Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey all, how do you polish the frets on your Rics? Usually I use steel wool and lightly buff, but that seems risky against the lacquered fretboard. Thanks!

Painter's tape on either side of each fret protects the fretboard from steel wool scratches.

Painters' tape? Is that the same as masking tape?
JimK

I'm pretty sure they are different. I don't think you'd want to use regular old masking tape on a guitar. Best to check with PW here.

I use the blue painters/masking tape. I will warn that if the guitar is has any spots where the CV is loose or bubbled it may remove some of it. I also use a 15u (micron) polishing paper (actually it is on Mylar)for the frets.

My Rics actually have some spots where the lacquer is worn off due to me playing them.

I tape off the fretboard with blue painter's tape, and use 3M rubbing compound on a tiny polishing wheel mounted into a dremel tool.

That's probably overkill, and far too much setup for a light polish, but it will make old grotty frets shine like new again.

Blue painter's tape is much less sticky and is designed to come off easily. How about some kind of very thin template that would sit on the fretboard but still expose the frets? Cleaning the frets on a Ricky is very time consuming, almost as long as changing strings.

Would a pencil eraser do the trick?

I guess it depends on degree of polishing needed ... when I do a clean-up on a bass or guitar, I use Maas metal polish on the frets (having masked off the fretboard, of course), and it does a good job removing the oxidation and 'crud' (although it may take repeated applications to get it all off).

Flit or Nevr-Dull wadding.

Great tip guys - thanks! I had the blue painter's tape and some steel wool - not hard at all.

I only made one "mistake" re-stringing my 360-12 this time, I wound the slotted bass E string the wrong way, so it tunes opposite of the others ... no getting to it, once they're on ... SON OF A ***** !! Also, the octave D string broke, for some unexplicable reason, while tuning it up. At least I could get to that one, and had an extra 13 on hand. Sheesh ...

steverok wrote:Great tip guys - thanks! I had the blue painter's tape and some steel wool - not hard at all.

I only made one "mistake" re-stringing my 360-12 this time, I wound the slotted bass E string the wrong way, so it tunes opposite of the others ... no getting to it, once they're on ... SON OF A ***** !! Also, the octave D string broke, for some unexplicable reason, while tuning it up. At least I could get to that one, and had an extra 13 on hand. Sheesh ...

I feel your pain, Steve - I seem always to have trouble by breaking the octave G string when I restring my 12s.

doctorwho wrote:
I feel your pain, Steve - I seem always to have trouble by breaking the octave G string when I restring my 12s.

This string has the highest tension of the whole 12 set. I cringe everytime I tune one up to pitch!

Gary: Do lube the bridge saddle and nut for this string with dry graphite (lock lube). You should also consider doing this to each of your 12s when restringing them: Take a piece of #600 Wet or Dry sandpaper about 1" X 1 1/2", and fold in three so it's now 1" X 1/2", and use the folded-over edge to soften the edges of the string groove in that octave G saddle. You're not going to round off the entry and exit too much; just smooth out any file marks that may be present.

You'll find that broken octave Gs won't happen as often, if at all.

Do lube the bridge saddle and nut for this string with dry graphite (lock lube)

And can i presume a pencil would work just the same Paul or is that a poor man`s substitute?