Maple Fretboard Finish Issue and Options

[Hunchiepunker]

Good afternoon.

I've been playing a 360W for about three years. When I first acquired the instrument, it had some serious issues with mis-seated frets, and the back of the neck wasn't fine-sanded consistently. While it was still under warranty I sent it back to Ric and they re-did the neck; a new fretjob, and a smoother sanding on the back surface. I imagine that Ric also re-oiled the neck surfaces.

The instrument was better, but the fretjob still wasn't up to the standards of my other instruments. I'm picky, so I brought it to my luthier. We agreed that he would pull the frets, re-finish the fretboard with lacquer, and give it a new fret job. This new fretjob is great, and everything else is setup just how I like it.

However, there is a new issue. I live in San Francisco, where it is often very foggy and humid, and I play many hours a day. The lacquer has softened, gummed-up, darkened, and begun to wear away. It makes the playing surface swampy and nasty to play on, which is a real disappointment.

I love this guitar. It sounds GREAT. It is beautiful and comfortable. It still doesn't play great due to the fretboard issues.

I'm seriously considering having the fretboard refinished in gloss poly, but it would mean yet another refret. Would any rickresource forumites have an opinion or recommendations on this?

[arbiter]

I don't really have any suggestions, but it seems from posts on the forum over the past few years and things i've seen elsewhere that there were a lot more complaints about the fretwork on the W guitars compared to the normal offerings. Maybe it's just me.

[cassius987]

If it's maple, you can also play it unfinished right? May be an attractive option.

[jps]

If it's maple, you can also play it unfinished right? May be an attractive option.

Maple get grungy and dirty pretty fast if there is no finish on it.

[antipodean]

If it's maple, you can also play it unfinished right? May be an attractive option.

Maple get grungy and dirty pretty fast if there is no finish on it.

Funky in more ways than one?

[maxwell]

There has been a lot of discussion about this, on this web site as well as others.

Here's a somewhat recent discussion from this site: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=411536

Here are other website search results. Read through them and you will discover that there are additional effective options that do not involve entirely refinishing a neck: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Rickenbacker+ ... =h_&ia=web

If I were going to really, entirely refinish a neck (and I have not done this yet), I would be inclined to use a fairly simple technique (after removing the old finish, of course) of rubbing on either Tung oil (soaks in, retains look, feel of the wood's surface texture), or Tru Oil, which is polymer-based and slowly builds up a smooth, shiny surface after serveral/many applications with some smoothing/sanding in between coats. You'd have to read up; search for and view YouTube videos.

PS - The stickiness seems to develop primarily on guitars that are always stored in their cases. Is this what you do?

PPS - I don't understand why the frets would be removed again with a pro refinish. Lots of wear and tear, and expense. Refinish the neck, tape it off to protect the finish, and clean/polish the frets as needed.

[Hunchiepunker]

Thanks for the responses. It's important to note that the finish which is gumming up is a lacquer which I elected to put on the fretboard at the time I had the shop refret the guitar. It's not a case of a hard finish applied by Ric gumming up. In fact, this instrument never had a hard gloss finish on it to begin with--just oil, so far as I can tell.

The instrument sits out on a stand when I'm not playing it, and I shuttle it about town in a gig bag regularly. It hasn't been in its hard case much over the past three years.

When the shop refretted the instrument for me they applied the frets over the lacquer, with the fret tangs over the binding rather than tucked in. This is how I prefer. I understand that fender finishes maple necks over the frets, and removes the excess with a fret dress before market, but that's not how this was done. This is why I imagine that the guitar would need a refret in addition to removing the lacquer and refinishing--the current frets sit above the current finish.

Maybe the lacquer could be thinned and removed from below the frets, the frets reseated, a hard finish applied over the fretboard and existing wire, and a fret dress performed to remove the layer on the fret surfaces. This would be preferable from an economic standpoint! Does it sound feasible to you?

One thing I have come to realize is that I really do want a smooth, hard-as-glass surface over the fretboard. My body chemistry and the environment I play in just don't work well with oil finishes. The rest of the instrument is oil finished, and I'm willing to put up with that to keep playing this guitar which I love very much. But, in my perfect world this pretty guitar would have been UVed in its entirety at the factory.

For what it's worth, I also have a 620/12 from 1988 with a gloss finish that I'm totally fine with--just rag it down when I'm done playing.

[maxwell]

Maybe the lacquer could be thinned and removed from below the frets, the frets reseated, a hard finish applied over the fretboard and existing wire, and a fret dress performed to remove the layer on the fret surfaces. This would be preferable from an economic standpoint! Does it sound feasible to you?

I don't understand this statement, or rather, the need to pull the frets again. Just leave them alone. But this is just me, and as I mentioned previously, I have not done a neck refinish before, although I've considered it and usually read all posts relating to refinishing. This is what brought me to your thread.

But here's the main problem as I see it: As interesting and helpful as this and the RIC site are, they are not geared to guys refinishing or modifying their guitars, mainly because they are Ricks. Electronics are one thing, refinishing is another. There may be one luthier here, and I can't recall when he last posted. I like these sites, but they are what they are.

So, you simply need to find a site that has guys who work on their own guitars, where there also are a few luthiers who post weekly, if not daily, and who are happy to talk about this sort of stuff; older guys who have been around the track a few times.

Check this site out: http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html

Just register and post your concern. (Don't be confused by the "contribution" stuff -- it's voluntary. If you end up liking the site and visit often, you may do that, as I do.) Anyway, I'm sure someone there will have the answer(s) you are seeking.

PS - You don't have to own a Fender to sign up and post. Simply post in the "Guitar Mods, Repairs and Projects" forum that you have this neck that's been refinished and now it's sticky, and etc., etc., etc....

[jps]

...There may be one luthier here, and I can't recall when he last posted...

Two who come immediately to mind are Larry Davis, a Rick specialist luthier who comes very highly recommended, and Jim Merrill, who primarily does acoustic guitars.

As far as a forum full of luthiers, look no further than The Gear Page, specifically, this section:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... thiers.31/

Lots of superb talent there. This thread, in particular, is way loaded full of the best luthiers on the planet:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... h.1583841/

[maxwell]

Yes! The Gear Page! Good call.

This specific page looks like a good place to post a question:

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... ussion.29/

Most of my past visits to The Gear Page were to look at the guitars for sale offers, and you needed to join (pay a fee) to access that particular page. I'm not sure about access to other pages. (I guess all others have at least read-only access...) But I was paying only $13 per year when I used to visit -- well worth the fee, if it is required for posting privileges. Maybe I'll renew my membership.

[jps]

No supporting membership required except for posting an ad in the classifieds.