Restringing a Rickenbacker 12 String Guitar: A Comprehensive Guide

Rickenbacker 12 String Guitars are iconic instruments, renowned for their shimmering, jangly tones that have defined the sound of countless hits across genres from The Beatles to The Byrds and beyond. However, for many guitarists, the thought of restringing these magnificent instruments, especially those equipped with the distinctive “R” tailpiece, can be a source of anxiety. Fear not! This guide will walk you through the process of restringing your Rickenbacker 12 string guitar, ensuring it’s ready to sing once more. We’ll cover everything from essential tools to a step-by-step method, making the task less daunting and more manageable, even for those unfamiliar with the nuances of the Rickenbacker design.

Gathering Your Tools

Before you even think about removing the old strings, it’s crucial to have all the necessary tools at hand. Having everything prepared will make the process smoother and more efficient. Think of it as a quick tune-up and maintenance session for your beloved rickenbacker 12 string guitar. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Guitar Polish: To clean and shine your guitar’s body and neck. A quality polish like Jim Dunlop Formula 65 is excellent as it cleans without abrasion or buildup.
• Nut and Saddle Lubricant: Essential for smooth string movement and tuning stability. Products like Nut Sauce or even powdered graphite work wonders in reducing friction at the nut and bridge.
• #0 Phillips Head Screwdriver: For removing and reinstalling the bridge cover and truss rod cover.
• 3/32 Flat Blade Screwdriver: To loosen the grub screws on your potentiometer knobs for cleaning.
• Fingerboard Guards: To protect your fretboard while polishing the frets with steel wool. Gaffer tape can be a substitute if you don’t have guards.
• 0000 Steel Wool: For polishing frets to a bright shine.
• String Winder: Saves time and effort when winding new strings onto the tuning pegs.
• Side Cutters: To safely snip off old strings for removal.
• Electrical Contact Cleaner: For cleaning potentiometers and switches, improving their performance and reducing scratchiness.
• Straight Edge or Relief Gauge: To check your guitar neck’s relief and ensure proper setup.
• Truss Rod Wrench: Specific to Rickenbacker guitars, usually a small wrench to adjust the truss rods. Knowing your specific model is important to ensure you have the correct wrench.
• 10mm Wrench: Potentially for tightening tuner bushings if your model has them.
• Super Fine Flat File: For gently smoothing out any burrs on the bridge saddles.
• Fine Polishing Tape: For cleaning up tuning post holes in the headstock slots.
• Long Nose Hemostats (Locking Forceps): Incredibly helpful for maneuvering strings, especially around the R tailpiece and slotted headstock.
• Dental Mirror: Useful for inspecting the R tailpiece from different angles to ensure strings are seated correctly.
• Gaffer Tape: A musician’s best friend! For temporarily securing the R tailpiece during restringing and various other tasks without leaving residue.

Preparation is Key

Before you even think about stringing up your rickenbacker 12 string guitar with fresh strings, taking the time for some prep work can significantly enhance your playing experience. This includes removing the old strings safely and giving your guitar a good cleaning and check-up.

Removing the Old Strings

Start by unwinding the old strings from the tuning pegs. Once they are loose, they should easily come off the R tailpiece – often they will simply fall out. Be mindful of this, especially later when installing new strings. Use your side cutters to cut the old strings near the nut before removing them completely. This prevents the sharp ends from potentially scratching your guitar or injuring you, especially around the headstock tuners. Long nose hemostats are invaluable for pulling out the cut string ends from the tuning posts, particularly in the headstock slots.

Cleaning and Maintenance

With the old strings removed, now is the perfect time to give your rickenbacker 12 string guitar some love and attention.

• Body and Fretboard Cleaning: Use your Phillips screwdriver to remove the bridge cover and truss rod cover, carefully setting aside the screws. Next, remove the control knobs by loosening their grub screws with your small flat blade screwdriver and gently pulling them off, keeping them in order for reinstallation. Spray a small amount of electrical contact cleaner into each potentiometer and the pickup switch. Work the knobs and switch back and forth several times. You’ll be surprised how much smoother they become. Protect the surrounding areas with cloths to prevent overspray. Apply guitar polish to a clean microfiber cloth and thoroughly clean the body and the fretboard. Rickenbacker fretboards are typically lacquered, so avoid fretboard oils and stick to polish and a non-abrasive cloth.
• Fret Polishing: Fit fingerboard guards to protect the wood between frets, and then polish each fret with 0000 steel wool until they shine. If you don’t have guards, gaffer tape will work. After polishing all frets, use a clean section of your cloth with more polish to remove any steel wool residue. For a deeper clean and extra shine, you can use a Dremel with a soft felt wheel and a touch of Autosol metal polish every few years. Be very gentle and use Autosol sparingly to avoid damaging the fretboard.
• Hardware Check: If your top-facing tuners have hold-down nuts, tighten them with your 10mm wrench, just enough to be snug, not overly tight. Use an old toothbrush to clean around the nut and bridge, paying attention to the string slots and saddles. Inspect the nut for wear. If your guitar played well before, cleaning the slots is likely all you need. Rickenbacker bridge saddles can sometimes be rough; use a fine file to carefully smooth any burrs or rough edges near the string notches. Take your fine polishing tape and lightly clean the tuning rod holes in the headstock slots, removing any potential burrs.

Truss Rod Adjustment

Now is the ideal time to check and adjust your guitar’s truss rod. Unlike some guitars, you can’t remove the truss rod cover on a rickenbacker 12 string guitar with the strings on, as they often sit over it. Even if you could, access to the truss rod nuts is blocked by the strings. Use your straight edge or relief gauge to check the neck relief. If adjustments are needed, use the correct truss rod wrench. If you are unfamiliar with truss rod adjustments, StewMac offers excellent tutorials online that can guide you through the process. Learning to adjust your truss rod is a crucial skill for any guitarist to maintain their instrument properly. Once adjusted, reinstall the truss rod cover.

The Art of Restringing a Rickenbacker 12 String with an R Tailpiece

Ah, the R tailpiece. Beautiful to look at, but notoriously challenging when it comes to restringing a rickenbacker 12 string guitar. Many players consider replacing it with a trapeze tailpiece due to the complexity, but if you want to maintain the original aesthetic and sound, mastering the R tailpiece is key.

Understanding the R Tailpiece Challenge

The R tailpiece is accessible only from the bottom, and the string slots and ball notches can be inconsistent. Slots may vary in width and not always align perfectly with string gauges, while the ball notches can be shallow, making it difficult to keep strings in place until they are fully tensioned. Attempting to restring an R tailpiece using standard methods can lead to frustration, dropped strings, and potentially broken strings.

A Step-by-Step Method for R Tailpiece Restringing

This method aims to minimize frustration and string breakage when restringing your rickenbacker 12 string guitar with an R tailpiece.

1. Remove the R Tailpiece: Completely remove the R tailpiece from the guitar once all old strings are off. Place it upside down on a stable, spacious work surface.
2. Load the Strings: Open each pair of new strings. Starting with one string at a time, place the ball end into the correct slot and notch on the underside of the tailpiece. Rotate the string so the barrel of the ball end is parallel to the notch. This is crucial to prevent strings from popping out. Apply slight tension to each string to help seat the ball end, but don’t be surprised if they don’t stay perfectly in place yet.
3. Load All Strings: Carefully load all 12 strings into the tailpiece. Ensure you have enough workspace to avoid bending or kinking the strings.
4. Inspect String Seating: Use a magnifier and a light to meticulously check that all ball ends are properly seated in their notches. Double and triple-check this step. A dental mirror can be incredibly helpful for seeing the underside of the tailpiece clearly.
5. Secure with Gaffer Tape: Once you are confident all strings are correctly positioned, use gaffer tape to secure them. Start at the bottom of the R tailpiece, wrap the tape around the back opening, and then across the top in a U-shape. Ensure the tape firmly holds the strings in their slots and the ball ends in their notches. This step is critical to prevent strings from falling out during mounting.
6. Remount the Tailpiece: Flip the tailpiece over and carefully mount it back onto the guitar. Since it won’t fully lock in place until string tension is applied, use more gaffer tape to temporarily secure it to the guitar body.
7. Take a Break: Step away for a few minutes to regroup before proceeding.

Stringing the Tuners – Bill Baker’s Three Finger Method

For the headstock tuners, especially those in the slots, Bill Baker’s “Three Finger Method,” detailed in his YouTube video, is highly recommended. This method simplifies string winding and reduces slack, minimizing string breakage. String the tuners in the slotted headstock first, starting with the outer strings (E, A, D) and then moving inwards (E, B, G), as Bill Baker suggests. Wind them until snug but not yet fully tuned. Then, proceed to string the upward-facing tuning posts, leaving enough slack for at least three winds around each post. While some prefer to lock strings, ensure you have at least three winds for optimal sound and tuning stability.

Final Touches and Tuning

Once all strings are in place and roughly tuned, ensure they are correctly seated in the bridge saddles. Reinstall the bridge cover. Now, begin tuning your rickenbacker 12 string guitar to pitch. It’s often easiest to tune in stages, alternating between the bass and octave strings (low E then high E, low A then high A, and so on). After the initial tuning, stretch the strings thoroughly. Play aggressively and retune multiple times. Rickenbacker branded strings, like many new strings, may require several stretching and retuning cycles before they stabilize. Expect to retune at least four times with new strings.

Congratulations! Your rickenbacker 12 string guitar is now restrung and ready to play. Plug in, select a bright, clean channel, add generous reverb, and lose yourself in the iconic jangle of your revitalized instrument. Whether you’re channeling The Byrds, Tom Petty, or creating your own signature sound, enjoy the unique voice of your Rickenbacker 12 string.