Rickenbacker B6 Restoration / Tuner Replacement

Gary Meixner · Post by **Gary Meixner** » 20 Apr 2011 9:42 am

I have been working on getting my Ricky B6 back into shape and am almost ready to string it up. The pickup has been rewound and I am considering changing the tuners. One of the originals is bent but still functioning. The rest work okay but are stiff and badly worn. I have found some replacement tuners that match the mounting screw holes but the string shafts are a tiny bit bigger than the originals. Would altering the guitar to accomodate these slightly larger tuners be a crime beyond forgiveness? I would not be installing the bushing so the difference is very slight about 1/64th. Also I plan on lining the pickup cavity and control cavity with copper foil and replacing the IRC labeled volume control and wiring. I would keep all original components. The original wiring was messed with sometime in the past. I would like to keep this guitar as unmolested as possible but I do want to play it in performances and not worry about noise and breakdowns. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Very best always,

Gary

Paul Bostic · Post by **Paul Bostic** » 20 Apr 2011 10:33 am

Since for most purists, having the coil rewound changed the instrument forever, (it's no longer a true Ric). I had to have mine rewound as it was unplayable. It sounds real fine to me which is the person I have to please. I think you should do whatever you want to your instrument to make it playable. I would hold on to the old parts. I plan on keeping my B8 until they cook me so I don't really care about resale. I hope you enjoy playing yours as much as I do mine.

Mike Bonnice · Post by **Mike Bonnice** » 27 Apr 2011 8:18 pm

Perhaps it's a matter of personal preference, but I don't feel a guitar is mine unless I have done something to it that makes it better. Once I make an irreversible change, there is a feeling of freedom that I can do anything I want to and I don't need to worry that I'm trying to preserve a museum piece. Besides, there are so many of these instruments out there that yours is unlikely to be the last on earth.

Changing the pots is the first thing required for an old Rick. Once the original solder connection is broken, it's all mine and I'll do anything. I have a B8 that formed a crack that threatened the integrity of the body. So, I got a moto-tool, milled out the crack and filled it with black epoxy.

I know the tuners knobs will crumble away some day. I'll glue on a new knob.

Regarding replacing the bent tuner, I'd ream out the holes to install tuners that fit, but only if these were the best tuners. I'd ream by hand with plenty of lubricant and would not use a drill unless I had a drill press with a fixture, and confidence in the bit and the drill speed.

I added aluminum foil inside the pot cavities, made sure the foil contacted the cover plates, and made sure the bodies of the pots were grounded to the ground lead of the jack and had continuity to the cover plates. This definitely makes the instrument quieter.

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 28 Apr 2011 1:44 pm

I have no desire to play any guitar with bad tuners, so did not hesitate to install a set of Kluson repro tuners on my ca 1936 Ric B6. As I recall, I reamed the holes very carefully with a rat tail file--or maybe sandpaper. They work perfectly.

Enjoy your Ric!

Best,

Bob