Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I think it looks kinda cool.

Yeah, I think it looks cool too, but if the finish gets thin on the actual body, that won't be very nice...

Unless you sweat paint thinner I can't imagine how it's the owner's fault...

They said it was due to a reaction between the CV & anti-bacterial soaps.
Who would have thought?
Haven't seen a report of any color other than MID being affected, which sucks,'cause it's a great color.

That seems unlikely. Conversion Varnish would not react to antibacterial soap in that fashion, especially since most people was the soap off. The fact that no one has complained of this issue on any other color also gives me pause. Whose contention was it that it was anti-bacterial soap?

JH, I believe.

I wonder how that conclusion was reached.

Nothing to do with the conversion varnish. It is my contention that the blue dye used in the midnight paint breaks down when exposed to perspiration. I have seen some of these in person and this phenomenon usually occurs where the bass comes into contact with the body. This shouldn't be a continuing issue as we have just recently switched midnight paints.

I love Midnight Blue, it's my favorite of Rickenbacker's current finishes:





I haven't had any problems whatsoever with my '03 4003. The pictures are surprising, though. Hopefully the problem will be solved; I love this finish and want to see it continue!!

I wonder how RIC is planning to solve the problem for those who have their finish ruined.

For the record, mine has no problems.

Neither has mine, but it is a refin...

I was following that thread over at RIC as well. I had asked the question about what the clearcoat on RICs was made of. Someone (in another thread) complained that the finish on their 4003 neck was getting "tacky" and soft. That sounded to me like a nitrocellulose varnish. The RIC site say they don't use nitro OR poly clearcoats. I read here it is "conversion varnish". What is that?

Also, I agree with RIC removing or preferably locking the thread if the forum is being consulted before customer service. To be fair it takes a bit of digging to find the customer service email address. But the forum is there on the RIC site as a courtesy to customers. You don't see other guitar manufacturers doing that. Taylor even sued a fan forum.

I wonder how RIC would fix this bass? Strip the binding and resurface, rebind, repaint and recoat the bass? It might take some time!

Conversion Varnish is a trade secret finish that Rickenbacker owns.

It's also used in automotive finishes as clearcoat, so there's probably more CV sitting in your driveway.
In auto finishes it consists of a clear & a hardener component.
That's about all I know about it, since I work in a store that sells the stuff, but my job doesn't involve mixing it myself. That's someone else's job.
The components are similar, but RIC uses additives which are secret. Something to do with reducing the possibility of finish checking.