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Fellow TBers, may I have your expertise please?

R

Razzmatazz

Oct 23, 2011
184
2
#1
Hello!

This is my new Ric 4003. First it looked like dust but when I wiped the area shown in the picture, the paint started to peel as a result. I spoke with the dealer about this. To me, it seems like a fabrication/assembly defect but the dealer said it occurred during shipping, it was supposedly 100% mint when it left the warehouse (I bought it online). It's too late to ask for a compensation from the shipper but the dealer asked if I would accept a compensation. To get the advantage of the warranty from Rickenbacker, it would cost a lot to the dealer (bought it in the US, I live in Canada).

So, is it a defect that might have occured during shipping to you? How much should I ask for a compensation?

Thank you
 
#3
I'd ask for 50% of the purchase price.... that is about all you can sell the bass for at best as it is. Or else, they can ship you a new one.

I'd love to see someone demonstrate how that damage was caused by a shipper.
 
#9
Yes, that definitely has nothing to do with shipping. One of the coats of the finish didn't adhere properly, probably due to some finger grease or other contaminant on the surface. It's a quality control problem at the factory. The reason it buckled up right there is because of the pressure of the edge of the bridge pushing on it. But the problem is that the paint wasn't bonding down.

Not the end of the world. It needs a partial repaint. The area around the bridge could be repainted, but most shops would just repaint the whole top surface of the body to keep the color even. It's a $200 to $400 repair job by a luthier that does regular painting.

As far as I know, modern day Rickenbackers are painted with a water-based acrylic polyurethane, I think one of the Target series. I've done some repairs and touch-up repainting on Rickenbackers, and one of the tricky parts is trying to match the JetGlo (black). They use some kind of nasty pigment to get that deep rich color, and I remember having to really build up coats to get the repairs to match. But it can be done.

Get a quote from a local shop that does repainting, or offer to send it back to Rickenbacker.
 
#12
It's no secret that modern production Ricks have had some serious QC issues. However, it appears to be only cosmetic. Are you happy with the bass otherwise? Get some quotes from local repair guys and ask the dealer to reimburse you. Then again, you'd also be within your rights to demand a refund or replacement.
 
#13
Thank you all for your replies. Besides this defect, I'm quite happy with it. It plays and sounds great, the intonation is perfect etc. It seems to me that the dealer might be affraid since he insist on the shipper fault. So far I asked only one luthier. He didn't wanted to do it and strongly advised me to take it back. He also said that the whole top would have to be painted to make it disappear. I'll try to find someone who will be willing to do this repair, and avoid all the troubles taking it back.
 
#14
Your dealer is full of ****. That is a manufacturing issue.....one that is common and documented on a number of basses bought by TBers. I personally owned a bass with the exact same issue. Send it back to Ric and they will fix it under warranty.
 
#19
Here's an update: I went to a local luthier. It only took some compound and some buffing and half an hour of my time and it only cost me $35. It's barely noticeable and I'm ok with that. Lesson learned! I'll never buy an instrument like that online ever. It's better from a local store. Might cost more but if something is wrong, the store takes care of it.
 

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