Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

As This topic shows, I am considering to buy this shadow...

The condition is not amazing, it has some nasty dings on the headstock and some scratches on the body - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0281103183
By question is - can a jetglo be easily fixed with some touches and without a completely refinish? can I do it myself or does it require a professional work?

Thanks.

Hi Gil,

The three words that come to mind are: "black nail varnish". The issue is, there's black and then there's black... you may need to search around for the a perfect match.

I'm actually ok with the cosmetic "issues" with the bass - if I bought it, I'd keep it as is, but then, I am cheap....

The bidding has ended. Did you score, Gil?

Jetglo is maybe the easiest finish to repair with the nail varnish method. It's worked out fine with my 320. It may not be microscopically undetectable, but it's certainly not the same awful distraction as dings and holes on a black instrument. A proper refin would be very pricey.

I didn't score it, I am thinking about buying it from the guy that bought it from Olivia, the bidding starts at $2000 and I hope to be the only bidder (it failed to sell before at the same starting price...)
And yes - a refin is very expensive, that's why I am thinking about small touch-ups to cover the dings.

Sounds like a plan, and Paul or Joey can guide you through the steps of touching up. It works great on Jetglo. Good luck getting it!

Time for a slight realignment of reality here.

While JG is the easiest to touch up of all Rick colors (well, theoretically, MG should be easier, but seldom is due to yellowing. dirt, and other issues...), it is by no means a slam dunk.

First is the issue of color. Black is black, right? Nope--a CVd Rick will often see yellowing of the varnish due to environmental factors, and yellowed varnish over black colorcoat equals varying shades of greenish black. I once tried to touch up a JG Laredo, and it was so green (nearly olive drab!) that I ended up doing a refin on it so it would look right when my customer got it back. An instrument with multiple touchups in out-of-the-bottle goth black nail polish, will look like it was peppered with black BB shot. Caution should be exercised here.

Second, while a pure, recent JG can be touched up successfully as an out-of-bottle experience, I'd only recommend this if you have a few small areas to bring back. If you've got a well-loved instrument (and whose isn't?) with scattershot chips and abrasions, and you're the type of person who is picky about finishes to the point that you want to touch up every one of those nicks, you'll probably be less than happy with your results and wish you hadn't begun.

In short, there is no free lunch here, and it's better to buy into perfection than to try to resurrect it, if you're starting out with many chips and gouges. And, if you can live with the patinaed look of an older, used instrument, play and enjoy!

I would live with the scars, Gil. If it were perfect you might never want to pick it up for fear of damaging it.

Thanks,
No free lunch indeed

Gil. it's a SHADOW... get it, play it (they play like butta'), refin it when you can.

Already lost the bid