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1973 Rickenbacker or new Fender 5 string?

S

scochran314

Jun 21, 2012
17
0
#1
I have ben saving up for an American Fender Deluxe 5 string. A friend of mine bought a storage unit and in it was a 1973 Rickenbacker. He said that it needs a little work but he'll sell it to me for around $900, which is most of my budget. What should I do? Do I get more range or do I go for the classic?:confused:
 
#4
I have a 1973 Rickenbacker and I love it, so I would go for another one in a heartbeat. It depends how much fixing up it needs as to whether it's the best choice but put it this way....in a few years time you may have saved up enough money for another bass to join the bass you're just about to buy. Will you be able to buy another Fender 5 at that time? No problem! Will you be able to find another vintage Ric? Hmmmmm....
 
#6
I wouldn't unless I was sure what I was getting.
What does he mean by needs a little work?
In mint condition it is worth twice what he is asking.

Don't be foolish. Have it checked out by someone that knows what they are doing first.

If you love Jazz basses you will be disappointed with a Ric.
 
#7
You can always buy a new Fender. They make more everyday. I'm pretty sure the chances of you finding another 1973 Ric are a bit slimmer. Besides, if it turns out that you hate the Ric, you can always turn around and sell it for much more than $900...
 
#14
Still not enough to give an informed opinion,but if it only needs 1 new pickup and a new pickguard,lets do tshe math. A 73 ric is probably gonna be worth in the $1500-up range,if no issues are present . A new pickguard and a new pickup, about maybe $350(?)'so you are still only up to $1250 for a VINTAGE Ric. Check out the frets,that is a pretty expensive repair bill on a bound neck. You can buy 5 string fenders pretty easily at any time. And you can get a great thump sound out of a properly set up Ric with flatwounds on it. (remember "silly love songs"? A Ric with flatwounds......)
 
#18
I agree, go for the Rick. I have a '72 and love it, a '73 is almost the same except for details that matter more to collectors than to players. And like others have said, you can easily get your money back out of it, especially if it has only a "tiny bit of wear and tear."

There's a pretty good chance the pickup issue is nothing more than some corroded switch contacts. There are two jacks: one is "Rick-O-Sound" (a stereo jack with one pickup on each channel); the other is a mono jack with a switch that connects the two pickups together when you insert a plug there. If the bass has been in the storage unit for a while, the contacts probably are corroded, so you only get one pickup.

Check out Pickguardian for a new pick guard. And in the unlikely case that a pickup actually is bad, RIC has them.
 

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