Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I bought a 330 FG during the MF sale and it had some serious green blotching across the back of the finish - many of you may have seen the pics I posted in the other thread. I just got the replacement for it and it has the same thing, but to a much lesser degree. I called Rickenbacker and they said that its a problem with the case lining reacting with the finish that they are addressing with the case manufacturer. They suggested wet sanding it or trying to polish it off. Can any experts on the forum advise me on wet sanding - I've never done it before. And here's a pic of the new 330 for you Fireglo fans, and one of the rash across the back, which is hard to see:

You'll find lots of info on wet-sanding if you use the SEARCH feature on this Forum. I typed in "wet sanding" and got SEVEN pages of hits, beginning with this very thread going back to roughly mid-1000. Pay attention to the last two or three years, though--the responses are more detailed.

Ric didn't offer to resolve it, and actually expect *you* to wet sand it out? Will they guarantee such action won't invalidate the finish warranty?

No, they made no such offers. I wonder how long they've been aware of the problem? It its recent I would think it could be rather widespread, as I've seen a few references to it since it happened to me. I don't know if I'll try to remedy it myself, but we'll see after I take Paul's advice and do some searching. I would be more inclined to try to polish it out before I attempt to sand anything.

Myself, I wouldn't go near it with sandpaper, or anything else stronger than Zymöl. I know it looks ugly, but really, will it show up in a dark club at your next gig?
JimK

It's hard to tell from the photo, but do you get the feeling when you actually have it there to inspect that the spots are near the top of the varnish layer? If wet-sanding is going to cure the problem, they would have to be quite near the surface for it to reach them. Otherwise, you might end up sanding deeply into the finish, which isn't usually something that most folks would feel very comfortable attempting. The reason I ask is that the way the spot seems to get bolder and maybe spread a little where it crosses the dark grain lines on the right side reminds me a bit of the way stain sometimes penetrates wood.

Granted, a small photo on a computer monitor is not a good way to accurately see what's going on, and it could just be the lighting or photo resolution, but if the stuff did happen to be down where the grain is affecting it, you're obviously not going to be able to sand it out. I will freely admit that although I'm a pretty decent wet-sander and have done it a couple times on guitars, it would scare the living **** out of me to take a piece of sandpaper to a brand new Rickenbacker. Telling the customer to sand out a problem himself strikes me as very strange advice, and if some wet-sanding and buffing will fix it, the factory (or a dealer's tech) are a lot better set up to do it and a lot more experienced at it than most customers are. Very curious.....

kenf wrote:Ric didn't offer to resolve it, and actually expect *you* to wet sand it out? Will they guarantee such action won't invalidate the finish warranty?

Nope, according to Ric---the cases are "freebies that they give away with the guitars" (I am paraphrasing here). Mostly so that they are not held accountable with warranty work for damage done by the cases, which they don't manufacture.

However you want to interpret that is entirely up to you---no comment here.

I had a similar problem with a 360-12 in MG that I purchased new from a dealer in early 2008. I took the guitar out of the case and this green/black mark was staring back at me on the back of the guitar, toward the bottom. I thought it was someone being careless with a magic marker at the dealer -- the guitar had been taken out of the case to be photographed. I called the dealer, he said send it back. I looked at it again and took a soft cotton cloth and some naptha to it. (I wasn't hip to Scratch-X then). After a lot of rubbing, the stain eventually came out, the clearcoat was unaffected by my fix and I kept the guitar.

I don't know if my finish problem had the same cause as yours. Regardless, I agree with Todd and several others here -- wet sanding the finish on any valuable guitar would be scary if you hadn't done it before; wet sanding a new finish would be even scarier; wet-sanding a finish that is under warranty is strange advice to get from the company that made the guitar. I am no expert, but based on past experience I'd try the naptha approach first, then Scratch-x and Zymol. If that doesn't get rid of the discoloration, then I'd consider sending it to RIC for a warranty repair.

collin wrote:

kenf wrote:Ric didn't offer to resolve it, and actually expect *you* to wet sand it out? Will they guarantee such action won't invalidate the finish warranty?

Nope, according to Ric---the cases are "freebies that they give away with the guitars" (I am paraphrasing here). Mostly so that they are not held accountable with warranty work for damage done by the cases, which they don't manufacture.

However you want to interpret that is entirely up to you---no comment here.

I can't comment on whether that is the official RIC position. However, besides being legally untenable, that position defies common sense. The RIC price list indicates that the price includes the case ("Price includes free standard case"). If something is included in the price, that means you are paying for it and it's not free. Are RIC dealers permitted to sell new RIC instruments under warranty without the RIC cases?

The case has the RIC logo on it. RIC selects the mfg. of the case, puts the guitar in the case and the guitar leaves the RIC factory in the RIC case. Designating the case as "free" in the fine print should be meaningless in terms of whether RIC or the consumer is responsible for damage caused by defects in the case. RIC should have recourse against the mfg. of the case if the case is the cause of the problem.

That said, I'd still try the simple home remedies first before sending it back.

What is this guitar's serial #?

09 08456 is the serial number, and as an added problem the pickup selector switch only works in the neck position.

I take it that you have spoken to RIC customer service about the switch then? In that case, you will likely send it back for warranty work, where we can look at that green rash (I trust the warranty card was sent?).

The way the light reflects in that photo makes it hard to tell what that really is.

No, I just found out about the switch tonight when I plugged it in. I spoke with Customer Service when I opened the case - I never dreamed the switch wouldn't work either. I just got the guitar at 2:00 today, so the warranty card is still in the case. If I send it to RIC I have to pay shipping, but if I send it back to Musicians Friend for a third 330 its free. Kind of a decision to make there.

Here's pics of the first one I got with the same problem.

I recommend sending it back to us for a thorough examination and repair. MF will most likely send you another instrument that was built several months ago and had been laying around in their warehouse until the "blowout" special.