Sticky Gummy Finish on UNPLAYED 1999 Rick 4003 CurlyMaple FG

[ken_j]

Welcome Jeff. I would consider contacting RIC customer service even though the warrenty period has long passed they may have an answer. A cross post in Reflections of a Curmudgeon: by Paul Wilczynski section will yeild some good info. Paul is definitely the finish guru here.



Maybe the bass feels rejected by not getting any play time.

[pag]

I sympathise with you over the sticky situation.

I dont wish to sound awful but from the description above this is a fine looking bass made from great timbers and in some ways its a pity that the bass wasnt played and displayed for all the world to see.
Could it be that when Rickenbacker made this bass that it was infused with life and it is now suffering from some kind of syndrome developed by being incarcerated in solitary confinement?
Its a bit like the old collectable toys you see on Antiques Roadshow.. although its lovely to see mint condition stuff its also quite sad that they were never played with.

Lets hope Rickenbacker (the toymaker) can cure it.

[bassduke49]

It's interesting that the unusual wood has the unusual problem. I wonder if that particular selection of wood was somehow inhibiting the curing of the conversion varnish?

I don't know enough about coatings, but in my limited experience playing with urethane resins, a sticky, never-completly set casting is usually a sign of inadequate mixing of the resin and hardener (catalyst). Keep us informed, please.

[cjj]

Welcome to the RRF!

So, if you think it might be the SKB case, is this the only bass you have that's been stored in an SKB case? Do you know for sure that this bass was never out of it's package before you received it? If not, there's some possibility that someone at the store took it out (and if it was noticed that it was a particularly nice specimen, perhaps let several people look at or try it out) and then wiped it down with something that harmed the finish...

[Lefty4001]

What about outgassing from the interior of the case? QC maybe missed one.

What's it smell like in there?

[rickaddict]

Sorry to hear about your sticky bass, Jeff. I'm not sure what happened to it, but I suspect (as Paul B mentioned) the finish wasn't properly formulated.

But I'm no finish expert. The only thing I can offer is...I wouldn't worry about it happening to your other 24 Ricks. It's just not a problem that we ever hear about on this forum. There was a stickiness problem for a year or two with Midnight Blue (maybe around 2002 or 2003?) but that's the only similar issue I know of.

[godber]

What about outgassing from the interior of the case? QC maybe missed one.

What's it smell like in there?

In fairness to Rickenbacker I'm not sure how a factory inspection on the line could pick it up the issue when it only showed up 12 years later I've also only ever heard of finish issues in relation to Midnight Blue a while back, but they surfaced (no pun intended ) within a short time.

Hopefully Jeff will be able to get some practical advice here or direct from Rickenbacker. In the meantime if Jeff has any pics of the finish issue I'm sure we would be keen to see them and aid discussion - and of course to see that curly maple.

Stick around Jeff, maybe show us the rest of your collection and add them to the register.

[Hotzenplotz]

Sounds a bit to me that outgassing is not the worst start for thinking about the effect. Especially the information of a for years unopened case is a very special detail.

I agree, our well known member Paul W. could say some more.

[cjj]

Stick around Jeff, maybe show us the rest of your collection and add them to the register.

Yes, please do, we'd all love to see them.

And it might help if you do a bit more here than you've done over of the RIC Corporate forum - lodge your complaint about the finish and then never respond to the questions/info people are asking/giving. We'd all like to help, but it's a bit difficult with no further information...

[Hotzenplotz]

First thing I would do with the instrument itself: nothing!

No polishing or whatever until it is more clear. Maybe this sticky thing is just outgassed glue of the (nearly never opened) case. Normally that should have no influence concerning the CV.

Is this sticky thing under the scratchplate, too?

[Kopfjaeger]

I had a similar situation with a Fender P bass manufactured in the early 1980's. It was my regular giging bass but after I "retired" from bands and playing, the bass sat in it's case for nearly 20 years. At one point in time I opened the case to find the body of the bass had adhered to the case material. I literally had to peel it out of the case.

Initially I thought the case material had broken down and adhered itself to the bass but quite recently I found the paint had actually taken the texture of the lining material. it would seem the paint adhered to the case material.

I thought that since the case material was synthetic, it may have leeched out some of it's chemical properties that softened the paint. The only area that stuck was in direct contact with the bass with no air and the full weight of the instrument laying on it. That was my best guess.

After peeling the bass away, the paint was hard, just "textured".

Sepp

[jdogric12]

Welcome to the RRF!
there's some possibility that someone at the store took it out (and if it was noticed that it was a particularly nice specimen, perhaps let several people look at or try it out) and then wiped it down with something that harmed the finish...

This is the likeliest scenario.

And it might help if you do a bit more here than you've done over of the RIC Corporate forum - lodge your complaint about the finish and then never respond to the questions/info people are asking/giving. We'd all like to help, but it's a bit difficult with no further information...

+1

[jps]

And it might help if you do a bit more here than you've done over of the RIC Corporate forum - lodge your complaint about the finish and then never respond to the questions/info people are asking/giving. We'd all like to help, but it's a bit difficult with no further information...

+1

+2, what's up with these one post folks?

[godber]

And it might help if you do a bit more here than you've done over of the RIC Corporate forum - lodge your complaint about the finish and then never respond to the questions/info people are asking/giving. We'd all like to help, but it's a bit difficult with no further information...

+1

+2, what's up with these one post folks?

They probably fart on their way out of a lift too Jeff.

[cjj]

+1

+2, what's up with these one post folks?

They probably fart on their way out of a lift too Jeff.