381 V69 Did I buy a factory second?

mike381 · Post by **mike381** » Mon Oct 06, 2003 9:00 am

Hi All,
I got a wonderful 381 V69 12 string MG on ebay a while back.
The truss rod cover is removed for adjustment in the pic.

There is some finish cracking, mostly around the heel of the neck (see picture)but also under the pick guard and various places around the body.

The binding is actually exposed where the finish has fell off.
Now, I was going to ship it back but I fell in love with it and decided to keep it. It plays great and that is what is more important to me.

However; I am still wondering about the guitar.
The guy who sold it to me said, "I've never seen one of these without the cracking". This I don't believe to be true, but it does look like the finish may have failed due to improper application rather than being dropped. It also could be due to improper string selection causing too much tension but that wouldn't explain the other cracks. Most noteably on the back of the body.

Also the tuners are the ric deluxe type rather that the better sealed type I have seen on this model.

It does make me wonder if this was a factory second or was the guy right and this is a common problem?

Does anyone else have any experience with this issue?

Thanks!

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Mon Oct 06, 2003 9:23 am

I can't offer any insights on the problems on the finish (other than perhaps the prior owner did not keep it suitably climate controlled?) but I can;t help saying that that is a beautiful instrument!

MG is starting to become m y favorite finish.

squid · Post by **squid** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:05 am

I haven't had any problems with the finish on my 381. I've had it for over a year now, and I haven't been that careful with humidity or temperature control (although it does spend a fair amount of time in its case). The finish quality is such that I feel much more comfortable toting my 381 around in the winter time than I do with some of my other guitars. I'd be surprised if this did turn out to be a common problem. The tuners are identical to the ones on my guitar. I don't think what you've got is a "second" -- in fact, I don't think that Rickenbacker actually releases "seconds" from the factory -- it's just a 381 in need of some attention.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:08 am

Hmmmm.... Interesting. My MG 381 has the same tuners on it; I just assumed that they are the standard for a vintage reissue Ric. Mine was brand new from eBay (just got it this summer); it still had the hang tags and warranty card in the case. Mine has one teeny-tiny crack (about 1/4 inch) in the finish over the binding right at the back of the neck. I certainly hope that the crack doesn't get any bigger, and I hope that more cracks do not develop! Yours is still a beautiful guitar, cracks notwithstanding!

mike381 · Post by **mike381** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 11:35 am

These are the tuners that I am refering to . . .

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 4:47 am

This is interesting.... Yours actually came with the newer style tuners? The previous owner must have replaced the vintage-style ones with those.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 7:40 am

Mike381: Congratulations on your Model 381. The keywinds you have are stock for this instrument. I am not aware of any problem with them although I also tend to like the appearance of the newer style tuners better. However, this is a vintage reissue instrument and so I consider the keywinds you have to be best suited for it.

Did you get a Rickenbacker second. No, as I am unaware of RIC ever marketing a line of seconds such as can be seen coming from other factories. Should I be way off base here, I am sure Kenny or perhaps John will set me straight.

I think the finish issues associated with your instrument are likely related to changing weather conditions in which it was not protected.

webhead · Post by **webhead** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 2:59 pm

I've had an early 350 which had binding cracking along the neck- I was told it was due to the weather as well.

jimbunch · Post by **jimbunch** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 12:07 am

I have a 381 V69 MG 6 string made in April of 1998. I bought it new in May of 1999. So far there are no cracks in the binding or the body finish. For the most part the guitar remains in my house and has only been out of the house a couple of times. I have the same tuners as your picture in the first post of this thread.

big_g · Post by **big_g** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 7:33 am

Just an observation, I used to work with PA repair and installation for a big music store here in the South, we had a very good luthier.
I noticed that he had a few semi-hollows and hollows with finish checking a cracking to fix about early every fall and into the winter.

He made the comment that it was the right time of the year to start seeing this problem and went on to comment that it always seemed to affect guitars with mostly maple backs and sides a bit more than other wood grains. He said that if you noticed an all maple neck takes a little more adjustment due to seasonal changes, maple is hard but isn't as hard as ebony and rosewood, which are so hard that they are actually a bit brittle.

He commented on some other wood differences too, but I forget. He did say that harder, less flexible finishes make a difference too. He said that Gibson J-200's have that problem o cracking around the bindings, he said that the binders don't flex as much as the wood around it.

After the humidity of the summer dies down and the cooler, drier fall hits the wood wants to shrink a little and the difference in shrinking rates between the wood and the binders causes the cracks to appear there first. Any wood can do that he said, and moving from hot to cold is a factor, but he also commented that it was a bit more noticeable in all maple hollow bodies.