Have you reached out to Rickenbacker directly? They need to know. Yikes.
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NBD Rickenbacker AGAIN horrendous frets
- Thread starter ahbradot
- Start date
Have you reached out to Rickenbacker directly? They need to know. Yikes.
It's a real shame because this one has beautiful walnut;
Wow......and I thought the first one was horrendous. That is shockingly bad. It's official: Rickenbacker has claimed the "Worst QC Crown of Shame". I thought one day I might give one another try, but those two basses you've gotten have convinced me they don't deserve my money. Awful. 
Thank you and I know you guys are urging that I reach out to Rickenbacker directly and I believe I would like to eventually.
Call me Crazy but I'm going to try one last time and order another one.
If I receive another dud then I will escalate this matter and purchase it from another place that will make sure it's satisfactory before it is shipped out to me.
It just needs a little fretwork. It’s still good, it’s still good.
Rickenbackers are like Martins. Gotta play them in person. Trust me, a magic one is truly great.
You will not, but I certainly will. I am sorry, my friend.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Give up. Rickenbackers are overrated garbage.
Stuff happens, but the fact that you randomly got two in a row that were bad enough to return (I mean, what's the odds of that) would to me point to management/supervision processes: How did a fret job that raggedy (WHO was supervising fret ops) get sent to Final QC (who ultimately stamped this Good-To-Go) and shipped it out to GC.
GC received thousands of guitars a month so I don't assign much of this to them.
Every builders turns out a few dogs in production. Smarter production processes and supervision lowers that, but human beings will all have the occasional all-thumbs day on the job. And as a final barrier QC has to catch and send them back to rework or cut up in the worst cases.
None of that seems to have been in place when this bass came through.
GC received thousands of guitars a month so I don't assign much of this to them.
Every builders turns out a few dogs in production. Smarter production processes and supervision lowers that, but human beings will all have the occasional all-thumbs day on the job. And as a final barrier QC has to catch and send them back to rework or cut up in the worst cases.
None of that seems to have been in place when this bass came through.
Buy from a different vendor , GC probably got the whole of the bad lot
I wouldn't go that far based on just the two basses from OP. Fender still wears that crown.Wow......and I thought the first one was horrendous. That is shockingly bad. It's official: Rickenbacker has claimed the "Worst QC Crown of Shame". I thought one day I might give one another try, but those two basses you've gotten have convinced me they don't deserve my money. Awful.
That's horrendous. Wow. I did a better job when I refretted a bass for the first time...and you want to go around for number 3? What's the definition of insanity again? 
That's not just "bad QC".
First someone must do a horribly bad fret job. Then (probably the same) someone must do it more than once. Then someone else at QC must let it through. And then do the same again.
Or, the basses are stored in a sauna or something. Equally bad.
First someone must do a horribly bad fret job. Then (probably the same) someone must do it more than once. Then someone else at QC must let it through. And then do the same again.
Or, the basses are stored in a sauna or something. Equally bad.
Weird, thats a flatsawn board on a quarter sawn neck. Usually it’s the opposite.
I wouldn't blame the seller although they should be held accountable in a lesser degree by not sending sub par instruments back to the maker, but the total BLAME rests fairly and squarely with the manufacturer for allowing these to even hit the streets. For the price these things cost each one should be in perfect condition when they leave the factory, no excuses. Makes you wonder how many other stores have sent them back by doing due diligence, the problem may be bigger than these couple of examples.
How can the manufacturer think this is OK when many budget far eastern brands are of much better quality? Oh I know, by setting up a MIC or Vietnam etc. factory to make 4003 'lites' would mean Ric would have to lower prices accordingly and ultimately would not be able match the quality with the US made. So that ladies and gentlemen is why you are paying good money for firewood.
Very sorry for your troubles, ahbradot - that is beyond shocking. I have a 4003Sw from 2015 which arrived finished and set up beautifully, and has been my number one ever since. I'd always wanted a Ric, but really didn't like the glossy (sticky, even) finish on the back of the neck. The satin finish on these is lovely. And they're lighter! Good luck on your continuing quest. 
