Finished Fingerboards

fabandgear · Post by **fabandgear** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:09 pm

When did Rickenbacker first start applying finish to their fingerboards?

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:49 pm

Just going from the pics in the Bacon & Day book, it looks like they appeared in 1959. I'll let an expert correct me if that's wrong!

- Scott

wolfen2 · Post by **wolfen2** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:08 pm

WHY??? Is that a problem? Never had a problem with frets, fret dress, or the finish, even though we know that almost nobody has a finished fretboard anymore. It is part of their allure. Come On!!! It's a Rick!

collin · Post by **collin** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:47 pm

wolfen2 wrote:WHY??? Is that a problem? Never had a problem with frets, fret dress, or the finish, even though we know that almost nobody has a finished fretboard anymore. It is part of their allure. Come On!!! It's a Rick!

Didn't look like he had a problem with it to me!

Grey · Post by **Grey** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:46 pm

It's a love/hate thing for me with the fretboard on my Ric.

I have a 30 year old acoustic that's very close in age to the Ric, and it's fretboard has not held up as well. The finish on the Ric has really kept the fretboard in great shape over the years, but at the same time, I love the way the raw wood feels under my fingers on the Gibson.

I've resolved to just let it wear down with natural playing.

cjj · Post by **cjj** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:17 pm

I'm the opposite. My 4004Cii has an "unfinished" fretboard. It's OK, but I really prefer the finished boards on the 4001 & 4003. It just feels weird, but that could be that I'm used to 30 some years of 4001/4003 finished fret boards...

badeggs · Post by **badeggs** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:44 am

wolfen2 wrote:WHY??? Is that a problem? Never had a problem with frets, fret dress, or the finish, even though we know that almost nobody has a finished fretboard anymore. It is part of their allure. Come On!!! It's a Rick!

...huh?

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:38 am

fabandgear wrote:When did Rickenbacker first start applying finish to their fingerboards?

Around '59? The early combos don't have the high gloss fingerboards.......IIRC.....the early capris don't either.....so......yeah.....'59 ish?

fabandgear · Post by **fabandgear** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:03 pm

wolfen2 wrote:WHY??? Is that a problem? Never had a problem with frets, fret dress, or the finish, even though we know that almost nobody has a finished fretboard anymore. It is part of their allure. Come On!!! It's a Rick!

What part of my inquiry made it sound like I had a problem with finished Rick fingerboards? Hmmm, am I missing something here?

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 4:55 pm

fabandgear wrote:
wolfen2 wrote:WHY??? Is that a problem? Never had a problem with frets, fret dress, or the finish, even though we know that almost nobody has a finished fretboard anymore. It is part of their allure. Come On!!! It's a Rick!
What part of my inquiry made it sound like I had a problem with finished Rick fingerboards? Hmmm, am I missing something here?

I don't think so. If so, I missed it as well.

Interesting to know the first year for lacquered fingerboards though.

fabandgear · Post by **fabandgear** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:48 pm

Personally, when I beheld my first Rick, I thought that finished fingerboard was simply marvaroonie! The whole guitar was just so spaceaged and different from anything I'd played before that it must have been imported from Saturn!

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Finished Fingerboards

Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards

Re: Finished Fingerboards