Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi. I bought my 330 this past summer, my first Ric. It's a 2014. Had to bring it into the shop last month to get the nut lowered, and at that time the tech also pointed out that the varnish was partly lifting off around some of the frets. It was like this when I bought it. Doesn't seem to hamper my playing or bother me at all. 2 questions:

1) What causes this? Dryness? Humidity?

2) If it gets worse, what is the usual remedy?

Cheers
- Jim

I believe significant changes in humidity can cause this kind of damage to the finish. I had a similar issue with the finish on my 660/12TP that shipped from a humid Northern hemisphere summer to a drought-dry Aussie winter, though on the headstock rather than the fingerboard. I had the damaged areas resealed with a clear coat (probably nail varnish) and then sanded and polished so the surface was glossy and even.

Thanks Evan. I think humidity/dryness is the likely candidate. Glad to hear your repair worked, although I wonder if that would work on a fretboard, which would see more action.

Cheers
- j