Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Agreed, that looks like a factory repair maybe?
The discoloration above the problem on the fingerboard binding looks odd as well.
That's got to be a clue of some sort.

Agreed, they really seem to hold things better for longer.
They are a challenge if you don't know the proper procedure certainly.

p.s. your nickname instantly reminds me of Spaceballs the movie.
"What's wrong Colonel Sanders, chicken?"

Epoxy or perhaps even JB weld, but both of those would not be a very permanent fix.

That's just how my old "69 4001 was routed.
In that era it was all forstner's.

Let me say again though, I have NO experiences with UV cure poly.
Just standard off the shelf poly/spar, brush and wipe-on styles for fingerboards here.

And usually a minimum of 10 coats on a redo. Slight scuff again, recoat, wait for curing, repeat.
Each layer takes about a day to cure, but it ...

Hey JPS,
I have always done a bit of light scuffing before adding new poly, for grip.
Plus it gives you the chance to level any problem wear areas if they exist.

The thing is it really does melt the existing layer when you spray or rub on the new poly.
That said, just make sure you're using the ...

First thing to consider is you should be able to use rounds for years with very minimal fingerboard scratching.

In my experiences, a fresh coat of poly would melt into the previous layer and bond well.
I've never done the UV cure poly, but regular old Poly reworks really well this way.
This is ...

I know some folks will call my suggestion blasphemy, but have you ever tried round wound strings?

All my fretless basses, I only use round wounds.

And before you say I'm worried about fingerboard damage, it takes many, many years to cause any damage to the coated fingerboards.
And the great thing ...

Yes indeed the best solution is to disassemble and re-swage and they usually function smoother afterwards too.
Might as well repack with proper lube while you're at it.
It's not as difficult as it might sound.
Good luck,
Dirk

Your pot measurements shows the variation from spec many pots suffer from.

The volumes I would expect to be 250, and the tone to be 500.

Usually the better the quality the closer to spec they will be.

Depending on the shaft material you might be able to cut any extra off.
You could also build up ...

It's really a matter of old glue and decades of pressure of the rods pushing against the back of the fingerboard.
It's not always about poor rod adjustment causing the fingerboard detachment. Modern glues will be stronger than the wood itself.

It is a lot of work, and always the risk of damage. But ...

That seems like a classic issue, not impossible to repair, but do it the proper way.
Most times it happens over time when the truss rods perform their job too well.

It happened to my '69 4001, so my condolences.

The best way to repair it would be remove the fingerboard completely and reattach it ...

Funny to see folks with no clue or knowledge coming up with answers over there on TB.

Looks like legit but modded 4000, notice the poor neck pup alignment, also pickguard cutout looks home done.
Also not forstner routed pickup, which for that year would be unusual.

And of course I could be wrong ...

That's very curious, chasing electronic problems can be a pain in the Bass!
Still sounds like an environmental issue if you've seen this happen in the same space before.

At least you can go back, perhaps that's the best test and solution.

My guess is it's perhaps your amp and or environment, not necessarily the bass itself?