Re-stringing Rickenbackers

mart

I changed the strings on both of my Rickenbackers today: a 6-string with the R tailpiece and a 12 with the trapeze tailpiece. 

I don't think I'll try both in the same day again; it wasn't a whole lot of fun! But in the process I reminded myself of two things. 

Firstly: the R tailpiece looks great but is very hard to anchor the strings into; the trapeze is much easier, although with a 12 there seems to be a bit of a fight where the ball of one string wants to push the other out of the way. I pondered the irony of me having a 12-string tailpiece on my 6-string guitar, and vice versa!

Secondly: the Rick 12 headstock looks great but is hard to string up. Easiest if you take all the strings off, and do the underneath strings first, but those underneath ones are really awkward, especially if you try and do the Gibson wrap-round-and-under thing to lock the strings.

I'm hoping there are some tricks that help with both, but I fear that no, it's just classic examples of form over function. So it'll probably be a while before either guitar gets re-strung again!

ICBM

The Rick 12-string headstock with the closed slots is definitely a case of take your time and do things in the right order - it's definitely easier to take all the strings off and start again with the slot ones, working from the outside of the fingerboard towards the middle. You *can* do the 'lock wrap', but it's fiddly compared to on a vertical post. At least the proper Rickenbacker compressed wound strings seem to last nearly forever, at least if it's a guitar you only play occasionally. (Probably true for most Rick 12-strings.)

The R tailpiece I find exactly the same as any other guitar with a trapeze tailpiece which doesn't have holes for the strings to pass through (eg Bigsby) - you just have to get the hang of keeping a bit of tension on the string with one hand while you do the stuff at the post. If you have taken all the strings off, it's easier to start with the middle strings since the tailpiece then doesn't try to fall off its hook like it does if you start with one of the outside ones.

Yes, I know that those two things together mean that a 12-string with an R tailpiece is then a complete pain .

dogload

The 6-string 'R' tailpiece is less hassle than a Bigsby. If you thread it at the post then stretch the string out and hold in place in the tailpiece slot whilst tightening the tuner, it works a treat and takes no time at all.

I concede the more taxing nature of the 12-string 'R' though

mart

I must admit I haven't had the pleasure of re-stringing with a Bigsby. If it's more hassle than the R tailpiece, I'd better continue avoiding it!

Maybe I'm just a wuss, because the only tailpieces I'm used to that don't have holes for the strings to pass through, allow the string to be dropped into the tailpiece from on top. Admittedly this doesn't look as neat, but it is sooo much easier. 

NervousJohn

Rick 12s aren't that bad. As ICBM says start with the octave D or wound G to hold the tailpiece in place.

Then unwind the whole sodding lot to get the nameplate off when you want to adjust the truss rod.