PRS , and several other use Urethane finishes .
I have not seen to many problems with these products and funky finishing
Ric fretboards
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
I once made some wooden fishing lures and finished them in urethane. I had a problem with the top coat flaking off. Also, the hook tips seemed to wear through the finish too quickly. I went back and read the instructions more closely. You had to apply additional coats within 5 minutes of the previous one if you wanted the coatings to chemicaly bind together. Otherwise, it is like "plywood paint" and comes apart in layers. Multiple coats applied within 5 minutes had a problem with fully hardening. You thus have a choice with urethane: flaky or soft. At least if you buy it in an aerosol spray can like I did. PRS may have a better urethane process. I will have to agree with Mr. Hall, based on my experience with urethane finish. Having a finish that must be applied within 5 minutes of the last coat can lead to major production headaches, as well as finding a way to make it harden if you apply it by the book. RIC likes to "dry & sand" between coats, so urethane is out of the question.
Urethane also had one other aggravating problem. It is heavy when cured and caused my wooden lures to sink! So did enamel. It's back to lacquer for lures. I guess Gibson feels the same way about their guitars. Lacquer is excellent for building up multiple coats, if you don't mind the toxic fumes and the federal regulations that go along with it.
Whatever is used to coat the neck of my father's old Gretsch with maple fretboard has worn through badly in spite of being rather thickly applied. Old Rickenbackers seem to have less finish wear than other brands. Rickenbacker owners on Harmony Central reported extreme durability of the RIC finishes. That is one major point that sold me on Rickenbackers.
Lastly, I must add that a light colored maple fretboard looks stunning on a Rickenbacker with Jetglo finish, such as the 650C Colorado or original 4004L Laredo. I like the rosewood fretboards on the Mapleglo and Fireglo finished guitars. Midnight Blue is a switch hitter. I like color contrast in the fretboard/guitar, as a personal preference. The fretboard wood choice doesn't seem to make much tonal difference to my ears. My father's Gretsch is one of the most mellow electric solidbody guitars I have ever heard, in spite of maple being touted as "bright and punchy". It fully holds its own against my lightly finished 650D, or any other electric I have ever heard, tonal wise. Closer to a mahogany Les Paul than a maple/ash Telecaster sound. Must be the pickups (toaster style). Alas, it is so rare that you cannot even find another one like it listed on a Gretsch collector's website. The body shape is based on a Strat, with a tobacco burst finish. Must have been a prototype, as he lives across the river from the old Gretsch factory. The neck shape and feel are excellent. Maple seems to shrink across the grain more than rosewood, and both my unbound maple fretboard Ricks needed the fret ends filed flush with the fretboard when I received them. A diamond dust coated ski file did the job in 15 minutes and left the wood finish unfazed. The Gretsch has such a thick finish coat on the neck that it forms an edge binding of sorts; otherwise, the fret ends would stick you. My Tacoma with oiled rosewood fretboard needed far less filing in spite of hanging in a shop in dry, dry Las Vegas, Navada, for about a year. Less shrinkage and more wear resistance seems to be the only real physical advantage to rosewood over maple. Looks are a personal preference and the tonal difference is VERY slight, if you can hear it at all on an electric. It's more of a styling choice to me, rather than any sound difference that amounts to anything.
Urethane also had one other aggravating problem. It is heavy when cured and caused my wooden lures to sink! So did enamel. It's back to lacquer for lures. I guess Gibson feels the same way about their guitars. Lacquer is excellent for building up multiple coats, if you don't mind the toxic fumes and the federal regulations that go along with it.
Whatever is used to coat the neck of my father's old Gretsch with maple fretboard has worn through badly in spite of being rather thickly applied. Old Rickenbackers seem to have less finish wear than other brands. Rickenbacker owners on Harmony Central reported extreme durability of the RIC finishes. That is one major point that sold me on Rickenbackers.
Lastly, I must add that a light colored maple fretboard looks stunning on a Rickenbacker with Jetglo finish, such as the 650C Colorado or original 4004L Laredo. I like the rosewood fretboards on the Mapleglo and Fireglo finished guitars. Midnight Blue is a switch hitter. I like color contrast in the fretboard/guitar, as a personal preference. The fretboard wood choice doesn't seem to make much tonal difference to my ears. My father's Gretsch is one of the most mellow electric solidbody guitars I have ever heard, in spite of maple being touted as "bright and punchy". It fully holds its own against my lightly finished 650D, or any other electric I have ever heard, tonal wise. Closer to a mahogany Les Paul than a maple/ash Telecaster sound. Must be the pickups (toaster style). Alas, it is so rare that you cannot even find another one like it listed on a Gretsch collector's website. The body shape is based on a Strat, with a tobacco burst finish. Must have been a prototype, as he lives across the river from the old Gretsch factory. The neck shape and feel are excellent. Maple seems to shrink across the grain more than rosewood, and both my unbound maple fretboard Ricks needed the fret ends filed flush with the fretboard when I received them. A diamond dust coated ski file did the job in 15 minutes and left the wood finish unfazed. The Gretsch has such a thick finish coat on the neck that it forms an edge binding of sorts; otherwise, the fret ends would stick you. My Tacoma with oiled rosewood fretboard needed far less filing in spite of hanging in a shop in dry, dry Las Vegas, Navada, for about a year. Less shrinkage and more wear resistance seems to be the only real physical advantage to rosewood over maple. Looks are a personal preference and the tonal difference is VERY slight, if you can hear it at all on an electric. It's more of a styling choice to me, rather than any sound difference that amounts to anything.
Phil did have something good to say and I actually learned something. In this age of sound bites and quickie tips with little info to back it up it's good to get the whole story. Besides, after reading e-mails all week long at work I actually enjoy reading at length about one of my favorite subjects, Rickenbackers!
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blueflamerick
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 1943
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 1:43 pm
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Andy, I work as a biomedical engineering technician. I don't have very much experience in wood finishing. Never made a musical instrument, but did some speaker building until I learned I couldn't afford to design & build my own. I got better deals on used speakers. I got a $1300/pair French JMLab for $300/pair, used in good shape, that blew away what I made for the same price in parts. I learned enough about lure making that I decided to go back to buying Rapalas off the shelf. I think I will avoid trying to build a bass as good as my 4004L. The learning curve is rough.
Erik, you may have to get with Mr. Hall or Mark on how to repair conversion varnish problems. I have had no experience with it, and RIC keeps their finishing process a bit of a secret.
Erik, you may have to get with Mr. Hall or Mark on how to repair conversion varnish problems. I have had no experience with it, and RIC keeps their finishing process a bit of a secret.