Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is there such a creature as a replacement 4001/4003 fingerboard? As in, one I can buy and glue on, not something I have to carve myself...

This might be more logically placed in the Vibrola section where the resident luthiers frequent.

To my knowledge (and I am not a luthier), the answer is no. I think I have seen on eBay a used fretboard or two that came off an instrument.

If you found a donor bass the same make and model as yours then I suppose it would be possible, in the strictest sense of the word. But this would not be the "proper" way to have a fretboard repaired or replaced.

I would suggest finding a luthier in your area, preferably one who has experience with Rickenbacker instruments, to discuss your options with.

Wayne,
May I ask ... why? Not that its any of my business, just curious.

tinman 1967 wrote:Wayne,
May I ask ... why? Not that its any of my business, just curious.

It's a 77 4001 "Wreckenbacker" I bought as a project. The frets are very worn and accordingly, there's some scalloping of the fingerboard. I can re-fret it sand the board down but a combination of laziness and curiosity kicked in.

It would probably be cheaper just to have a new fingerboard blank made by a skilled luthier using wood similar to the original.

Thinking of making it fretless too. Will put the question to some luthiers.

The board on a 77 is a pretty thick piece of Bubinga. Unless it's really trashed you should be able to plane out the scalloping.
If you need to deepen the fret slots, StewMac has a fret slot cleaning saw that you can use with out pulling the binding.
Putting a new board on can be tricky. There are a couple of pins in it to center it on the neckthrough that make removal
a challenge....

Just off the top of my head...

You're still faced with refinishing because the method they use to get the fretboard off is likely to damage the finish around the area of the seam.

Plus you'll likely have to raise or lower your nut.

At one point you will have to ask yourself, does it worth the trouble and the expense?

I'd say yes if it was a pre 73 bass. But personally, I do not think it makes sense for a post 73 bass (unless you have a huge sentimental attachment to the bass in question).

Unless you do the work yourself, you will end up paying a bundle for a bass that will never get the feeling it had before.

I personally had a 76 refretted and found out it was not worth it. The bass ended up being sold. From my point of view, Ricks do not refret well (unless it is a model with no binding) so I can't imagine the pain of changing the fretboard!

Yep, had a long hard think and the board's not as bad as I first thought. It's almost fretless as it is, so it'll be getting a re-fret, but I'll do that myself. I plan to re-bind the body with chequer board binding so will do the neck at the same time.

I think that's going to depend on who is doing the work. I wouldn't hesitate to send a Rickenbacker to Paul (Jingle Jangle) for a second if I wanted the fingerboard removed, replaced and/or refretted. I know that what I got back would reflect both his knowledge on the subject and his passionate attention to detail and to getting it right. Would I ever send one to a luthier who doesn't have a great track record for working specifically on Rickenbackers, or who is not equipped to finish them properly with the proper stuff ? Not on your life. My 370/12 was refretted by Mark Arnquist and plays better than ever. While it may not always be convenient or quick to send a guitar half-way across the country for work, there is no substitute for having it done by guys who really know the brand and how to do the job properly.

teb wrote:I think that's going to depend on who is doing the work. I wouldn't hesitate to send a Rickenbacker to Paul (Jingle Jangle) for a second if I wanted the fingerboard removed, replaced and/or refretted. I know that what I got back would reflect both his knowledge on the subject and his passionate attention to detail and to getting it right. Would I ever send one to a luthier who doesn't have a great track record for working specifically on Rickenbackers, or who is not equipped to finish them properly with the proper stuff ? Not on your life. My 370/12 was refretted by Mark Arnquist and plays better than ever. While it may not always be convenient or quick to send a guitar half-way across the country for work, there is no substitute for having it done by guys who really know the brand and how to do the job properly.

I agree with you but living in the Middle East makes it hard to send to anyone, lol. I've re-fretted before and am prepared to re-fret this "Wreckenbacker".

I will, however, be asking loads of dumb questions and (hopefully) be in contact with people like Paul

Wayne, you can ask Paul questions here:

viewforum.php?f=14

He's more than happy to answer

Do have a talk with Paul W about the finer points of re-fretting a Rick. No other maker does it like RIC, so if your luthier hasn't experience with ricks you're flirting with trouble. Paul does them to perfection, since almost all his work is with Ricks.