Odd Cracked & Flaking paint 2011 4003

[nov_1981]

Thanks Dane.. Good to know for future shipping, hopefully the Laredo is settled in..

[Kopfjaeger]

Sounds like RIC is willing to take care of those affected (as usual) which is good to hear.

Not everyone Joshua

OK, so the 800 pound gorilla in the room is still there. What is causing all of these issues?? I read that two 2011 manufactured Jetglo 4003's arrived to a guy that really wanted a Ric bass. Both had the flaking saw tooth pattern paint damage at the tail piece,. These were brand new basses but left over from 2011. I really feel bad for this guy. He really wants a 4003, bad but he can't seem to get one without damage. He's had to send two basses back because of it.

The more I think about how my issue was dismissed by RIC customer service the more annoyed I get. Obviously it's not a "sting issue". It's a ticking time bomb issue. I recently tried to send RIC customer service an email to tell them of my displeasure with the way they handled my issue. Have not heard back. I'd like to think they care but I'm beginning to think they don't.

I like to think I've been a good ambassador of the brand. I hope Mr. Hall is aware that even I don't know what to think of RIC's customer service. It pains me to think it, let alone say it.

Sad, it really is.

Sepp

[Kopfjaeger]

OK, three for three! The TB member just received another 2011 Jetglo bass and it too has finish cracks at the tail piece. This bass was manufactured a few weeks before the last two he had gotten from MF (all in the 17-19 week of 2011). He is keeping this one since RIC told him they would warranty the finish, as they should.

Now, what about all the other 2011 Jetglo basses, mine included, manufactured on or around the 17-19 week of 2001??

Sepp

[Mohacz4003]

I'm a new Rick owner, or an attempted Rick owner at least. After ordering a JG 4003 from Musician's Friend (the closest walk-in dealer is a four-hour drive), I too saw the chips around the tailpiece right out of the box. I won't bore you with the details of my Musician's Friend customer service debacle. However, I've just received my third 4003, and this one also has the paint chipping out of the box, as did the second one. All three of the 4003's I've received were produced within 4/2011-5/2011. I've wanted a Rick for about 13 years, and am just now able to afford one. This has kind of soured the whole experience for me and I'm considering abandoning the 4003 altogether. Your thoughts? Are the '12s and '13s experiencing the same issue?

[johnallg]

I'm a new Rick owner, or an attempted Rick owner at least. After ordering a JG 4003 from Musician's Friend (the closest walk-in dealer is a four-hour drive), I too saw the chips around the tailpiece right out of the box. I won't bore you with the details of my Musician's Friend customer service debacle. However, I've just received my third 4003, and this one also has the paint chipping out of the box, as did the second one. All three of the 4003's I've received were produced within 4/2011-5/2011. I've wanted a Rick for about 13 years, and am just now able to afford one. This has kind of soured the whole experience for me and I'm considering abandoning the 4003 altogether. Your thoughts? Are the '12s and '13s experiencing the same issue?

No they are not. Try Pick Of The Ricks or Wildwood, both great dealers to work with.

[rickyfricky]

I'm a new Rick owner, or an attempted Rick owner at least. After ordering a JG 4003 from Musician's Friend (the closest walk-in dealer is a four-hour drive), I too saw the chips around the tailpiece right out of the box. I won't bore you with the details of my Musician's Friend customer service debacle. However, I've just received my third 4003, and this one also has the paint chipping out of the box, as did the second one. All three of the 4003's I've received were produced within 4/2011-5/2011. I've wanted a Rick for about 13 years, and am just now able to afford one. This has kind of soured the whole experience for me and I'm considering abandoning the 4003 altogether. Your thoughts? Are the '12s and '13s experiencing the same issue?

No they are not. Try Pick Of The Ricks or Wildwood, both great dealers to work with.

+1. I have bought several basses from Chris @ Pick of the Ricks, with NO issues. Top-notch RIC dealer.

The "For Sale" section on this forum is another good alternative.

I have found Musician's Friend to be a crapshoot, and their policy of reselling returned items as "new" can be problematic.

[Colonel Sanders]

For the record, my November 2011 4003 in Mapleglo is flawless and plays fantastically well.

I could live easily with this one only if I did not enjoy hanging many basses on the wall...

[Ashgray]

Just caught up with this thread and am finding it fascinating reading, if a little worrying...

I think this problem has been around for a long time - the first Rick I bought back in 1974 (a red 4001, NJ6292) was new at the time but suffered from cracks in the finish very similar to what's being described above, mainly around the bridge tailpiece, but also elsewhere on the body, in particular on the upper horn and above the pickguard. I recall paying £325 for it - relatively cheap for 1974, so it may have been discounted due to the cracks. Lovely player though.

[Martthebass]

My 2010MID as a few defects but fortunately nothing major. I have to agree with some of the posts above that the adhesion to the red primer does seem tenuous. As a materials engineer I would suspect that there is something in the UV process relating to solid finishes that is very sensitive to the application conditions at RIC and it's a shame that these don't appear to have been addressed. I have a 2013 Indonesian Squier Jazz and the finish is superior to my Ric.....that is a poor situation when you consider the cost differential.

[Kopfjaeger]

Martyn,

Since you brought it up.

From what I've been led to believe and what I was told by a RIC customer service rep, some tail pieces have a rough casting slag on the underside of the unit that may be the cause of the cracking paint. I realize there have been other issues with cracking and flaking in other areas. I cant speak about those issues, I'm only going to comment on the flaking/cracked finishes at the tail pieces on early 2011 Jetglo basses. There an inordinate amount of early 2011 Jetglo basses that have this exact issue.

Regardless of the initial dismissal I received by RIC, excessive string tension because I replaced the .105 E string with a .112 for drop D tuning, no fewer than 3 2011 Jetglo basses, in very close proximity to my serial number, recently came out of their double sealed boxes from a major retailer with the exact same flaking issue at the tail piece. These basses were all left over 2011's and brand new. So, how does a never played instrument, brand new in it's case and box, have the same paint flaw as my bass? Coincidence? I think not. Other members here have reported similar issues. All Jetglo, all early 2011.

If rough cast tailpieces (flaws) are to blame for this then I imagine over 1.5 years of added pressure of the rough underside of the tailpiece pushing against the finish caused it to crack and shatter, much like a mirror. Actually, I've come up with a better, more apropos, comparison. The finish is very much like the the hard chocolate coating on an ice cream pop. The coating is harder than the material under it. The "chocolate" coating is quite durable until cracked, then it easily comes loose from the substrate. One the surface tension is broken, the finish flakes away with ease.

Yup, I noticed the damage a bit after the year finish warranty expired. The tail piece is still covered and I was offered to send it back to RIC so they could grind the bottom and send it back to me. Not issue a new one but grind the bottom. So I gue3ss if a faulty piece of hardware, which is still under warranty, damages the finish, your out of luck on the finish but they'll grind your tail piece. No thanks, not good enough, IMHO. The finish is still cracked and not gotten any worse. I'll get around to fixing it when I'm not going to use the bass for a period of time. The problem is, I'm always using it.

I've done quite a bit of research on this issue. I'm a cop and tracing down leads and gathering intell and clues is what I do. I have OCD, which sometimes is a blessing, other times a curse, so I don't give up once I have my teeth into something. No one, except a handful of people and the owners of these instruments seems to care. Out of warranty, end of discussion. No replies to emails to RIC and all the big "guns" here on the forum have since stayed away from posting about this issue. Oh a ton of views but oddly not too many posts. Most of them are mine and other customers with damaged instruments.

Sepp

[aceonbass]

The flaking paint was caused by rough casting on the bottom of the tailpiece, or excessive string tension ? Ya right. Tell me another one

[Kopfjaeger]

The flaking paint was caused by rough casting on the bottom of the tailpiece, or excessive string tension ? Ya right. Tell me another one

Dane,
Well, it's the only two causes I got as a reply. "Shrugs shoulders" . Regardless of the cause, I know I did not cause it, so I sleep well at night, it's mine to fix. Once again, shrugs shoulders . Ouch, I think I pulled a muscle!! I got to stop doing that.

Sepp

[PrentissCarr]

I have a 2011 Jet Glow 4003. Got it a year ago from musicians friend. Same exact issue paint cracked near tailpiece. Pretty much a month after I got it and had hardly played it. Sent it back to Ric (cost me a fair amount to ship it). They "fixed" it and sent it back. They didn't handle the bass very well while it was there for there was a good ding in the nut and the white binding had black marks on several spots which were not there when I sent it. Also they messed up the paint around the binding on the bottom. Sent them photos of the binding. They said it should not have gone out that way and to send it back and they would fix it. I had to pay shipping again though and it was there mistake. Not cool. Also sent them photos of where they banged it up but they kept saying they could not tell from the picture which is BS.

So I just kept the bass as it was. Paid a lot of money to get it set up because when I got it back the A string was way out of wack and buzzed like crazy. Now today 3 months later I looked and the paint they fixed is starting to do it again. Unbelievable. Not very happy with Ric as a company at all.

[4000]

Chris D was so kind to inform me about this thread here, for an issue I had started a recent thread about.

FWIW, let me link to that one: "Bubbling paint ? (headstock) Please have a look"

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