Should I return this Rick?

[lord_arancherry]

This is the second time I spent more than a grand on a bass on ebay and am not completely satisfied. I got a deal on a beautiful 1986 Rickenbacker 4003 mapleglo with black trim ($1600) and noticed these tiny, thin cracks on the neck that were not mentioned in the posting. They start at the fret Also the fretboard seems to be detaching near the nut and the fretboard has small holes in it near the bridge. Is this considered "normal wear" on should I be concerned about the bass falling apart in the next few years? Would you return this bass or do you think it's worth what I paid? There are also a few nicks on the bass, but nothing I'm worried about. I promise this is the last time I come crying to ya'll with an ebay issue! Check out the pics:

 

[elgecko]

I'm not sure if you should return but you probably stop buying basses online.

 

[lord_arancherry]

and the fretboard marks...

 

[godofthunder59]

Finish cracks, common for Rics of this era. While not disclosed not out of the ordinary for a bass this age. Not for noth'n the bass is 27 years old.

 

[CnB77]

The fretboard lifting is concerning. I think you should at least get enough money refunded to have that competently repaired

 

[gricko]

while pictures #1 and #3 look like normal wear, i REALLY do not like #2.

 

[Baird6869]

while pictures #1 and #3 look like normal wear, i REALLY do not like #2.

Dead on IMO.

 

[Tonegasm]

Fretboard lift sucks.

 

[godofthunder59]

Agreed fretboard lifting is a concern, sorry I read this quick didn't catch that. What about the two holes on the fretboard ? that doesn't sound right. Pics.?

 

[Tractorr]

Out of curiosity does that crack near the nut change width when you depress the strings at the first fret?

Not sure if it matters but I would be extremely worried if the neck and the fretboard were not moving together. Then again I am no luthier so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[gricko]

Agreed fretboard lifting is a concern, sorry I read this quick didn't catch that. What about the two holes on the fretboard ? that doesn't sound right. Pics.?

fretboard is damaged, but that is not something i would be worried about. frets look very worn out, quite flat. time for a change, i would say. at the same time fretboard finish could be sanded down and refreshed. that should make those scars go away.

on your picture, nut looks very poorly glued. looks like somebody was trying to remove the old nut and accidentally made that damaged.
while bitching, old fretwork does not look good to me. mine has frets within the binding.

 

[lord_arancherry]

Hey, thanks for all the responses. The gap between the fretboard and neck doesn't change when I fret at the 1st fret. The fretboard "potholes" are in pic 3, just above the 3rd and 4th frets from the bottom of the pic.

 

[purfektstranger]

Question is what is the cost to fix it. I woul find out and before you have the work done, try to reach a deal with the seller.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The separated fingerboard near the nut is not a big concern, really. This is a common symptom of improperly adjusted truss rods and can be taken care of rather easily. Any older instrument may have minor issues, it just comes with the territory. If you want perfect, buy new or build it yourself.

In the case of this particular bass, blame the seller for not disclosing some stuff, not the bass for being an older instrument.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

yeah, the fretboard separation is common in old Ricks I think. I had a '71 that had the same issue. Took to the repair guy, he did the setup & adjustment stuff, and the bass played wonderfully for years.
The frets are old and worn, yes. Musta been a player back in the day.
If you got a good deal on it, then just fix it up.

Have you plugged it in ? Does it SOUND good ?

 

[GM60466]

get you money back!

 

[thiocyclist]

It's nothing that would scare me away from it as a player--it's all probably quite stable. Should you get money back? Depends on how it was represented. I do believe in a bit of caveat emptor with eBay though. Those sellers are not the same as buying from a big box.

 

[JSpradBass]

I would get your money back. You could get a brand new 4003 for the same money on eBay, unless you have your heart set on used/vintage piece.

 

[hsech]

Looks like typical aches and pains for that old of a bass. If the seller was worth his salt he would have put photos and a detailed description of any issues with the bass. It's possible that if the bass has been a player with a lot of miles on it, the seller may not have looked at those problems as being a big deal. He still should have disclosed everything. Maybe you can get a partial refund if you want to keep the bass. He might refund you a couple of hundred bucks if he is an honest seller. You didn't mention if the auction said anything like "as is" or "no returns" in the listing. Was the seller actually a bass player? It might be that the seller bought the bass at an estate sale or a pawn shop and doesn't really know anything about bass guitars. Lots of questions in my mind. I sell guitars, amps and basses all the time on EBay without any problems. If you paid through Pay Pal you do have a recourse to get a refund. If you paid by check and it has been long enough for your check to clear the bank, you may be out of luck.

 

[purfektstranger]

I have had a look at the add and the seller definitely did not mention anything other than the bass was in amazing shape with two minor dings and a scratch. If you love the bass I would bring it up the fretboard lifting as an issue and get some cash back for the repair. As others have said you paid the going rate for that bass.