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'new' ric is slightly broken..

#41
rick4001s said:
Hello
Hope you can make the best of this situation.
Looks like QC at RIC is poor or RIC are just trying to squeeze every dollar out of their mistakes.
I pity any Aussie bassist who may just spend nearly $3K AUD on that type of error in the future!
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No no! I bought it as a 'scratch n dent' stock type deal from the US, it would have left the factory perfect, just looks like there was something under the finish. It's a good bass, just some sketchy paint.

As for pricing here, we don't have an importer, there is no 'pricing'!
 
#42
MOTORHEADBANGER said:
This is odd. I believe the problem on many of the Jetglo basses from early/mid 2011 was a combination of an "overcooked"/brittle uv finish combined with an extremely thin coat of paint to begin with.

This one is very peculiar indeed. Every photo of a finish-cracked Jetglo I have seen has revealed bare wood (clean maple) underneath the paper thin finish. The red underneath makes me think that maybe RIC decided they needed more Jetglos and took a few basses that were in the process of being finished in Fireglo and sprayed black over them. This maybe have caused problems with bonding.
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What's really odd is the finish that peels off is soft and flexible like vinyl, but gets harder when it gets to the edge of the soft area.
 
#43
mr.mow said:
Oops.. Jumper caught on the raggedy edge..
Had a quote for a full refin.. But, I picked at the edges where it came off, it seems really solid from there on, almost like it was localised patchiness.. Maybe I can get some spot fixes which will see it through until one day I go a full refin.

308AD1A3-C0E2-4146-B26D-DB552542A2B1-2412-0000018807294C0B_zps8d1515fd.jpg
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I'm not sure how effective it would be due to the large size but the way I've fixed minor dings and such is to use black nail polish, let it dry and then wet sand it with 1000 grit sand paper. Then polish it with the original Scratch X...something else works better now due to Scratch X being a different formula than it used to be.

Maybe find something like this in a larger quantity and try it.

Unfortunately, I don't know how that would look with the newer type of finish this has since I've only done that on Rics from the 80s.
 
#45
AltGrendel said:
Is it only on the sides or do the front and back have the same problem?
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Just the sides, and only really those two spots, there are a few fine cracks around the top horn and neck join.

I took a razor blade to the paint under the bridge pickup, solid as a rock.

It's a curious one, but seeing most if appears to be holding up, I think a spot repair will be possible, won't be 100% but should be near impossible to spot.
 
#47
mr.mow said:
Oops.. Jumper caught on the raggedy edge..
Had a quote for a full refin.. But, I picked at the edges where it came off, it seems really solid from there on, almost like it was localised patchiness.. Maybe I can get some spot fixes which will see it through until one day I go a full refin.

308AD1A3-C0E2-4146-B26D-DB552542A2B1-2412-0000018807294C0B_zps8d1515fd.jpg
Click to expand...

not gonna lie, diggin the way that looks. would love to see pics of the entire axe.
 
#50
I have an '80s Dean ML guitar that had similar problems. I ordered it new from the factory. After about a year a bubble appeared on the tip of the lower horn. A while later there was another bubble in the middle of the back of the neck. At this point the entire finish is trashed.

I'm pretty sure you have just a bad finish. Don't try to patch it up. You'll only be chasing problems forever. Either get the entire thing refinished or live with what happens to the looks.
 
#51
I agree, it looks like Fireglo. ..and you got it at a discount.

Know that Fender upcharges for that same finish where they paint the base finish, then paint another finish over that and relic it so you can see both where the wear spots are manufactured....
 
#52
T-Bird said:
Hi.

Holy crap, that's some serious QC issue.
Why is it that the industry leaders (F, G, R) continuously get away with that.



Another DO NOT for using super glue, problems will arise sooner or later.

I'd do a refin as well, unless red is Your thing.

Regards
Sam
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While Fender has issues like any major company in any field, they are far from the same league as Gibson and Ric, even as bad as Ric are they are still quite far from Gibson's low standards.

To those denying Ric QC issues, look around, Ric has pretty poor QC. That is why people always advocate for using pickoftherics or wildwood as they actually hand check the instruments since QC issues are common. I am not saying they don't make great basses.

The OP's issue is probably a QC issue but he got a good deal on it so it negates that issue, I like the old food analogy, better they take a hit on the bass than they make nothing on it at all.
 
#53
I find it really odd, that in today's manufacturing environment, that this bass and possibly many more, have made it out to the customers. They have test equipment that will test the consistency of the paint before its applied, so therefore, ya it is a QC problem. I'd be calling Ric customer service. If they are such the glorified company they are, they just might do a refinish for you on the cheap.
 
#54
Rooster009 said:
I find it really odd, that in today's manufacturing environment, that this bass and possibly many more, have made it out to the customers. They have test equipment that will test the consistency of the paint before its applied, so therefore, ya it is a QC problem. I'd be calling Ric customer service. If they are such the glorified company they are, they just might do a refinish for you on the cheap.
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OP is in Australia.
 
#56
Rooster009 said:
I find it really odd, that in today's manufacturing environment, that this bass and possibly many more, have made it out to the customers. They have test equipment that will test the consistency of the paint before its applied, so therefore, ya it is a QC problem. I'd be calling Ric customer service. If they are such the glorified company they are, they just might do a refinish for you on the cheap.
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I think people toss "QC problem" around and don't understand the difference between a QC problem and a process problem.

What you've described is a process problem--assuming that process was implemented. It's part of a quality program but isn't part of the QC process. Sort of like safety is a program at a company but every safe action isn't necessarily part of the safety process.

Does anyone know if RIC Inc has test equipment for doing this? Even if they do, it's part of a quality program and still isn't part of any QC process.
 
#57
I agree with several of the other posters. QC had nothing to do with it. On my Guitar the finish looked flawless for quite some time. Then overnight a bubble formed, then cracked, then flaked off.

There is something between the layers of finish causing the black to not adhere or dry properly. Unfortunately it happens. Also unfortunately the only surefire fix is strip it to bare wood and do a refinish. My guitar hasn't been refinished. It is just staying ugly and not going out in public anymore.
 
#60
DiabolusInMusic said:
To those denying Ric QC issues, look around, Ric has pretty poor QC.
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Just an FYI - I have had close to a dozen different Rics, 4003 and a couple of 4004s, over the last 5 years or so in a variety of colors. The oldest was a 2004. I currently own 3 -a 2007 Jetglo, a 2011 Fireglo and a 2012 Ruby Red.

To date I have not had any of these bubbling, peeling, flaking issues. With the variety of instruments and colors I have had you would think the law of averages would have caught up to me.
 

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