Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Unless Rickenbacker makes a statement about it we won’t know but I can speculate a couple guesses: one would be more environmentally friendly to use less lacker in their production and two would be perhaps it is cheaper to produce them without lacquering and three perhaps it is quicker to produce them without lacquering or four maybe they were going to start using a new fretboard wood that doesn’t need to be lacquered(not that the others did but maybe lacquering those types of wood help somehow). I think a lacquered fretboard looks cool but the fret bubbling that can come later does not so it would not matter to me if a board lacquered or not.

FWIW, my 730L Laramie acoustic does not have a clear-coated fretboard.

doctorwho wrote:FWIW, my 730L Laramie acoustic does not have a clear-coated fretboard.

I never thought about that. My old 730/12L didn't have a finish on its fingerboard, either.

admin wrote:I have to say that I had a 450/12 from 1966 at one point and the very thin finish on the fretboard served me well. It should help that Factory in getting more out the door sooner as well with somewhat less labour. Also, it will make a refret easier as well. As for the look, I have become accustomed to the lacquered boards.

I can't see how this will save labor. Rickenbacker has not had to dress fret ends for as long as they have been "lacquering" their fretboards. The somewhat thick clear coat covering the fret ends, along with the buffing that each fretboard receives, fills in the sharp edges and saves about 30-40 minutes of hand-dressing per instrument. I'm wondering how they have adjusted to this. There's something going on here that I can't quite grasp...

jingle_jangle wrote:

admin wrote:I have to say that I had a 450/12 from 1966 at one point and the very thin finish on the fretboard served me well. It should help that Factory in getting more out the door sooner as well with somewhat less labour. Also, it will make a refret easier as well. As for the look, I have become accustomed to the lacquered boards.

I can't see how this will save labor. Rickenbacker has not had to dress fret ends for as long as they have been "lacquering" their fretboards. The somewhat thick clear coat covering the fret ends, along with the buffing that each fretboard receives, fills in the sharp edges and saves about 30-40 minutes of hand-dressing per instrument. I'm wondering how they have adjusted to this. There's something going on here that I can't quite grasp...

Paul

Sonically, the best thing I ever did with your old 4001 fretless was to remove that thick clear coat from the fingerboard.

Ash

I recently got a 330-12 with the unlacquered board. I didn't really notice that much difference.

Here's a few pics for the files.

libratune wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:08 pm I recently got a 330-12 with the unlacquered board. I didn't really notice that much difference.

Here's a few pics for the files.

30007.JPG30006.JPG30004.JPG

Ron do the necks need oiling like a unfinished rosewood neck or is that a satin finish?
Do they need oiled or treated?

scotty wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:48 pm

libratune wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:08 pm I recently got a 330-12 with the unlacquered board. I didn't really notice that much difference.

Here's a few pics for the files.

30007.JPG30006.JPG30004.JPG

Ron do the necks need oiling like a unfinished rosewood neck or is that a satin finish?
Do they need oiled or treated?

It seems to me to be a satin finish, not unfinished.

Kind of upset over this. The "quirks" of the Rickenbackers are something that I seem to like. The lacquer meant I never had to worry about oiling up my fretboard...it drying out in winter months. The lacquer fretboard was also easy to play and one other thing -- it also looked really cool.

I have three Rics and I do plan on buying one more (a 620). Now that new 620 I will buy will have a boring feature just like all my other gear -- a dull, unexciting fretboard.

Ron thanks for the photos and your comment that you didn't notice much of a difference. At the end of the day, perhaps less is more.
It is almost as if the Factory can't win in that new changes that depart from the traditional are often times not readily accepted. Actually the less lacquered finish looks more natural to me.

Now I want a 4003s with non lacquered board and single trod!

The lacquer meant I never had to worry about oiling up my fretboard...it drying out in winter months.

Mark Arnquist stripped the varnish from the fingerboard of my 370/12 when he re-fretted it with full-width frets to give me a bit more room. That was back in 2006 and I haven't oiled it since. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give it a coat, but in the meantime, it seems to be surviving just fine.

Well, it seems that I'll be the one who starts disagreeing...

Sign of the times and we got to accept that as a fact. But I can't help but punctuate that newer RICs might start being different animals... You know, no more bubinga fretboards, no more lacquered fretboards...

Still looks like a Ric. I guess variety is a plus. Now we all need some Rics with no lacquer. I wonder what other changes we may be seeing in the future ?

My 2021 620/12 is ready for a string change. What's the best way to clean the non-lacquered fretboard? This is going to be more tricky than using Zymol everywhere.