Hello.
I have just purchased a 4003 fireglo bass 2004 ungigged.Absolutely as new condition.
The problem is when I play an oped D the bridge saddle vibrates
and a clicking noise can be heard coming from the G bridge saddle.
Can this be cured or will I have to purchase a new bridge assembly?

Hello all.
I have just purchased a very tasty 2004 fireglo 4003 in unplayed condition
However when I play an open D the bridge saddle vibrates and
The saddle on the G string seems to click a little when the string is plucked.
Can this be sorted or will I have to purchase a new bridge assembly.
If I purchase a replacement bridge is the problem likely to crop up
on the new part?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

There was a problem with the fit on some saddles, and new ones will cure the rocking, clicking, etc.

The saddles can be purchased individually in the Boutique. New ones fit perfectly, as long as you haven't tampered with the plated oval saddle base.

_________________
Rickenbackers: I love to play them. I enjoy the challenge of working on them. I love the way they sound.

I hope your right about the "new" saddles. I bought my Oct. 2010 4003 less than 2 months ago, and the first time I went to set the intonation(after changing to flatwounds); 3 of the saddles were rattling bad. I finally got 2 to stop rattling, but I had to shim the D string saddle with thin plastic to get it to stop. I changed to flatwounds first, and setup the bass, with the exception of the intonation. It was close enough, even with the string change. I had no problem even when I took the strings(one at a time) off the saddles. It wasn't until I moved the intonation screws. I almost wish I had let it be. It almost seems like, as soon as the factory intonation setup is altered; the springs don't seem to put enough tension on the assembly. I contacted Ric, and sent them a self addressed envelope, and they said they would send me new saddles; but how much newer can they be than the ones on my 10/2010. I absolutely love the bass, and wouldn't let anyone pry it from my hands, but I've been setting up my own guitars for over 40 years, and have never had this problem. I'm in no way slandering Rics; they are a work of art. I've got vintage, and new instruments all the way from the 60's, but I've never played an instrument as unique, and different as a Ric. I look forward to the new saddles, but am still a bit skeptical, as to how they will be different from the ones on my new bass.
John Sr.

I don't recall the exact date for cutover but it was at the end of last year sometime when all of the old parts were used and only the new assembly began to be used exclusively. Both the saddle holder and the individual saddles were completely redesigned and retooled. Also, the drilling was switched over to CNC, referencing the back of the saddle, instead of a drill fixture held from the front.

This may be like most new features at RIC, they sort of emerge in waves... I got the new "perfect fit" saddles last year in August, and believe me, they are what the doctor ordered. But people who got basses that were made later apparently got some of the old saddles.

Similarly, walnut headstock wings were introduced in late 2005 or so, but my 2007 AFG has maple headstock wings. (I love it all the same if not more for being unique for its run. Also, it's just a fantastic bass!)

At any given time, there are instruments throughout the facility of varying manufacturing dates. Similarly, the production stockroom has bins of assemblies produced ahead that may be of various lots. Then you have to consider, at any given moment in time, several hundred instruments are in transit to dealers all over the world, not to mention the large number held in dealer or distributor stocks.

As such, it's very rare that there's a perfect "hard" cut-over for anything, which is quite precisely why we rarely announce new features or changes until absolutely everything has gone all the way through the system.

There's one relatively minor situation like that right now, for instance, that I'll use as an example. We're changing, only very slightly, our standard guitar string gauging to make the strings better balanced. Not only are the guitars on the floor during this week strung with both old and new sets, we've had to convert over both domestic and international packaged sets (which are different), as well as update retail, internal, and international documentation. It just can't happen all at one moment in time.

I know one thing for sure; I look forward to the new saddles because; since purchasing the Ric 4003, I haven't hardly touched another of my instruments. I own my own business, and I find myself getting the jobs going, and making sure that everyone has what they need, and I scurry home like a young kid, and then uncasing the Ric, I begin having the kind of fun playing, that I had many years ago. It's just a fantastically unique bass guitar. It also never hurts to be playing a guitar that looks as beautiful as it sounds. I'm quite sure we all feel that way though.
JOhn

It's easy to forget that Ric makes more than just basses!