660 Binding / QC issue?

[brsmith21]

I got this 660/6 from Chris at POTR just over a week ago. I really like the guitar, but have a question about the binding. The checkerboard pattern gets really thin in a couple of spots. Is this normal, or a quality control issue from the factory? I've had vintage Rics that were very even, but don't know about the new ones. Am I being picky, or is this a legitimate concern? Oh, and there's some funny reflections in my photos.

[blueflamerick]

Perfectly normal. The binding is scraped by hand after the guitar has been painted, so there will always be some inconsistencies to it.

[Danotron]

Paul W. (Jingle Jangle) talked about this is a thread somewhere here on the forum before but I don't remember where to find it.

I think it has something to do with the way the paint is applied over the binding and then scraped off.

If I remember correctly, sometimes the paint doesn't get scraped completely to the end of the binding because you can run the risk of exposing wood. On my 660, because it's Fireglo, you can actually see some of the binding in places under the paint.

Remember, Rics are hand made instruments, so sometimes you have small "human" imperfections. It doesn't bother me on mine but I was curious about it too until Paul explained it.

Maybe he can comment here in case I'm not explaining it right.

[Danotron]

Oops, thanks Erik, we must have posted at about the same time!

[brsmith21]

Thanks guys! I feel better about it now. I guess I just never noticed it on others.

[RonLovesRic12strings]

Bryan,

I had a small area like yours on the checkerboard binding on my 370/12 RM. I applied some Scratch-X Fine Scratch and Swirl Remover (Meguiar's) and gently rubbed and polished the area. This brought out the detail of the checkerboard pattern. Apparently, there was a haze of clearcoat that was hidding the detail of the binding on my guitar....it's worth a try because the Scratch-X (Original formula...not version 2) is mildly abrasive and shouldn't harm the finish. Hope this helps.

[kiramdear]

Ditto that. They're handmade. Little inconsistencies are perfectly normal.

[86kubicki]

Here's a similar thread:
http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/view ... +86kubicki

[customxke]

Whilst there is some "hand made" aspect to the Rick manufacturing process, I suspect that the CNC machines and CAD programs are not just for show. But yes, binding scraping is done by hand.

[collin]

Whilst there is some "hand made" aspect to the Rick manufacturing process, I suspect that the CNC machines and CAD programs are not just for show. But yes, binding scraping is done by hand.

Yup, and by that definition, even Fenders are "hand-made." I've been down to the factory and there was no robots assembling them.