hand-made strings often have
highly imperfect diameter.
General Guitar Care
Rickenbacker instruments are
exquisitely detailed with exclusive
high gloss finishes. With proper
care, these finishes can last the life
of the guitar. Following these
directions will ensure proper care
and protection.
Clean all perspiration, fingerprints,
dust and grime stains, etc. with a
RIC polishing cloth after each use.
RIC cloths are specially treated,
and other cloths may damage the
finish.
Polish using any non-abrasive pure
carnauba based auto wax if the
finish becomes stained or dull.
Inexpensive Turtle Wax
®
T-123
mixed 50/50 with water works
better than most available specialty
guitar polishes. Wipe in a circular
motion at the speed which is slow
enough to see small water bubbles
form but fast enough to remove the
polish completely before drying.
Protect your purchase from various
chemicals such as household
cleaners, chlorine, etc. (Chlorine,
which may be found in items such
as rubber padding or packaging
materials, polyvinyl plastic bags,
imported guitar stands, hand soaps
etc., causes the finish to melt,
dissolve, appear tacky, or color
bleed.)
The ideal humidity level for Ricken-
backer guitar storage is about 35-
40% while ideal temperature is
around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, humidity is always more
important than temperature, so if a
compromise must be made during
storage, look for the most stable
environment within the optimum
humidity level.
Do not expose your instrument
during use or storage to environ-
mental extremes such as heat,
cold, moisture, dryness, harsh
direct sunlight, rain, etc. (These
harmful conditions may cause
finish damage that is not covered
by warranty.)
Do not loosen string tension when
storing or transporting your instru-
ment. The neck and body are
designed to remain under tension
at all times at full concert pitch.
Do not let damp clothing with non-
colorfast dyes touch lighter guitars.
Do not place anti-moisture packets
or formulas with the instrument.
These items contain harmful
chemicals and could dry out the
guitar to a damaging degree.
Oil Finish Maintenance
Beyond routine cleaning, the best
way to maintain a hand rubbed oil
finish (as seen on Rickenbacker
Models 650D, 650 S, and some
older models), is with Tung oil and
a 3M Scotch-Brite™ Ultra Fine
Hand Pad (#7448).
Using small amounts of oil at a
time, wipe down the instrument
until there is a relatively uniform
coating on the surface of the guitar.
Going with the wood grain, use the
Scotch-Brite™ pad to lightly sand
the surface until it begins to take
on its original silky smooth feel.
Before setting the instrument aside
to dry, use a clean, lint free cloth to
wipe down any excess oil or grit.
Allow 8 – 12 hours for proper
drying.
This procedure can also be per-
formed using ultra fine, light or gray
colored sandpaper. A minimum
grade of 1200 should be used to
avoid damaging the surface of the
wood. It is also important to avoid
black sandpaper, as the residue is
likely to stain the instrument as the
oil sets in.
Use of steel wool is not recom-
mended as the ferrous residue
can cling to pickups. Particles of
this residue can also become
suspended in the finish and rust
over time.
Warranty Repair
Should any warranty repairs be
necessary, we must have your
warranty card on file or you must
supply the original sales slip show-
ing the date of purchase, model,
and serial number.
All warranty repairs must be per-
formed by the factory. We do not
authorize warranty repairs else-
where.
Before returning your purchase for
warranty service within the United
States, please phone our Cus-
tomer Service Department at 714-
545-5574 or communicate by e-
mail to [email protected]
to obtain a Return Authorization
Number. Items shipped without an
RMA number will be refused and
returned to sender unopened.
This will expedite the repair of your
guitar and allow us to work on your
guitar as soon as it arrives. Also be
sure to enclose a complete de-
scription of the damage if addi-
tional information beyond that
contained in the RMA is available.
Be sure to insure the instrument for
the full value, as you perceive it,
when returning it to the factory.
Currently, Rickenbacker does not
accept instruments outside of
warranty for repair work.
Parts
Rickenbacker maintains an exten-
sive inventory of genuine replace-
ment parts. Our Customer Service
Department is pleased to help you
select the proper part for your
model as well as provide current
pricing information.
You will need to know the correct
model and serial number when
ordering parts directly from the
factory. On most models, the serial
number is located on the output
jack plate and includes the digits at
each end of the plate.
You may also buy parts from any
authorized Rickenbacker dealer.
In some limited cases, warranty
exchanges for defective small parts
can be made after consulting with
Customer Service.
Note: Whenever you need re-
placement parts, make sure that
Rickenbacker parts, or their exact
equivalents are used. The use of
any parts, including strings, failing
to meet original specifications may
void the warranty.
Shipping
First consult the dealer where you
purchased your Rickenbacker.
Often the dealer will take responsi-
bility for shipping your instrument.
Otherwise, contact our Customer
Service Department for a Return
Authorization Number and further
instruction on returning your Rick-
enbacker to the factory for war-
ranty work.
Manual Updates
This manual may be revised at any
time and is also available online at
www.rickenbacker.com/pdf/
manual.pdf in the most current
revision.
Rickenbacker ® , the "R" Design, Triangular
Name Crescent Design, RIC, Hamburg,
Atlantis, Colorado, Dakota, Frisco, Sierra,
Liverpool, Shasta, Comstock, Shiloh,
Cheyenne, Laramie, Jazz-bo, Laredo,
Laguna, Miami, Jetglo, Fireglo, Mapleglo,
Autumnglo, Toaster, Toaster-Top, Horse-
shoe, Astron, Kauffman and logotypes are
among the trademarks and service marks in
the United States and other countries of
Rickenbacker International Corporation. This
is not a comprehensive list of all trademarks
and service marks of RIC.
RIC reserves the right to discontinue
models, parts and accessories, and other
items or change specifications at any time
without prior notice .
