Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Seems to me I remember someone talking about removing the finish from the fretboard. I think it was done for someone by Chicago Music.
I can see this for some of those older Ricks that have alot of finish lift on their fretboards-which can look quite unsightly.
It probably feels like you have a higher set of frets on your neck which actually might not be such a bad thing.

ric330 wrote:Seems to me I remember someone talking about removing the finish from the fretboard. I think it was done for someone by Chicago Music.
I can see this for some of those older Ricks that have alot of finish lift on their fretboards-which can look quite unsightly.
It probably feels like you have a higher set of frets on your neck which actually might not be such a bad thing.

Chicago Music? Perhaps you mean Chicago Music Exchange, Kevin. Let's say that they have a less-than-sterling reputation among members of the RRF for all sorts of shenanigans involving Rickenbacker instruments. Last I heard, their Rickenbacker dealership had been revoked for selling Asian knockoffs with Rick truss rod covers, next to the genuine article, and other transgressions.

I've seen lots and lots of older Ricks, and have yet to see any with a major case of finish lift on a fretboard. I suppose if you've seen one or two, they're out there, but this is not a common condition.

Having the finish removed from a Rickenbacker's fretboard just feels weird to many of us (most of us?), and since the finish itself is only a few thousandths of an inch hick in most cases, frets do not feel like a higher set.

Hey Paul. I've seen a few Ricks with finish around the frets with space between the fretboard and finish - ever so slight but nevertheless there -
due to difference in movement of frets and wood under different seasonal and envirnmental changes over time. Like this at the fret ends:



With respect to finish on the fretboard - I been playing Teles for quite awhile - and there is a difference in feel between the unfinished rosewood fretboards and the finished Maple fretboard necks for me and was just wondering if anyone has takin' off the finish on their RIC - whether a good idea or bad.

Thanks for the reply.

Hi Kevin,I think most Rick owners like the fretboards the way they are.I know I do.I also know that I sometimes see Ricks on ebay that have the finish removed from the fretboards and maybe the original frets replaced with super jumbo.Probably owned by a guy who was used to playing a Les Paul.But,I don't get it.Why buy a Ric if you don't like the way it feels.If you want Ric with an a unfinished fretboard you can get a 325c58.

...or a pre-2006 Rick acoustic. The fret ends you show, Kevin, show that that particular instrument has seen very, very dry weather for extended periods of time, as the moisture has gone out of the neck and fretboard, causing them to shrink quite a bit.

The only times I've ever seen the sort of separation of finish on the sides (not ends) of the frets, it's been on very old Capris with original finishes, or on a Rick that's been refretted and has had the finish cut away from the frets before pulling them, in an effort to avoid having to do a neck refinish along with the refret.

...and then dirt, moisture, and all sorts of crud get into the spaces, which leads to deterioration.

One of my twelves has a varnished fretboard and the other doesn't. For the life of me, I can't feel any difference. It does look a bit different, but I can't say it looks bad, in fact it sort of strikes me as looking a bit cleaner than it originally did. Granted, the folks at the factory can't take the time to flatten and polish the varnish the way Paul does on his custom refins. Here are the before and after shots of my 360/12WB. There were three changes made - the frets were replaced to give the widest possible playing surface for my big, square fingertips, the nut was replaced to give tighter pairs of strings and to use the new, extra width of the frets and three, the finish was removed from the fretboard. As far as I can tell, the first two changes made an incredible musical difference in the guitar, the third made virtually none. My Tele has a varnished rosewood fingerboard, so I guess it's not a good one to compare most Rics to, but I seriously believe that anybody making the claims that you'll play a lot better by stripping the varnish is full of hot air. You'll play better by practicing, not by changing the cosmetics of your guitar.