When my first Rick, a new 340/12, came a week ago, I was excited. But soon the excitement turned to frustration and finally disappointment. I couldn't play it very long or keep it tuned! I wasn't sure exactly what all was wrong, but I suspected the neck needed adjustment. I was sure that the strings were way too high! To top things off, I found a couple of flaws in the Jetglo finish! It was a total disaster!
I was ready to get rid of it, but my friend John Williams recommended a luthier who not only fixed all the problems (the nut was too high also), except the finish flaws, he explained what he was going to do and how it would help. He gave me a lot of tips on how to get the most out of my Rick as well as care for it. Now I am happy to report, I can start all over again enjoying everything about having a brand new Rickenbacker. Now that my new love has had a makeover...wow! She's not only beautiful and appealing, she sings like an angel and even smells great, too! Thanks to John, I am realizing a 30 year dream -- to experience first hand the pleasure of playing my very own Rick 12 string! Life is good!
So, for anyone who has had a similar disappointment, try getting a setup. It is well worth the investment of your time and money! As far as the flaws in the finish are concerned, I'm planning to make some pictures and send them to RIC for advisement. Any ideas or comments from you guys would be most appreciated.
The Setup
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
I posted a similar opinion on "flaws" under the strings section, but basically I cannot believe that problems such as that are not immediately addressed by the dealer (ie get you a new one immediately from RIC or get it repaired immediately by RIC. I have customer of mine (I am in sales, but not in the music biz) who had the same problem with a new 12 string and he had to deal directly with RIC, who fixed it for him, but not without hesitation. I can understand this to some extent, but my point is that the dealer should be directly involved, and when you've waited for an imperfect instrument (and shelled out big bucks) you should not have to do anything yourself except say to the dealer: "please do the right thing for me. I am your customer".