What caused this? Finish question

[BlueAngel]

Have a look at the back.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-4004 ... 286.c0.m14

I've been repairing guitars professionally since 1986, and I've never seen anything quite like this before... any idea what might have caused it?

1 - Major flexing of the neck from being dropped?
2 - Left too close to a heater?
3 - Some sort of attempt at a finish repair that's made things worse?
4 - Cleaned with the wrong substance?
5 - Factory finish problem (don't kill me, just considering all possibilities! I don't actually think so)

Combination of more than one, eg 1 and 3?

It definitely looks like the finish has shrunk significantly as well as being cracked.

The bass is pretty cheap (at least at the time of posting, the auction still has a couple of days to go), but even as an experienced tech who doesn't get frightened by damage or old repair work, this one is a bit of a concern because I don't know what it means!

[jps]

Did the early 4004s not have Schaller M4 tuners, like this one with the vintage style tuners?

[jingle_jangle]

I'm thinking 2 or 3.

[BlueAngel]

Thanks Paul!

The real questions are whether there is any damage to the neck to body joints (I'm guessing probably not, or well repaired at least since there is no evidence of cracking directly along the seams) and whether it could be repaired without refinishing the whole bass, or a very large area (I'm guessing not).

It's a bit ugly even for me, and would certainly not help any future resale. It's gone up in price from earlier too... I think I'll probably pass.

[johnallg]

Here's a thought - Out in the cold, brought into a pub and placed by the heat, and the tension of the strings with the major temp diference caused the finish to crack like that. This is a neat maple fretboard Laredo, but I think I would want to inspect it first, or get a lot more detailed photos of the area first.

[jingle_jangle]

I'd say, strip to bare maple, entire back and neck heel. Then refinish and blend. Might even be economically feasible.

[grazioso]

man! that looks bit like chemical spill of some kind or direct heat - like someone put it right on the low radiator in a pub than had couple of beers and left it there overnight.. i sure would like to see if the body wings are still attached in the neck area.

[antipodean]

At 410 quid it's a deal, but the reserve is probably around 600 or so.... ..... At that level it's marginal...

[BlueAngel]

A blow to the guiutar woudl leave more of a broken glass look.
No real impact area.

There wouldn't be if it landed on the headstock and the tuners took the actual impact - but if that happens the neck flexes massively and puts a huge strain on the area around the joint. Even if the joint doesn't break, it can shatter the finish around it. My 381 had exactly that sort of damage when I got it, although the finish damage itself looked nothing like this - chunks of finish were missing around the joint.

I don't think this can be the whole story here though since the finish has clearly shrunken as well as cracked, and I agree with you that some sort of heat or chemical has to be involved. The real question is whether this was the result of some attempt to repair the finish after an initial impact damage, which could mean that the body joins are affected under the finish.

It's interesting that no-one else has a definite explanation for it either though, even those with experience!

Like some have suggeted, take it down to the wood and give it a personal, custom touch.
Mike

I would only want it black, which would mean a refinish. Given that it's over a very large area that also means a pro refinish and not a 'touch up'. Expensive...

It's already just too expensive for me now, and since the reserve is not met it's probably at least £500. Add a couple of hundred for a refin (even if there is no structural damage underneath) and still end up with a repaired bass, and it's no bargain even at the current price. I saw it first when it was much cheaper!