RobB Posted December 19, 2017 Posted December 19, 2017 Recently traded a coupla guitars for this 1998 Ric 360. This model came with "Hi-Gain" pickups, but they were thankfully replaced by the previous owner with vintage toasters. If any of y'all have owned a Ric, they have their own built-in peccadillos, mainly in the bridge/tailpiece department. So, with BadgerDave as my inspiration I got to work... First, off with the "Rickety-backer" bridge and on with the Mastery 5A replacement. Solid stainless steel with a beefy baseplate, including locking allen screws for the four bridge posts. Easy, non-destructive install, though I did have to lift up the pickguard assembly to tighten the right-side set-screws. Next, ditching the tone-sucking, pot-metal "R" tailpiece with a Winfield Vintage trapeze. A direct bolt-in replacement, the WV allows for solid mounting of the strings instead of the wonky assembly that is the stock, Ricky tailpiece. Doesn't look as cool as the "R", but I can live with it. Results? All of the signature Ric "chime" is retained, but the tone is bolstered by more volume and, best yet, no more rattling. Intonated/radiused perfectly, this thing is solid, really solid. I used D'Addario Chromes .010s with a substituted .017 plain, "G."
crunchee Posted December 19, 2017 Posted December 19, 2017 The 'R' tailpiece on Rics have long been known for failing, often in dramatic fashion. You don't have to take this article's word for it, just do a Google search using the words 'exploding Rickenbacker tailpieces', you'll instantly get a list of queries and complaints made on several forums about it: https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/gas-man-living-self-destructive-guitar
Kurt L Posted December 19, 2017 Posted December 19, 2017 I don’t really have anything constructive to add, just wanted to say “Nice guitar!” And seemingly very common-sense improvements...
RobB Posted December 19, 2017 Author Posted December 19, 2017 30 minutes ago, crunchee said: The 'R' tailpiece on Rics have long been known for failing, often in dramatic fashion. You don't have to take this article's word for it, just do a Google search using the words 'exploding Rickenbacker tailpieces', you'll instantly get a list of queries and complaints made on several forums about it: https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/gas-man-living-self-destructive-guitar Haha! I saw that article before I proceeded with the Winfield tailpiece. The problem with the "R" tp is that the strings are just kinda held in there with string pressure. There are notches for spacing, but nothing to set/grab them while you're winding strings. I imagine the 12str version must be an even bigger nightmare. On my 660/12 I also replaced the stock tp with a Winfield. I has 12 individual string anchors, so you don't have to double-up the string pairs in one hole. Makes re-stringing (an already arduous task on a Ric 12) much easier. Sounds better, too.
BadgerDave Posted December 20, 2017 Posted December 20, 2017 Beautiful! If you want to really go crazy with it talk to Murkat. A jumbo refret and stripping the finish from the fingerboard can make a huge difference. And maybe a set of Lollar broilers?
Steve Haynie Posted December 20, 2017 Posted December 20, 2017 The look of the R tailpiece has always looked cool to me. Thanks for letting us know the R stands for "rickety."
scottcald Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 23 hours ago, BadgerDave said: Beautiful! If you want to really go crazy with it talk to Murkat. A jumbo refret and stripping the finish from the fingerboard can make a huge difference. And maybe a set of Lollar broilers? And a Kahler!
RobB Posted December 21, 2017 Author Posted December 21, 2017 On 12/19/2017 at 7:43 PM, BadgerDave said: Beautiful! If you want to really go crazy with it talk to Murkat. A jumbo refret and stripping the finish from the fingerboard can make a huge difference. And maybe a set of Lollar broilers? Gonna stay sane for the time being, Dave. I'm a Jescar 6100 man, all the way, but I don't mind the scrawny Ric frets with flatwounds. Not a big fan of the finished rosewood boards, either, but it doesn't bother me enough to strip the finish. Same goes for my 660/12, though that is going to get a new Ric bridge, for sure. I H-A-T-E the way Rickenbacker notches their saddles. The deep "v" cuts contribute to the sitar-thing and the way they cut nuts is retarded, too. I get that the deep slots are there because the headstock angle is so shallow, but there's no need for the string to ride so far below the break-angle. Rics, are funny: They're a little cranky and "bark-y", if there's a word? You kinda have to sneak up on them and finesse it, but they sound like no other guitar. I love the way the Smithereens forced their Rics to submit to their Marshalls, LOL! Jim Babjak always got the hugest sound...
crunchee Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 18 minutes ago, RobB said: Rics, are funny: They're a little cranky and "bark-y", if there's a word? You kinda have to sneak up on them and finesse it, but they sound like no other guitar. I love the way the Smithereens forced their Rics to submit to their Marshalls, LOL! Jim Babjak always got the hugest sound... Plus, he apparently didn't/doesn't have any problem doing bends on a Ric 12, either:
chromium Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 Nice 360 and mods! Did the bridge/tailpiece yeild any gains in the way of upper register sustain? Mine has a tendancy to get a little "plonky" past the 12th fret. Subtle, but I notice it. Been thinking about buying the Mastery for a while... Didn't really think much about the tailpiece's impact until now... String anchors are pretty goofy. Too bad they're stuck in the past as it relates to some minor design improvements like that. Ah well, gotta love em for what they are.
RobB Posted December 21, 2017 Author Posted December 21, 2017 "Plonky..." That's a great descriptor. Rickenbacker: Bringing The Plonk since 1936. The upgrades emphasize the acoustic ring of the 360. It hasn't been transformed into an LP or anything like that, but more akin to when amp dorks talk about "taking off a blanket" after speaker swaps. As far as lead playing goes, there's more sustain on tap and, yes, it's less "plonky" and has a more even response up the fingerboard. The M5 wasn't cheap, but it was worth the expense. FWIW, Winfield also makes a harp tailpiece (no "R", though) that is a direct replacement.
prototype-fan Posted December 22, 2017 Posted December 22, 2017 On 12/20/2017 at 9:04 PM, scottcald said: And a Kahler! Dude, a Kahler would be ridiculous, what it really needs is a Floyd!
scottcald Posted December 22, 2017 Posted December 22, 2017 1 hour ago, prototype-fan said: Dude, a Kahler would be ridiculous, what it really needs is a Floyd! What was I thinking?!
Steve Haynie Posted December 22, 2017 Posted December 22, 2017 A Rick with a Floyd or Kahler is too obvious. Go with a Parsons/White B-Bender.
chromium Posted December 23, 2017 Posted December 23, 2017 On 12/21/2017 at 5:05 PM, RobB said: As far as lead playing goes, there's more sustain on tap and, yes, it's less "plonky" and has a more even response up the fingerboard. Thanks for the info - that would be the outcome I'm seeking. The 360 I have has a nice "Gibson-ish" neck and is a pleasure to play. Seems like a worthy upgrade... One of these days, I'll get around to the swap.
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