Rickenbacker Gerontology

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Thu Feb 15, 2001 10:54 am

Yes, it's the vapor emitted as the foam breaks down that's the culprit. Certainly, direct contact speeds the process up.

JMP · Post by **JMP** » Thu Feb 15, 2001 4:38 pm

Bummer. Thanks for the info, though. Other than that it's a really nice heavy duty Anvil type case, but it does use a foam of some sort. I don't keep the Bass Formerly Known As White in it anymore. The case hasn't had any adverse affect on my black bass yet.

axel_tilche · Post by **axel_tilche** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 5:57 am

Hi there,
I'm the guy who owns the yellow 360 shown elswhere on this (wonderful) site. I feel I should add a little info here - not really about yellowing, though, but about something Mr Hall has said on February 14. About guitar stands which in the end make the finish "sticky". Since this 360 of mine was almost never kept in its case and always hanging on the wall, would it it be possible that the material used for the hook would have helped 1° the general yellowing, 2° the fact that the back of the neck gets dirty/sticky very quickly ? Although the hook only touches the guitar at the bottom of the headstock, would its negative effects sort of spread all along ?

Does anyone of you know of a magic product to clean the neck so that it stays as quick and smooth as possible for more than an hour ?
thanks
axel

axel_tilche · Post by **axel_tilche** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 6:00 am

Axel again...
As for yellowing, as mentionned by "ashcaster", yes, I've been a heavy smoker - but none of the other guitars I have, or had, has yellowed. My 20 year old blonde Telecaster hasn't yellowed a bit and neither has my mapleglo 620 (only very very slightly), to mention only these two.
So perhaps it is only a conjunction of situations which the building of this particular guitar didn't stand...
As cognoscenti Mark the MD has said, perhaps a refinish lies ahead - not for the yellowing (which I find pretty cool after all) but for the neck "quick-stickiness".
axel

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:25 pm

Your 20 year old Tele has a polyester finish on it that has a blue cast to it ,it has poor adhesion .Look at the area around the edge of the fretboard.Almost all CBS necks have chippage there.
The new Fender necks have an OEM Urethane on them.
This has a different yellowing quality.

I know that Rick has changed their clear formulas with their suppliers over the years .This was an attempt to curtail the yellowing .This whole yellowing has been a headache since finishing began.You have to love UV. Then combined with all the plastics that constantly offgas....

The stickiness is another issue.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:35 pm

Everyone in the guitar business in southern California is having to deal with the constant onslaught of the EPA and a never ending changing set of rules...AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
I'm glad I'm in Washington state ...but I will get this soon enough.

The stickies are from a couple of things.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 12:36 pm

1-your PH balance...you slime your guitar and I'll bet you eat thru strings.This is fairly common.
I first noticed this as a teenager with my best friend in highschool.He was the same way.
In San Francisco I noticed that all the Chinese players liked the same type of strings (they lasted a long time ) and white guys like other brands (they too had a long lasting quality) but if you switched them ....you would hear about it !

I must assume that the saying "You are what you eat " is in fact true and it affects your sweat.

I have noticed certain companies finishes getting 'gooier' in the last 15 years.And only made in USA guitars.
I must attribute this to the changing formulas and solids content in the clear coat materials.

Try using a piece of 4/0 steel wool and then wash off your crud with alcohol.

DON'T use 'Finger-Ease' !!!

axel_tilche · Post by **axel_tilche** » Wed Feb 21, 2001 3:38 pm

Thanks Mark,
I remember having used some Martin guitar cleaner (supposedly from Martin guitars) and I've been using a "GHS Guitar Gloss" for quite a while now. It's the only one which keeps the neck clean for awhile... (and maybe it is the only product I should not have used, eh, such is life...).
As for what I eat, ahhh, it's quite healthy and varied but I do sweat a lot indeed. The sticky effect isn't so obvious on my mapleglo 620 though - as they say, each Rick is different.
Thanks for answering - I'm one of the three guys who owns a Rick over here in Frogland and it feels kind of like Death Valley at times...
axel

axel_tilche · Post by **axel_tilche** » Thu Feb 22, 2001 3:04 am

Mark,
There's nothing you don't know -
yes my blonde Tele is chipped all over (neck sides, upper side mostly).
Do you think, once the finish gets "gooey" (and "gooier") a complete refinish is necessary ?
again, thanks.
axel