RESCUE 911 RICK (and owner)IN DISTRESS

tito · Post by **tito** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:30 pm

After a few days of aimlessly wondering my house playing my new Rick 360/12 I decided it would be nice to fully inspect the beauty.

Ah, everything was fine until I looked in the area where the neck joins the body. There I saw a little jagged line. . .( The area higher, you know. . .on top.) I can't upload a pic, but if I really had to describe it in detail. . . it starts at the 21st fret and extends due East to the Neck Pickup.

The crack runs mainly along the 90 degree angle that is created where the neck comes south to greet the higher left portion of the body.

It started out as a very small hair looking crack, but it's slowly getting bigger and wider. . . I DONT WANT IT TO GET TOO BAD!!!
( IT is deeper than the finish. . . .>

Anyone have any ideas on how to stop this strange little process?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:57 pm

You say, "new Rick 360/12". Is it in fact, new, or are you merely its "new owner"?

If it's new, and you mailed in the warranty card, then release the tension on the neck by loosening the strings a good deal. Don't remove them, however. Then call Rickenbacker's customer service department for authorization to return the guitar for repairs.

If it's not actually brand new, find a good luthier and be patient.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 4:34 pm

My 330 has a hairline crack in the same place and it hasn't moved in 6 months - fingers crossed!!

tito · Post by **tito** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:38 am

It was new. As in, brand new. But it was constructed in April of 2004.. . Well so I thought. I bought it back in late January, and I used the serial # decoder, but apparantly it doesn't want to work right now. So my guess is it was made in April of 04' and doesn't that mean that the warranty is out? . . on the finish that is. . .

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:58 am

OK, Sean, this sounds like it's structural (the crack is getting wider, you say) and not merely a finish defect.

Look at this:

http://www.rickenbacker.com/us/warranty.htm

This is for customer service to discuss with you.

tito · Post by **tito** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:38 am

Man. . .
I keep trying to check my serial number on the website and it's NOT working!!! It worked before. . .but I don't remember the date of completion. I wonder whats going on!?

I guess I'm suppose to call Rickenbacker and get everything straight? You know, about the warranty and repair?

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:45 am

Sean, I hope you did what Paul said when you first got it and mailed in your warranty, no matter what year it was made in, provided you bought it new within the last year. If it was 'brand' new, it came with a warranty card but it has to be mailed in within a short span of time after you purchased it.
If nothing else, yeah, call RIC tomorrow and tell 'em your story.

tito · Post by **tito** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:30 pm

Stan-
That was my first priority. I mailed that little baby off the next day!

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:31 am

The first two digits are the year. The next two digits are the week of that year. So an April '04 should read 04 14XXX(or 15,16,17).

tito · Post by **tito** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 11:05 am

I just got off the phone with Rickenbacker and they advised me to take some photos of the area and send them via e-mail. Too bad my cell phone camera isn't that good! On the hunt for a digi. . .

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:32 pm

Sean, well, it's a start. Did they say anything else?

tito · Post by **tito** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:57 pm

The man on the phone mentioned that he has had a similar problem with other brand guitars. Thats about it, but I got hold of a camera and I hope the pictures turn out good enough when I take them!

tito · Post by **tito** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:30 am

Ok
Nanakitty is on her way back to Santa Ana.
Let's hope for the best!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:15 pm

Not to worry--Whatever-you-call-her will come back good as new!

tito · Post by **tito** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:46 pm

Haha, nanakitty. . .
A friend of mine, her great grandmothers nick name is Nanakitty. I almost spit out my coffee when I heard that! So. . .considering we were working on a few songs, I decided to name my rick Nanakitty and the following song also.