Fretboard finish cracking question

hieronymous · Post by **hieronymous** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:40 am

Hey all, I hate for my first post about a new bass to be negative, but there's an issue with this 4008 I just purchased. I bought it online from a store, and on the phone the guy said that there was checking in the finish. OK, fine with me. What he didn't say was that the finish on the fretboard was really messed up!

It's cracked throughout, and it's almost like the finish is peeling off!

Is this a major problem? Visually it sucks, but I bought this bass as a player, not as a collector. I've never seen anything like it - did the previous owner keep it next to a heater all winter?!! This is an '82, so it's not that old...

I'd appreciate any thoughts/opinions you might have. There's a 24-hour return period, so let me know soon!

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:48 am

Is the finish actually coming off? If not, there really is not a problem. You could always have a partial re-fin done later if it bugs you that much. Dale and Paul both do excellent finish work.

thx1955 · Post by **thx1955** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:11 am

Hi Harry,
Depending on what you paid, if the rest of the 4008 is ok I'd say hang onto it, especially if you're buying it as a player, don't see too many 4008's surfacing these days.

If it bothers you that much you can go one of two routes, as Ted says both Paul and Dale do excellent work, as does he, but he's too modest to say that.

The other option would be to have all the fretboard finish removed properly and leave it unfinished. I've played Ric's with the necks in both conditions and there's a slight difference between how the necks feel as you play, but IMHO it's not a major difference.

Do you have any pics of the rest of the 4008, looks like it's Fireglo.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:27 am

It's relatively inexpensive to refinish the fretboard. This is not going to get better, Harry.

IMO the difference in looks between a finished and unfinished fretboard is day and night.

I suspect the cause of this is thermal shock, possibly wax or oil on the board, and a particularly oily piece of bubunga having been used.

thx1955 · Post by **thx1955** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:31 am

I didn't touch on the look, I very much prefer the look of the finished fretboard, and it's easier to keep clean.

hieronymous · Post by **hieronymous** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:40 am

Thanks everybody. I'm going to hang onto it. I may have it refinished eventually - it is really cracked, it was hard to photograph, but it looks like you could grab it and peel it away! I'll resist the urge though

I played it for a couple of hours last night and playing-wise didn't even notice, at this point I think it's just a visual thing.

I hope to have pix of the bass up either later today or tomorrow. I think it's pretty sweet - certainly plays well, it's nice and light, it's got the bridge with the extra screws so no lift, and sounds great. Oh, and yes it is Fireglo - my first!

Thanks again for the advice! I love this place, even if I don't post much these days. But now that I've got a new Ric in the house, you'll be seeing more of me...

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:18 am

Harry, congrats on the 4008. I'm glad someone from the forum got that bass. Was too rich for my blood, considering I'm waiting on a DCM.

hieronymous · Post by **hieronymous** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:16 pm

What does DCM stand for? I saw it in another thread as well...

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:27 pm

Dark Cherry Metallic - the finish of the 75th Anniversary instruments.

hieronymous · Post by **hieronymous** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:29 pm

That makes sense! Thanks! For a second there I thought it was Roman numerals...

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:35 pm

Hey, speaking of fretboards, what do you all use to clean them off? I usually clean my rosewood boards or any other unfinished, raw wood on my instruments with a little bit of lemon oil on a soft cloth. What should I use on a Ric with such a high gloss finish on the fretboard? Any suggestions?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:27 am

Clean with a cloth dampened in warm soapy water. Do NOT soak! Just damp. You can use naphtha (lighter fluid) if there's some greasy or oily grunge present. Again, do not soak!

Then wax the board and frets with a couple of coats of Zymol.

The factory uses Turtle Wax #123 liquid in a bottle.

The difference? Turtle Wax has some petroleum distillate in it, Zymol is water-based, so you can build up coats.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:08 pm

Thanks. Where is this Zymol stuff available?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:14 pm

A good auto supply store, online from various detailing sites, or at Target or K-Mart. The one you want to use is called "Zymol Cleaner-Wax" and is in a transparent plastic bottle. It's light blue in color, so the bottle looks light blue.

I want to emphasize that you do not want to use this stuff on a cracked finish; it will gather in the cracks (as will any wax) and cause you problems if you ever elect to refinish. It is not an issue of silicone--Zymol has none--but rather the natural oils contained in the formula, which penetrate bare wood and could cause adhesion problems later.