Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, i just got a 4003 in today with a chuck of pickguard broken off near the
controls,

Can i use super/crazy glue to glue the piece back on or will it melt or
react with the material or finish?

Thanks alot.
Jay

I don't think you'll have much luck using these glues as they're not really made for this material.Mark, what's the stuff called that's specially for Plexi/acrylic? Worst case scenario,
Jay, is you'd need a new guard, if aesthetics are a big deal.I can make you a dead ringer for your original, if it comes to that. But first, heere's
Mark!.....

Thanks Don ...

Yes there is a glue that will do the job much better than any crazy glue .I responded to this on the AGR ,but this is where it should be .

The glues are made FOR plexiglass and WELD-On is the brand name that I use .There are several different kinds.

WARNING!!!! on the label ...it says "These glues are known to cause cancer in the state of California "

If you are not in California ,you are not immune from this however.I use special gloves and wear a respirator .I use a fair amount of these glues .BUT!!! as you will only need a small amount ,I doubt that there is too much worry.

Look in your Yellow Pages phone book under plastic,ask for plexiglass glue.Weld-On make several .You can get this material in small amounts .You need not purchase a gallon or two liter container of it .It does not set up instantly and you might have to use clothes pin type clamps to hold it in place on a flat surface.
After gluing up ,it may need polishing .

Any other input for this Don?????

Thanks for the input, Mark; I think that's about all there is.I suppose depending on a persons'
experience level, after this is done, the break may or may not still be visible to whatever degree.Not everyone is equally picky or anal about the end results as others.It's whatever keeps you happy.Hopefully this answers the writers question.

No...thank you ! we now return you to our regular show.

Hi all, thanks for the ideas! iv decided to just save up for a new pickguard to be made, i used crazy glue just for now and it worked very well,
you have to examine the pickguard to find the crack but it still bugs me that its there!

in 84/85 (serial indicates june 85 finish date)
were the pickguards still made by hand without any templates? the bottom of the pickguard actully touches the binding on the botton near the input jack!

i did have the pickguard off when i glued it and it wasnt a last minute fix for a over routed cavity

Thanks for all your help,
jay,

oh yea i forgot one more thing, the bass has 2 square .047 caps in it, i dont have to clip one right? output seems fine but the neck pickup is awfully hollow/muddy almost unuseable solod.

THe .047 caps are the things that vary your tone controls.Leave them.They do not affect the tone of the instrument until you turn the knob.

The .0047 cap (when they were an original component in the guitars and basses ) was connected to the bottom lug of the switch ,on the treble side and it was connected to the middle lug of the bridge pickup volume control.

The .047 caps are run from the top lugs of the switch to the tone pots.Again...leave them alone.

By the way ,your Crazy glue fix is only temporary,it is a gasket hloding the two sections together.The WELD-ON glue ,melts/fuses the two sections together...a slightly different fix.

"in 84/85 (serial indicates june 85 finish date)
were the pickguards still made by hand without any templates? the bottom of the pickguard actully touches the binding on the botton near the input jack!"
Jason, not exactly sure what your understanding of the process to make pickguards is, but the pickguards are Not made by hand[though at the beginning of the process, there Is a "template"
of the particular guard that is used to trace the shape onto a sheet of Plexiglas/acrylic plastic.
From there,the traced piece is cut out on a bandsaw, then taken to a drill press, and the screw holes are bored, as well as the control/switch holes.After that, the as -yet unshaped guard is placed on a steel pin router jig,which finalizes the outside perimeter shape, as well as cuts a PU hole in the interior of the guard[if it is a bass guard or other types that are like that.Afterwards, the edges of the guard are polished out on a buffing wheel with rouge compound stick.Yes, there IS handwork involved, but the guards are not made by an old guy in a smock with a jeweler's saw and files.Hope this explanation keeps you happy!When you get ready for a repro guard, get in touch with me.I'll make sure you get a perfect repro of your existing one.