Fingerboard laquer defect on "mint" 620?

Dokterrock · Post by **Dokterrock** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:34 pm

Last week I received a used "Condition 1: Mint" Mapleglo 620 from Musician's Friend. It's my first Ric, and a great guitar - I love it. But I noticed when I was unboxing (and noticed again today), that it looks like some of the laquer on the fretboard at the nut is peeling off already?! Here's a photo:

As you can see, it's pretty small, but that leaves me with a few questions:

1). Is this going to get worse? What could have caused it? My guess is that this is the same issue that prompted the guitar to be returned to MF after it was purchased new.

2). Should I send it back? No warranty from Rickenbacker, unfortunately, since it was a used item, but I should be able to get a full refund from MF. The guitar has a manufacture date of 11/2012, so it's not like it's been gathering dust for too long.

3). I'm fine with keeping the guitar as long as this problem isn't going to get worse down the road - if it's going to get worse, the problem is that I'd probably have to go with a refund and not an exchange, because MF won't have any other used 620s in this finish. A real pain in the arse, if you ask me.

Musician's Friend's description of the guitar was as follows: "This product is in near-factory condition, although its packaging may be less than perfect. "

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Dokterrock · Post by **Dokterrock** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:21 am

Hmmm, nobody? Bummer.

manta · Post by **manta** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:04 am

Will they exchange it? That is unusual for a new RIC I would say.

rkbsound · Post by **rkbsound** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:28 am

Can I ask what you paid? That would figure into a decision for me.

marcinkus · Post by **marcinkus** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:46 am

If the guitar sounds fine I'd just touch up it. It is very easy.

chrisdski · Post by **chrisdski** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:07 pm

It's possible the nut got hit (guitar falling over, slinging it over your head taking it off etc) and the force of the blow caused the defect to the finish. I would think as long as it's not doing the same thing at the frets- then it's probably stable.

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:08 pm

Is it possible somebody removed the nut, and in tapping the nut with a block of wood, to free it, that they might have scuffed the fretboard there in the process ?

Re touching it up - would that be using the clear nail-polish ?

manta · Post by **manta** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:24 am

Since you got it in a certain condition, do I assume it is a pre-owned RIC? I ask because I don't know if it is the lens on your camera or the real thing, but the string spacing on your higher strings seems wider than the lower three. Looks like someone put a new nut on with wider spacing and the problem you show probably took place when the factory nut was removed and changed out. If that's the case, you probably won't have a problem. I would question the MF mintrating of the guitar since it has been "customized" and thus the factory warranty was probably voided as a result. It certainly isn't mint if the laquer is like that. Maybe they can and should compensate you with a bit of a partial refund. But if you keep it, I would just leave it be. If it isn't chipping or getting any worse, it will probably stay that way.

Dokterrock · Post by **Dokterrock** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:40 pm

I got them to take another $50 off, meaning I paid about $1050 plus tax. It was a used item at Musician's Friend, but that usually just means someone bought it and returned it within 45 days. Interesting theory about the nut, the string spacing doesn't look out of whack in person, although there seems to be a bigger gap between the 3rd and 4th strings than the others, although I don't have another 620 to compare it to. What you're seeing in the picture is due to the angle, I think. But, that would definitely explain how the lacquer might have got messed up.

I still have some time to return it, but it's a nice guitar and I really don't want to deal with the whole hassle, plus waiting for another Mapleglo 620 to come around for that price might take some time. Although I'm a little bit miffed at the idea that this might not be the original nut and spacing.

Re: Clear nail polish... so I just dab it underneath the raised bits of lacquer onto the bare fretboard and put pressure on it? Is that it?

manta · Post by **manta** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:52 pm

I'd ask one of the Forum's resident luthiers about dabbing finer nail polish. I am sure RIC doesn't use finger nail polish on it's fretboards.

Yea, I'd keep it if I were you. If you like it, that's all that matters.

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum