Rickenbacker Neck disaster

[Big Hoss]

Personally I think the gloss coming off the neck is fixing a factory problem... I hate gloss necks... YMMV of course...

If it bugs you that much, take the Rick in and get the neck refinished.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

To those who claim that this is normal wear:
There's a difference between a finish that's worn through and one that's pealing/flaking off.

Peeling & Flaking isn't caused by a guy with dirty mitts; It's either he was using some zany chems to clean it or the bass wasn't finished correctly.

But it's a 6 year old bass - I wouldn't count on any hope from Ric. Smooth it out with some scotchbrite and call it good.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

yeah man, fine grit sandpaper is what I used on my old 71 rick. neck was not as smooth as I wanted.
my friends were like "NOOOOO!!!!"
but damn, so smooth afterward, made me so happy !

I miss that thing. (sad face)

 

[MrBKerth]

What's with the need for washing your hands before playing and washing the neck? I've seen no other instrument (that isn't oiled) require this treatment. Even thin skin lacquered fenders IME dont have these issues. Not saying RIC's are bad but in all my other experiences, modern poly is practically bulletproof and even a heat gun struggles sometimes to remove it. Of course it might not be poly though, but can they really be so weak?

 

[lowendblues]

Because Rickenbacker aren't designed to be a working musicians class.

I mean, look at many professional Rick players. Many of them don't play it very often, cause it's so fragile that it's just better to hang it on your closet.

So, just life with it.

Please just go away...........

 

[Gilmourisgod]

A properly applied uv catalyzed laquer should be impervious to normal skin oils and acids. Blaming the OP for poor Ric QC is ridiculous, and typical of the type of partisan response I expect to see on RRF, not TB. Re-read the OP's post, what he thought was dirt turned out to be flaking finish. I've had my G&L bass with a laquered neck for 32 years and it's nearly pristine. Others have had Rics for years with no problems. This one clearly has issues not of the OP's making. He clearly loves the bass and wants constructive suggestions as to how to deal with a factory finishing error.

 

[Tim Henagan]

You guys are making me Reilly nerves I'm about to pluck down $1,200 for a used black one I believe it's 74.

 

[kcole4001]

Peeling & Flaking isn't caused by a guy with dirty mitts; It's either he was using some zany chems to clean it or the bass wasn't finished correctly.

But it's a 6 year old bass - I wouldn't count on any hope from Ric. Smooth it out with some scotchbrite and call it good.

RIC finish warranty is 1 year from the date of manufacture, so no chance of that with a 6 year old bass.
And you have to ship it back to California for assessment/refinishing.
Not cost effective.

Best to find a local or DIY solution.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Ric finish warranty starts on date of manufacture, not date of sale, so a lot of people with defective finish basses found out the hard way that the finish warranty expired before they even owned the bass.

The original poster is in Germany, and so for him the warranty will start at the date of purchase AFAIK (if bought new - which doesn't apply in this case). Consumer protection laws are rather different in Europe.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

A properly applied uv catalyzed laquer should be impervious to normal skin oils and acids. Blaming the OP for poor Ric QC is ridiculous, and typical of the type of partisan response I expect to see on RRF, not TB. Re-read the OP's post, what he thought was dirt turned out to be flaking finish. I've had my G&L bass with a laquered neck for 32 years and it's nearly pristine. Others have had Rics for years with no problems. This one clearly has issues not of the OP's making. He clearly loves the bass and wants constructive suggestions as to how to deal with a factory finishing error.

Like I said I had the same issue with a 1997, yet I have another 4003 I have had for 3.5 years with no issues ever. There was a case of another member here who removed his from its case and the case lining stuck to the bass, the finish had turned to a goo.

Rickenbacker should supply a bucket of sand to stick your head in when issues arise because the fan boys apparently keep them on hand.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I had a Westone Thunder IA once with a black painted neck. It was 20 years old, I never washed my hands, and the finish was pretty much perfect.

 

[Aceonbass]

If you'd seen some of the emails between myself and John Hall, you wouldn't call me a fan boy.

 

[kcole4001]

If you'd seen some of the emails between myself and John Hall, you wouldn't call me a fan boy.

To many people on TB any Rick owner is a fanboy.

 

[kentiki]

You guys are making me Reilly nerves I'm about to pluck down $1,200 for a used black one I believe it's 74.

I had a '74 Jetglo and it was far and away the best bass I ever owned! Just sorry I don't still have it.

 

[kcole4001]

You guys are making me Reilly nerves I'm about to pluck down $1,200 for a used black one I believe it's 74.

A 1974 or even a 1984 will not likely have any problems develop that are not already present.
If you can check it out completely before you buy, you're good to go.

 

[bholder]

If you'd seen some of the emails between myself and John Hall, you wouldn't call me a fan boy.

What? I hear he's just so easy to get along with! (For the record, I own several, love 'em, and am not trying to pick a fight with Mr. Hall.)

 

[Dave W]

What did you clean it with?
Was it safe to use on that type of finish?

 

[A-Step-Towards]

To many people on TB any Rick owner is a fanboy.

I am a fan of my Rickenbacker, not of the company as a whole and not of John Hall ......I think he is a dick. Basically an Ed Roman type.

 

[spiritbass]

Thanks for teaching me something today! The printing industry has been using UV activated clearcoat for years, but I had no idea this process was being used in instrument finishing.

 

[Aceonbass]

Well...I respect the man, but he has some quirks that about certain RIC issues that just frustrates me. They won't do truss rod cover exchanges for different than what your instrument came with anymore, he makes excuses for why the neck is routed all the way to the fretboard, and claims that any strings over 138lbs tension are exceeding their recomondations. That last one I find pretty amusing since the strings on my custom "4008CS" total nearly 300lbs tension. While I have done the "wood block in the neck pickup route fix" for this bass, stock Ricky 8's didn't and must have been well over 200lbs tension themselves.