Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Sorry to revive an old thread, but... Which variant of Scratch-X/Swirl-X is the current recommendation? I have Rics ranging in years from 2005-2022 This includes a no-finish fretboard, so I'm open to recommendations on how to clean that as well.

Sorry to revive an old thread but...

Is VM&P Naphtha safe on all Ric finishes? My local hardware store carries this but not regular Naphtha. First time buying this product so I want to be sure.

Thanks for the suggestions on cleaning. Is steel wool ok on these fretboards? Also, any suggestions on oiling the fretboard?

What's a good way to clean a Ric from the brief non-lacquered fretboard era? I have a 620/12 that is in need of a cleaning, especially the frerboard.

Usually, I wax the body and fretboard all together. I imagine I need to be much more careful not to get the wax on the fretboard with this guitar.

Have you tried applying a thin strip of felt to the headstock under the strings leaders and/or through the strings afterlength from the bridge to the tailpiece? The ping might be a non-harmonic sympathetic overtone from either or both these places.


I tried putting some soft fabric material in ...

Were you able to determine how the ping sound went away?

I've tried a few different lighter strings previously. I decided to try a heavier gauge set to rule that out, as well (Thomastik-Infeld flatwound .013-.053). Unfortunately, this didn't help the ping either.

That harsh metallic overtone is ...

I can't tell if the fretboard is totally unfinished. I attached 2 pictures to show the details of the fretboard. This is a 2021 620/12.

My fretboard is getting dark discoloration where my fingers are most frequently. I'd like to know how to clean this off without damaging the guitar in any way. For ...

My 2021 620/12 is ready for a string change. What's the best way to clean the non-lacquered fretboard? This is going to be more tricky than using Zymol everywhere.

Your posts keep inspiring me to try more experiments to fix the B-string ping.

The fretting position is an interesting observation. In my case, it unfortunately does not seem to make a difference.

I tried rubbing a pencil tip in the nut slot and saddle slot. Was hoping that might help dampen the ...

Thanks for sharing your details of trying to solve the problem! Sounds like we have a very similar issue. The tambourine rattle is a great way to describe it.

Bridge:
I've tried 3 bridges on my 310C64. The guitar was completely butchered when I got it. The only removable piece left was the nut, so ...

Sorry you're having similar troubles. What model guitar? Please share if you're able to solve the issue.

I have a cheap trapeze-style tailpiece (12 string version) laying around that I tried just to rule out the tailpiece. Didn't seem to make a difference.

You might be on to something with a ...

Thanks for the suggestions here so far. I'm still getting a metallic grinding buzz on the B string, mostly noticably frets 4 through 6.

Tried widening the nut.
Installed a Mastery bridge.
Repositioned the vibrato tailpiece a bit.
Different string brands and gauges.
Truss rod adjustment.

Still ...

Thank you for the suggestions. This encouraged me to check beyond the saddle. I temporarily borrowed the bridge from a 330 and the ping was still there.

This has a Winfield accent vibrato. Shifted the pieces of the tailpiece a bit. The ping sound has improved, but there's still a bit of ping sound ...

I'm really stuck on resolving the B string "ping" sound. I've tried smoothing out the saddle and also cutting a new saddle. Still has the ping.

To troubleshoot, I temporarily put a small piece of paper between the saddle and the string. It reduced the ping significantly. I tried a heavier guage ...

Any thoughts on the new non-lacquered fretboards? Is it a big difference in playability, sound, or maintenance?

I'm thinking of ordering a new 620/12 and I won't be able to try one first. I'm wondering how different the fretboard will feel from my 2008 360/12. I'm sure cleaning will be different.