Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Doesn't the fingerboard look way too dark for a real Rickenbacker? Inlays look a little rough too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=7306746208&rd=1

My guess is the fingerboard was refinished...all the other aspects look real enough. I wonder why the seller won't publish the whole serial number....

I'd put this in the category "real, abused".

No, it is just "real played". It looks like player wear to me. The neck pickup is a currentl model but the treble looks original. The fingerboard is the darker variety. Some are much darker than others. My FG '75 has one very much like this.

I was wondering whether the fretboard has been stained to give it that dark look....Just looking at the edges of the inlays it looks like there is some 'bleeding' of stain or something?

The inlays are made of a transparent resin that is treated with pearlescent powder. To prevent the relatively dark wood from "coloring" the lnlays, the triangular cutouts are painted gray before the resin is poured in. What you are seeing hear is the way it looks when the gray paint was not evenly applied along the sides of the cutouts. Sometimes it takes bright light to make this apparent.

I was wondering a while ago how the inlays were put in the board with such a snug fit....it didn't occur to me that they were put in in a resin form.

I have learned a thing or two from you Ted since being on this board

I would play it!!! Should have red side fret markers too!!!

it does have the red markers. you can see them in one of the pics.

Uh huh, she sure does have red dots.

Man, she is TIRED! She needs bringing back to her formal glory...

Marty: The triangle inlays are 3 to 4mm thick. On some instruments you can see obvious signs of aggitation in the pearlescent powder. The desired effect is a whispy, swirly look so the installers pull a toothpick or something similar through the resin just before it sets. Otherwise the powder tends to look too even. I have one where the installer simply traced the shape of the triangle of each cutout leaving the center to settle. Each installer's technique creates a slightly different look.

I have a 79 4001 that was refretted before I bought it and they left the fingerboard bare, it looks a lot like that one, especially in the close up.