This kept it in perspective for me...
A Fender American made, or custom shop bass costs as much or more than a Ric. Now I'm a Fender guy, through and through, but also a huge Ric fan.
It occurs to me that Rickenbaker makes every bass the way the Fender (insert any big manufacturer's name with a custom shop here...) makes their high end, hand made guitars.
My point is this, that custom shop Jazz or P bass IMHO, is worth every cent! High end Fenders start at what, 1,400 and go upwards of 2,000. (4,000 + for custom made to your specs) For 1,400 to get that level of quality and craftsmanship in every bass from Ric does not make them seem out of line.
I'd even summize that the everyday quality of a Rickenbaker is equal to or greater than Fender's American Made, and even many of their custom shop pieces.
So one may not like their look, feel or their tone, but one would have a hard time claiming they are too expensicve when the facts are examined, again IMHO.
As to the plastic over the bridge pup, meh. To me it does not matter as much. I suppose one could argue that to be a corner cut, but in my mind, since most guys remove thenm anyway....it does not matter that much.
One could also argue that the lightweight tunes several guitar builders use are also cheap since they are not all steel. But their reliability proves otherwise, as does a Ric's overall quality.
I see it this way. Ric has not ever played the "entry market" game and hopefully never will. Every guitar is hand made. Ric controls the market, the quality and the size of their company. If they choose to build a certain number of guitars and basses each year, and sell out each year and still make enough money to keep everyone paid and happy....more power to them.
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