I just recently purchased a Kay Rickenbacker clone off of Facebook Marketplace, which naturally had a number of issues. The action is so high that it won’t hit the zero fret at the top, but so low that if I press the highest fret it hits the pickups. I haven’t done anything to it and I’m not entirely sure where to start. Any thoughts or tips? Thanks in advance!
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I’m sure someone will be along to correct me momentarily but I’ve always understood it as the action in the lower frets is determined more by neck relief while the action closer to the pickups is adjusted from the bridge.
In short: double check your truss rod and make sure it’s right before adjusting the bridge action. On top of that, the pickup height itself can be adjusted as well.
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I took the opportunity before I took these pictures to adjust the bridge as far down as it goes to see what would happen, so I could see if it would help the strings hit the zero fret. Long story short, it doesn’t. I adjusted the truss rod because it was so loose it rattled, and it helped a little but not overly much.
Follow the steps in the first 3 videos:
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Thanks! I’ll write back with how it goes!
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I have it as low as it goes and I still have a ways to go. I don’t think it’s supposed to be sanded down, because that’s a lot to sand off if so. Does anyone know how to adjust these?
I would replace that bridge, that might be the worst bridge I have ever seen.
Also Carruthers videos are too analytical for a quick setup really, you don’t need any special tools. I would recommend just going simple and start with Josh’s video linked in the top post here:
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It’s just as adjustable as you think it is. 
I’ve never seen one as bad as this before, and that’s saying something! I think my limited fabrication skills should leave me with enough of the original to be able to attach the ashtray cover on the bottom, and still have a new bridge (read: cut off the cover attachment and screw it on) I at least have the neck properly set up, and that’s good enough for me for now! Thanks all!
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Have fun!
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I second this motion. 
Get a good bridge and live a happy bass life.
The thing in your photo is a poster child for bad juju, in the worst way.
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I’d say that is the biggest POS idea since all US bank notes were designed the same size and colour. What if you’re visually impaired, how do you know the denomination? You don’t, tough luck blind peeps.
The boys are right on this one. Do yourself a massive favour and replace the bridge. You can get inexpensive ones starting at less than $10 that are head and shoulders above whatever that monstrosity is.
Start here for a cheap reference point.
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I did some digging, and it looks like there’s no other bridge that’ll match those dimensions and still let me attach the chrome ashtray cover, so I suppose I’ll be doing a little redneck engineering in the future! 
It’s certainly been an experience trying to get this old thing working again, to say the least. Who knows, I may make a post once I get it all done with how it looks, battle scars and all.
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Bummer!
I would lose the ashtray before keeping that bridge, myself.
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It serves no purpose so take it off and put on a decent bridge.
Ashtrays are like table saw guards. In the garbage on day one 
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This is one of the reasons I love this forum.
I never thought I’d read this sentence backed up with photo evidence, and yet here it is.
Also, that bridge is incredible.
+1,000,000 to all the ‘replace the bridge’ suggestions.
What an amazing bass!
Keep us posted how this goes.
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I also would replace that bridge. There are so many nice bridges around … this is not one of them!
Try to get a bridge that fits in terms of holes, otherwise you would need to drill (no biggy, but try to avoid that as much as possible!).
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If the Zero fret isn’touched by the strings, maybe the nut is too high?
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I did a little researching and found an old TalkBass topic on the same thing where even they couldn’t find a proper replacement! The string spacing is some of the strangest I’ve seen- 16mm between each string. If anybody knows of a bridge that’ll hit those spacings, let me know!
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I thought the same thing at first, so I checked out the nut and it’s suuuuper low, probably a byproduct of the rough life this thing has had. It’s just an odd, odd bass in general!