page. I did that modification many years ago as suggested by one of my electronics teachers who played bass. The push - pull pot is the better way to go since you won't have to make a hole in your pickguard for the switch and your bass won't look modified.
A simple cap modification can be done by soldering an insulated wire to the same two solder points as the .0047 mfd capacitor. This is the smaller capacitor that is connected from the lug on the pickup selector switch for the treble (bridge) pickup to the middle lug of the treble volume pot. I'm pointing to it in a picture at the top of this page. Clicking on the on the "4001 Wiring Diagram PDF" below, will also help you to find the .0047 capacitor. You can remove the cap before you solder in the wire, or you can leave it in. If you leave the cap in, it will make the reversal of the mod easier if you wish to do so. You won't hear the effect of the cap if you leave it in, since all of the signal will take the easier route through the wire instead of the cap.