Ric 330 FG Flood Damage

[lordoftheflies]

Unfortunately for me, my poor 1995 Ric 330 FG 6-string got busted up when a stainless steel braided faucet supply hose (hot water - of course) exploded in my kitchen on the one day no one was in the house for a few hours.

This was my first "real" electric guitar so it has a lot of sentimental value to it. I don't think it can be fixed.

Of course earlier this year we had just installed a nice top-of-the-line tankless ENDLESS hot water heater....so it was going for about 3 hours or so. The stock OHSC is ruined - as the hot water passed through the floor it soaked up all the dust and dirt and wood particles and becamse this nasty brown disgusting water. Luckily (or not) the ceiling was not insulated or sheetrocked.

Because of all the basement work I've been doing everything was shoved over to one side of the basement.

Anyways here are the pics - the center of the back of the body is warped and no longer flat. You can see the finish is cracked right along that seam.

The frets all have round cracks in the clear coat on the side of the finger board high up on the neck (neck is rather straight surprisingly).

So now that insurance has approved a replacement for it......the question is.....do I get another 330 FG? Or perhaps a midnight blue 620? Or maybe up it to a 360 FG?

I'm a huge Beatles. Here's a recording I did with the Ric of "And Your Bird Can Sing" with two tracks for the lead, one for the rhythm.

http://shoe-in.net/mp3/And%20Your%20Bir ... 20Sing.mp3

Here are the pics:







This is the good section of the frets showing no damage

[Full Cleveland]

Man, that is so sad! I think it might be repairable, but since the insurance company approved replacement, you might as well get another 330. I have a 2008 330-6 FG and I really like it alot. The one other finish I really like is the Autumn Glo. I think they are kind of rare, but if you could find one it is just an awesome looking guitar.
Your recording is great, nice playing and vocals. I love that song.

[MikeZito]

Ouch. I know the pain. My first Ric was a 1995 330-FG, and it was THE PERFECT guitar for me - but my own ignorance of leaving the guitar out on a stand, for many months, in a studio with about 8% humidity, ruined the guitar within a year . . . and when I sent it back to Rickenbacker for a repair, they simply sent a new guitar which was just was not as special as my original.

For what it's worth, even though I have a 2013 360-FG that is also a spectacular instrument, someday I hope to replace my '95 330-FG with another exact year and model - if only for sentimental reasons.

[deaconblues]

I've seen those fret indentations on Rickenbackers before. Not necessarily a sign of major damage.

[lordoftheflies]

Thanks Warren! Yeah I'm leaning towards the bass I think.....

The fret checks were not there before...and just to reiterate the poor thing was baking inside of its case, completely soaked in hot water that was set to 120 degrees.

[johnallg]

The fret checks were not there before...and just to reiterate the poor thing was baking inside of its case, completely soaked in hot water that was set to 120 degrees.

That instrument does not look all that bad for sitting in 120 degree water. Maybe contact Larry Davis and see what he thinks as to repairing it.