Quality Control Issues?

[cauger]

I received a new 381v69 that has a sliver of paint missing off the top of the body, along the German carve. When you run your finger over it it's smooth so it looks like it just somehow didn't get finished. There's also some paint flecks on the binding. This would also make the third straight new Rickenbacker I've bought that had issues.

I bought this from a very reputable online dealer, so I don't think this was a "second" that got out. I would expect their top of the line guitar to have pretty strict standard, no? What do you recommend I do?

[ajish4]

Contact RIC Customer Service @ http://www.rickenbacker.com/corporate.asp

[deaconblues]

My 325c64 has one of those unfinished slivers too...I wonder what causes them at the factory?

I've heard of several other new Rics with the same problems.

[fatcat]

3 of my Rics arrived with small finish flaws that should have been noticed by a qc inspector.

[dustymurphy]

This is strange to me, I always associated Ric with very high quality. I wonder what's up with that. It makes me worry about the 660 I've been waiting 25 months on. I'm not sure I could handle another delay if I had to return it for something like this.

[cauger]

This is strange to me, I always associated Ric with very high quality. I wonder what's up with that. It makes me worry about the 660 I've been waiting 25 months on. I'm not sure I could handle another delay if I had to return it for something like this.

That's my concern, I've already waited a long time for the guitar, it plays and sounds great but for so much money and time invested it's a let down when there's such an obvious cosmetic blemish.

[BobKat]

I don't think any company is immune to these issues from time to time.

[admin]

Precisely Bob. Further, provided that this problem originated at the Factory the owner can make use of the warranty.

[Scastles]

In a perfect world...

It's a shame, but as most have said, the problem can easily be taken care of.

[deaconblues]

I agree that this is a problem for all companies, and certainly less so for Rickenbacker than for other brands. However, it would be interesting to know the cause of these unpainted slivers...I have no idea how they could occur.

My 325's unpainted strip is too small to be of concern...just a tiny hairline on the front edge of the headstock

[orfeo]

Yes i too have some finish issues on my new AFG (waited 18 Months for) that i sent back to the factory to fix.When it was returned to me they had fixed some of the issues but had created more problems with the finish trying to fix it.I wish i had not sent it to get fixed in the first place.I love this guitar and the sound is rockin,but it seems that somehow many guitars are getting past Quality Control without adequate inspection.

[rickenbrother]

Like Bob said, EVERY company, no matter what they make will have issues from time to time. Instead of publicly complaining about the issues here, whey didn't you guys call RIC customer service? That's what it's there for. This is not the complaint department.

[simer4001]

I had a problem with a paint bubble near the headstock on my 350V63. RIC took care of it in no time. Not only did they take care of it but they found a substandard TRC and replaced it for me. I think every company is going to have an issue here and there, but the sign of a good company is how they correct problems. They took very good care of me and I appreciated their response.

[antipodean]

Like Bob said, EVERY company, no matter what they make will have issues from time to time. Instead of publicly complaining about the issues here, whey didn't you guys call RIC customer service? That's what it's there for. This is not the complaint department.

Joey,

I wholeheartedly agree that the first port of call for all defects should be Ric customer service. On the other hand, it's interesting to hear that this is not an isolated issue, and I think it is in our collective interest for both positive and negative feedback on all aspects of the manufacture and distribution of Rickenbacker instruments to be in the public domain. At the very least it keeps us intellectually honest.

[wj350]

I appreciate the sentiments about contacting Ric Customer Service, but I also think it's human nature to seek some feeling of comfort or security from friends when you have a concern like this. To some extent, finding a flaw in your new baby is a bit exacerbated perhaps by the anticipation from waiting for your Ric, etc.. For some of us, it makes it feel a little less disappointing to know we're not alone, not the only unlucky one in the crowd. It's not necessarily a harsh critique of Rickenbacker, just friends talking.

I did the same thing when my new 1996 arrive. The upper truss rod nut was bent upwards enough to push the TRC up about an 1/8th of an inch above the headstock. I emailed my dealer, but also posted here for the comfort/commiseration value. As it turned out, I was given some excellent advice as to how to fix the problem myself without having to ship the guitar back and forth to Ric (which concerned me as much if not more than the flaw).

Ultimately Ric CS might be the solution, but in the meantime the support and knowledge that there are others who have experienced similar issues can be comforting.

This is a pretty friendly place to hang out, so I think it's pretty natural to want to discuss issues like this when they happen to us.

Just me.

Bill