Ric Cases and the Green Rash

[britinvasion]

It's too bad you had to have such an adventure with your guitar(s), glad to hear you got it all resolved. Thanks for posting how to remove the rash, I was very curious if it could , indeed , be removed by the owner.

[kelly]

Thanks - I'm pretty happy it didn't have to go back to the factory. I read somewhere else that someone used naptha and that worked as well.

[fretbuzzard]

Glad to hear it's working out for you. You'll have to keep us posted if it makes a return appearance or if the finish becomes more resistant to staining as it ages.

[octagon]

Any more sightings?

[cassius987]

I'm dealing with this right now on my 2009 MG. I don't want to send it back to RIC unless it's totally necessary.

To the criticism @ RIC suggesting ways to do repairs yourself before sending it back: I am 100% for getting "sanctioned advice" and trying your own work first! The first thing I did when I found my problem was call customer service to ask them what I could do before sending the instrument back, because quite frankly I can't go more than a week without either of my basses. (Yeah, I play them that often. They're the tools of the trade after all.) At the same time, I am a believer in the statement that honest criticism can be a good thing for a person or a company that one cares about, and don't think this statement or anyone who makes it should be attacked (just on the basis of the statement). Now, maybe the person in CS who suggested wet sanding just thought it was something that could be investigated rather than dove into by the customer, I'm not sure. I agree that it seems like a scary thing to try before sending the instrument back to RIC. But waxing and buffing? I think anyone should be able to give this a try, and I'm a total newb at it too. I'd at least like to know if that could have worked before losing my bass for a minimum of a week.

Right now I'm letting some turtle wax dry and really hoping this 3rd run will be the last on my lovely MG. I thought I saw some improvement earlier but it was marginal at best. This time I'm going to let Megan (my wife) handle it because she's a car expert of sorts and used to do lots of the whole "wax on wax off" thing when she did car photography (no she was not in the pictures!)... and I know it is often said that the RIC finish is more like a car's than a standard guitar's.

Besides naptha being another thing to try, I noticed Scratch-X and Planet Waves polish... so yeah what's the deal on those? Can Paul comment on their usefulness?

@ Kelly: As for the switch, I bet it was a weak solder joint that caused your trouble, which is something that could slip through QC now and then. I've worked with the RIC stereo switch quite a bit on my various instruments and if you don't take your time making the joint, your lead can slip out. Not hard to fix as I guess your friend found out.

[jingle_jangle]

Comment, sure.

Turtle Wax has no abrasive beyond the Kaoin filler that is the dry powder left after the solvent flashes off, so any improvement will be very slight.

I'd try 3M Perfect-It 3000 Hand compound (abrasive for hand-polishing), followed by Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor (better than Scratch-X), and then either Turtle Wax or Zymol.

You will need a mild abrasive to accomplish the task; Turtle Wax has none and any improvement you saw was probably from the solvent removing a small amount of the green dye.

[sixtwentytwelve]

Anecdotal, but I received a brand new 2008 FG 360/12 last year that also had some bluish-green spotting on the back of the body. I was concerned because it looked like the spotting was under the clearcoat, but it turned out to be an optical illusion -- the spots completely vanished with a little Scratch-X (original formula) and the guitar looks perfect. Maybe something is going on because of the factory switch away from the traditional conversion varnish?

[cassius987]

Comment, sure.

Turtle Wax has no abrasive beyond the Kaoin filler that is the dry powder left after the solvent flashes off, so any improvement will be very slight.

I'd try 3M Perfect-It 3000 Hand compound (abrasive for hand-polishing), followed by Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor (better than Scratch-X), and then either Turtle Wax or Zymol.

You will need a mild abrasive to accomplish the task; Turtle Wax has none and any improvement you saw was probably from the solvent removing a small amount of the green dye.

Thanks for the comment. Yeah, there was a VERY slight improvement which, by the look of it, looks to be exactly what you say--some slight dissolution.

[jingle_jangle]

I spoke to John Hall about this situation and his reply was, as usual, enlightening.

You know the so-called "new Rick" smell that you guys go nuts for? Well, it's a product of the offgassing of the adhesive used to glue the linings into the case moldings. This adhesive, incidentally and unfortunately, can support fungal growth, and a closed instrument case can be an ideal environment for this growth. What's been used until recently to prevent the growth is an additional chemical (dimethylfurane, or DMF) which was added to the silica gel dessicant packets which can be found in thousands of products in addition to Rickenbacker cases.

This has been the situation for decades, until recently, when complaints of skin rashes due to contact with DMF residue on some imported leather furniture ad other similar stuations, led to the removal of DMF from the dessicant packets.

So, the green stuff is the residue of fungal growth in the case lining.

Polishing compound, as the Perfect-It that I've recommended, followed by a good waxing, will clean up the green. In extreme cases, if the compound doesn't remove it, a gentle wet-sanding with #2000 paper will remove the green, and then can be followed by a polishing with Perfect-It and a clean cloth diaper.

Prevention? Find some older dessicant packs. Who the heck saves them, though? But--a light spray of the case with Lysol, followed by a stint in the sunlight and a wipe-down of the lining with a dry cloth or brushing of same, will keep things under control.

Rick isn't the only manufacturer that is affected by this problem, BTW.

[scotty]

I knew it...I better start saving some silica gel packets.i normally keep them for my chips when the salt runs out.Paul are you telling us our cases have thrush?







Never in my wildest dreams did i think i would be asking that question LOL only on the RRF

[jingle_jangle]

Well, Scottie, that ointment you sent me should do the trick. But that was a different kind of green rash.

[86kubicki]

No silica gel packs here - I ate them.

[wj350]

Really good of Ben to check in on this and respond. I honestly can't believe what you were told the first time around--must have been the same guy who suggested I try to wax my grayglo into jetglo . Hopefully whoever it is, they've found more suitable work for him to do.

Still kinda strange though, in terms of the cases I mean. I'm guessing this change in the silica pacs isn't unique to the Ric cases--so why does this seem to just be happening with Ric finishes?

[fretbuzzard]

Interesting stuff, Paul. Was Mr. Hall equally enlightening on when this switch took place, give or take?

[cassius987]

offgassing

Offgas! It could only be...

...nnnnNEWMAN! *grits teeth and clenches fist*