Should I buy a Tokai Rockinbetter, Rickenbacker 4003 copy?

[haggisbobcjl]

I live in the UK and I have had an offer from someone else in the UK for a Tokai Rockinbetter bass guitar. It's brand new and the seller says that they would accept £200 with postage for it. Now I am quite new to guitars, I know the general good and bad makes, I really like the Rickenbacker sound but I don' t have anywhere near enough for a genuine one. I have read all the other posts on this topic and I am expected to be told to buy the real thing, I would rather do but I am not willing to spend that much. I have heard mixed reviews of the Rockinbetter 4003, they have added a Rickenbacker decal as well, I'm not expecting anything as good as a Rickenbacker but would anyone reccomend it at the price?

[haggisbobcjl]

Does anyone have any exprerience of Tokai Rockinbetters or know how good they are? Would you say they are worth £200 with postage?

[Meddle]

For £200 I absolutely would.

At £500 they are overpriced imho. I got to play one and I heard little of the signature Rick sound. However its own sound was quite pleasant. Put on fresh Roundwounds and you might be surprised.

You will never get a lot of support on this forum regarding Rickenbacker copies, though. There is a contingency of Rick fans whose online identity begins to overlap into the territory of unpaid shill work. Rick also have a very aggressive legal team who shoot down copies all the time. However here in the UK their tentacles don't quite extend far enough.

Basically what I'm getting at is, if you buy it you won't be making the 'popular' choice, so it would be ideal if you could test the bass and actually ascertain its quality rather than get the blinkers on just because it has the Rick shape...

[Shawn Luckman]

As above for £200 you can't loose. I own a Ric 4003 & had a chance of buying a Rockinbetter at a guitar show for not much more than what your paying.

The build quality looked good it seemed to weigh as much as the Ric,it was the one without the binding & dot neck (copy of the RM1999).

[DogBone]

I don't know what the current exchange rate is over the pond, but a good rule of thumb that I have observed over the years is this: quality Rick copies tend to sell for about half the price of a used Ric.

As for the rest of the stigma, admonishments, and whatever because it's not a "real" Ric, I just find it entertaining.

Play what makes you happy, don't sweat the peanut gallery.

[Darkstrike]

For £200, I'd most likely do it.

[ronaldpdbrandt]

It's a good price. I'd go for it, and I already have a Ric!

[haggisbobcjl]

Thanks for your advice everyone, I'll tell you what its like when it arrives.

[audiomitch]

Originally Posted by haggisbobcjl

I really like the Rickenbacker sound but I don' t have anywhere near enough for a genuine one.

At the risk of being a "shill", if your main criteria is the sound you may be disappointed. You may be able to swap out the electronics for Ric components, but then you're spending close to what a used Ric goes for.

Just my $.02

[kraigo]

I _LOVE_ Tokai. If you have the cash and any desire for a good Rick clone you should absolutely buy it. They made great gear and that's a good price for a well made neck through bass.

KO

[haggisbobcjl]

Originally Posted by audiomitch

At the risk of being a "shill", if your main criteria is the sound you may be disappointed. You may be able to swap out the electronics for Ric components, but then you're spending close to what a used Ric goes for.

Just my $.02

I considered doing this but then I thought if I want it to sound exactly like a Rickenbacker I think I would buy a Rickenbacker. Plus I am only a begginer so I wouldn't be looking to spend that much.
I think if I bought the Rickenbacker pickups they would cost me more than the guitar itself.
I'll see how I am at the bass, if I end up being a great player I might buy a real Rickenbacker.
Do you know how much Rickenbacker electrics would cost? Do you know any cheap upgrades which would make the guitar better?

[Randall]

Check out the rick site for pickups and pots etc and see if the prices there are worth it to upgrade your copy. Used pickups are available also for less money. At the end of the day you will still have a copy but if it plays well and sounds good

[bassteban]

Yes, you should.

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by kraigo

...neck through...

KO

Neck through or set-neck? Just wondering. Personally, I'd love a Ric clone, maybe moreso than a real Ric. That *Don't even TALK about building, selling or buying a non-Ric Ric* attitude of the original MFR is off-putting.

[Lars_Vegas]

Judging from the built-quality of my brother's Love Rock Les Paul copy by TOKAI,
I would be all over that deal!

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by bassteban

Neck through or set-neck? Just wondering. Personally, I'd love a Ric clone, maybe moreso than a real Ric. That *Don't even TALK about building, selling or buying a non-Ric Ric* attitude of the original MFR is off-putting.

It's not that, as much as the "HOW DARE YOU THINK ABOUT INSTALLING OTHER PICKUPS, BRIDGE, OR ANYTHING ELSE! SACRILEGE!" that turns me off them.

[kraigo]

Tokai was very meticulous about their copies. I admit it was an assumption that it was neck-through, but I'd put £5 on it.

KO

[audiomitch]

Originally Posted by bassteban

That *Don't even TALK about building, selling or buying a non-Ric Ric* attitude of the original MFR is off-putting.

Yep. How dare they protect their intellectual property? If Fender or Gibson were as smart as them with patents, they STILL wouldn't be as uncool as Ric!

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by audiomitch

Yep. How dare they protect their intellectual property? If Fender or Gibson were as smart as them with patents, they STILL wouldn't be as uncool as Ric!

OK, I am admittedly going on hearsay as much as anything else, as I am not in the market for a Ric(fine basses as far as I know, just don't need one ATM). That said, protecting one's genuine & legitimate property(intellectual or concrete)is perfectly fine w/me. The feeling I get that ninja lawyers may be watching me right now due to the subject we're discussing is what slightly twists my thong, that's all.

Edit: In the interest of not cluttering up this thread any further, I will now bow out & let you(or whoever)have the last word.

[foq1978]

Of course you should buy it, they make the best musical products in the world!


Jokes aside, I would tell you to try the Tuscany Bird bass, but they are much more expensive...

Tuscany Bird cherry