rickenbacker 330 replace with taller frets?

Deb

Anyone have suggestions for improving bendability on a 2008 rickenbacker 330 thinline?  Love the tone and everything about the guitar except very stiff to bend.  Frets are old style standard so VERY short. Thought of replacing with tall frets. Or would raising the bridge help solve this?  I don't want to do anything that would change its lovely tone.  I guess I could reserve this guitar's use for other styles and go to my tele for bending but of course I want it all in one guitar?  Any ideas?

guitars4you

Welcome to FB 

good question- a) what gauze strings do you use and b ) are you looking at subtle 1/4 note bends or more like a semitone or tone bends

I’m a Tom Petty/ Mike Campbell fan - I’ve often wondered how he achieves such bends etc on a Ricky - Have the frets been changed and/or he is a much better player than I give him credit for if he can bend like that on a guitar with a factory set up and small frets

My suspicion based on the work carried out on many Fender Guitars , that I’ve seen, is that a bigger set of frets, with no lacquer over the frets , will make it so much easier to play and bend

Seziertisch

guitars4you said:

Welcome to FB 

good question- a) what gauze strings do you use and b ) are you looking at subtle 1/4 note bends or more like a semitone or tone bends

I’m a Tom Petty/ Mike Campbell fan - I’ve often wondered how he achieves such bends etc on a Ricky - Have the frets been changed and/or he is a much better player than I give him credit for if he can bend like that on a guitar with a factory set up and small frets

My suspicion based on the work carried out on many Fender Guitars , that I’ve seen, is that a bigger set of frets, with no lacquer over the frets , will make it so much easier to play and bend

Apparently the solo on The Waiting, which is played on a Rick in the video, was actually played on a Les Paul.

guitars4you

Seziertisch said:

guitars4you said:

Welcome to FB 

good question- a) what gauze strings do you use and b ) are you looking at subtle 1/4 note bends or more like a semitone or tone bends

I’m a Tom Petty/ Mike Campbell fan - I’ve often wondered how he achieves such bends etc on a Ricky - Have the frets been changed and/or he is a much better player than I give him credit for if he can bend like that on a guitar with a factory set up and small frets

My suspicion based on the work carried out on many Fender Guitars , that I’ve seen, is that a bigger set of frets, with no lacquer over the frets , will make it so much easier to play and bend

Apparently the solo on The Waiting, which is played on a Rick in the video, was actually played on a Les Paul.

I was kind of basing my comments on live footage over various shows I've seen - As we know Mike has nearly as many guitars as our own @HarrySeven - So in the studio I'm not sure what he uses on each track - But live I can see each guitar/solo etc 

skay

I had my Rickenbacker 330 refretted with slightly taller frets recently, as I had them dressed a number of years ago, and they ended up so low that it was making bending strings very difficult so I hardly ever played it.

Along with the new frets, I opted to not have the lacquer replaced, and thought that along with the taller frets this had helped transform the guitar into one that was as easy to bend on than any Gibson. I couldn’t get used to the unfinished fretboard as it just didn’t feel like a Rickenbacker anymore, so it went back in for this and when it came back it was just as easy to play bending strings and felt much more familiar in my hand, and looks right with the shiny fretboard which is obviously very important too!

It’s so nice to play now that it’s my number one choice for the covers band I’m in, and I can play all the lead guitar breaks on it no problem, so if you want a more versatile and usable guitar then I say go for it!

guitars4you

skay said:

I had my Rickenbacker 330 refretted with slightly taller frets recently, as I had them dressed a number of years ago, and they ended up so low that it was making bending strings very difficult so I hardly ever played it.

Along with the new frets, I opted to not have the lacquer replaced, and thought that along with the taller frets this had helped transform the guitar into one that was as easy to bend on than any Gibson. I couldn’t get used to the unfinished fretboard as it just didn’t feel like a Rickenbacker anymore, so it went back in for this and when it came back it was just as easy to play bending strings and felt much more familiar in my hand, and looks right with the shiny fretboard which is obviously very important too!

It’s so nice to play now that it’s my number one choice for the covers band I’m in, and I can play all the lead guitar breaks on it no problem, so if you want a more versatile and usable guitar then I say go for it!

It is possible to have the fingerboard re-lacquered, yet scrape any of the new lacquer of the new frets

As to  can you keep the original lacquer and refret over the original lacquer is a question you need to have with a guitar tech

ICBM

Deb said:

Anyone have suggestions for improving bendability on a 2008 rickenbacker 330 thinline?  Love the tone and everything about the guitar except very stiff to bend.  Frets are old style standard so VERY short. Thought of replacing with tall frets. Or would raising the bridge help solve this?  I don't want to do anything that would change its lovely tone.  I guess I could reserve this guitar's use for other styles and go to my tele for bending but of course I want it all in one guitar?  Any ideas?

Is the board still lacquered? If so, remove it - it will make the frets slightly taller (by the thickness of the lacquer, which is not a lot, but noticeable) but more importantly, it will remove the draggy feel and make bending easier.

I know lacquered boards are traditional on Ricks, but... they're much better without.

Yes, I know skay says otherwise . I disagree.

Deb

These are helpful comments - thanks. Yes, frets are lacquered.  I'm not playing fast leads so I don't perceive a drag from the fretboard, itself, and would love to keep the lacquer look but have the new frets unlacquered (if that's possible).  I guess next step is a chat with a luthier.  (More background info:  I have it strung with D/Addario XL Chrome Flatwounds 10-48.  My style is slow to mid-pace blues and some jazz.  A bit of Travis picking when I get the notion.)

Perhaps my biggest concern is that I don't want to alter the tone.  Any comments there?  

skay

guitars4you said:

It is possible to have the fingerboard re-lacquered, yet scrape any of the new lacquer of the new frets

As to  can you keep the original lacquer and refret over the original lacquer is a question you need to have with a guitar tech

I’ve read that having it refretted without removing the lacquer is possible, but maybe not every guitar tech can do this (or would want the hassle), so you’d have to enquire with whoever you choose to perform the job.

The new lacquer on my Rickenbacker is definitely different to the original stuff (they use conversion varnish I believe) and feels much more like something you find on a maple board Fender. There’s no lacquer build up around the frets on my guitar either, so maybe that’s helped to retain the height of the frets and also helps prevents friction, hence now it feels just like bending strings on a lacquered Fender maple fretboard which no one seems to ever complain about.

Wazmeister

Don't remove the lacquer Deb, that's a dumb idea.

Amend your playing style, or solo on another guitar !

Sadly, rarely does one instrument cover everything, as well all know on here - much to our cost !

Welcome aboard !

skay

Deb said:

These are helpful comments - thanks. Yes, frets are lacquered.  I'm not playing fast leads so I don't perceive a drag from the fretboard, itself, and would love to keep the lacquer look but have the new frets unlacquered (if that's possible).  I guess next step is a chat with a luthier.  (More background info:  I have it strung with D/Addario XL Chrome Flatwounds 10-48.  My style is slow to mid-pace blues and some jazz.  A bit of Travis picking when I get the notion.)

Perhaps my biggest concern is that I don't want to alter the tone.  Any comments there?  

A refret will include dressing the frets which is when they file them into shape and smooth them off, so you won’t be left with any lacquer on the frets themselves if you have the board stripped for the refret and lacquer reapplied.

I can’t see there being any tonal change if you replace the frets with ones of the same material (unlike using stainless steel for example) and if you really hated the outcome then just have the frets dressed down to the tiny slithers they leave the factory with and you’re back in traditional Rickenbacker land!

Deb

Good thoughts, all - thanks much!

ICBM

Wazmeister said:

Don't remove the lacquer Deb, that's a dumb idea.

Amend your playing style, or solo on another guitar !

Well, it wasn’t a dumb idea on my 381. I didn’t do it, it came to me like that along with a refret with very slightly larger wire, and it was far easier to play ‘lead guitar’ on than my 360. Ricks are perfectly good lead guitars - contrary to popular belief - but some of their design quirks don’t help.

My 4001 has also been de-lacquered. I don’t see the issue - it doesn’t stop them being Rickenbackers, and it doesn’t change the sound. If you’re going to get it refretted anyway, why not just leave it unlacquered? You can always do it later if it really bothers you.