Hello all,

I was directed to this forum (by Jeff Scott and Joshua) as I was told there are very knowledgeable people here and would possibly be able to give some insight into a problem.

The other day the shop I work for acquired a really nice Ric 4003 bass. The finish on it is really soft and gummy as if it was painted 2 hours ago. So soft that just by handling the bass for a minute I left a palm print and finger prints in the finish. The appearance of the finish is somewhat satin now as well.
What could cause this to happen?

Any help is appreciated.

From the owner's manual:

Protect your purchase from various
chemicals such as household
cleaners, especially chlorine. Many
compounds found in rubber padding
or packaging materials, plastic
bags, imported guitar stands, hand
soaps, lotions, sanitizers, etc.,
cause the finish to melt, dissolve,
appear tacky, or color bleed.

I think we can surmise this instrument came in contact with a chlorine-containing material, whether during cleaning or storage. I'm not aware of any technique to reverse this plasticization.

Thanks John,

That's too bad about this bass. It must have been saturated with whatever was used. I removed the truss rod cover and the finish is even a little soft under there too. Looks like one of the two previous owners didn't read the manual. Unfortunate. Still, this bass is so nice, I might have to sell the Roscoe six string I never play to get this one (which would get its share of stage time). Who knows, it may even harden back up eventually.
Thanks again,
Noah Hall

If it's all over like that, then it was probably stored somewhere in the vicinity of pool chemicals. If you can smell chlorine, then it's already much stronger than necessary to liquefy the finish.

I have a hunch it was "cleaned" with something bad and placed in the case for a long time as the previous owner did not have a pool or anything like that around. He also never played the bass much, if at all, (he's a guitarist) and probably left it in the case for years at a time. When I opened the case this morning I got a face full of fumes of some sort. It reeks. Also in some parts of the finish, fretboard especially, there is a little fuzz from the case stuck to it. This bass appears to have zero miles on it like it was just case candy. I have a feeling it may harden up again and can get buffed out close to its original finish.
What a bummer.

It might harden up again--in a decade or so, but don't hold your breath.

There is a cure--it's called "refinish" and I've done a few to instruments with this problem.

Not inexpensive, however...

_________________
Rickenbackers: I love to play them. I enjoy the challenge of working on them. I love the way they sound.

Someone might have also sprayed something into the case to rid it of a musty odor, with the unfortunate result.

I can endorse PW's "refinish" method; I've seen the results, and they're spectacular!

And that's the truth! Another endorser here!

_________________
Throw that piece of firewood where it belongs and get yourself a Rickenbacker!