Is a Rick worth the money?

[RaginRog]

I wouldn't pay more than $1700 new for one (but that's me). With that being said, they don't have the luxury of extra income by way of cheap overseas Ricks or selling parts like MM and Fender.

 

[RaginRog]

Note the EMG j's

He might as well have had his Fernandes or a Jazz bass. He puts those EMG's in everything.

 

[cassius987]

Trujillo's neck pickup is still closer to the neck than a Jazz neck pickup based on that scale, by about 0.5-1''. The bridge pickup is dead on for a Ric bridge pickup. That's not going to sound like a Jazz, it's probably going to sound like a slightly burpier Ric.

 

[Muddslide]

they don't have the luxury of extra income by way of cheap overseas Ricks or selling parts like MM and Fender.

I bring this up on a lot of Ric threads, but I think the company would benefit greatly by having a budget line produced offshore somewhere.

I realize that they are very protective of their name and instruments and that they are considered premium instruments.

I understand the argument that if they produced a cheaper line (as Squier is to Fender or Epiphone is to Gibson, etc.) they MIGHT lose a little of their elite status.

Hoewever, Squier and Epi certainly have NOT hurt Fender and Gibson's bottom lines, nor have they kept people from feeling that they need a "real" Fender or Gibby or that Squiers and epis are more for beginners, etc. People still consider fender and Gibby the "top of the line" in their respective brands.

If Rickenbacker were to come out with a budget line, they would:

1. Effectively eradicate the market for Chinese (and other) counterfeits.

2. Raise their overall visibility in the market.

3. Compete more closely with other big name brands.

4. Put rics in the hands of newer players and people with less of a gear budget (especially prescient in this economy.)

5. Increase revenues.

6. This wouldn't hurt (IMO) their status as finely made instruments.

7. Start-up costs for having an Asian factory begin producing a budget line would be marginal.

8. They could use their budget line to experiment and research market demand for newer models or the reissuing of older models.

9. Everybody happy!

IMO.

 

[Eric Albany]

Trujillo's neck pickup is still closer to the neck than a Jazz neck pickup based on that scale, by about 0.5-1''. The bridge pickup is dead on for a Ric bridge pickup. That's not going to sound like a Jazz, it's probably going to sound like a slightly burpier Ric.

Trujillo uses Warwicks and several other basses.

 

[Buster Brown]

I bring this up on a lot of Ric threads, but I think the company would benefit greatly by having a budget line produced offshore somewhere.

I realize that they are very protective of their name and instruments and that they are considered premium instruments.

I understand the argument that if they produced a cheaper line (as Squier is to Fender or Epiphone is to Gibson, etc.) they MIGHT lose a little of their elite status.

Hoewever, Squier and Epi certainly have NOT hurt Fender and Gibson's bottom lines, nor have they kept people from feeling that they need a "real" Fender or Gibby or that Squiers and epis are more for beginners, etc. People still consider fender and Gibby the "top of the line" in their respective brands.

If Rickenbacker were to come out with a budget line, they would:

1. Effectively eradicate the market for Chinese (and other) counterfeits.

2. Raise their overall visibility in the market.

3. Compete more closely with other big name brands.

4. Put rics in the hands of newer players and people with less of a gear budget (especially prescient in this economy.)

5. Increase revenues.

6. This wouldn't hurt (IMO) their status as finely made instruments.

7. Start-up costs for having an Asian factory begin producing a budget line would be marginal.

8. They could use their budget line to experiment and research market demand for newer models or the reissuing of older models.

9. Everybody happy!

IMO.

Perhaps (9) would be true....however I doubt it, but the other (8) points will NEVER happen with Rickenbacker. NEVER. Rickenbacker has held their place in the industry for more years than I care to remember. They are happy where they are. They enjoy that niche' position in the market place.

Last I heard, they are a VERY profitable company.

 

[RaginRog]

I bring this up on a lot of Ric threads, but I think the company would benefit greatly by having a budget line produced offshore somewhere.

I realize that they are very protective of their name and instruments and that they are considered premium instruments.

I understand the argument that if they produced a cheaper line (as Squier is to Fender or Epiphone is to Gibson, etc.) they MIGHT lose a little of their elite status.

Hoewever, Squier and Epi certainly have NOT hurt Fender and Gibson's bottom lines, nor have they kept people from feeling that they need a "real" Fender or Gibby or that Squiers and epis are more for beginners, etc. People still consider fender and Gibby the "top of the line" in their respective brands.

If Rickenbacker were to come out with a budget line, they would:

1. Effectively eradicate the market for Chinese (and other) counterfeits.

2. Raise their overall visibility in the market.

3. Compete more closely with other big name brands.

4. Put rics in the hands of newer players and people with less of a gear budget (especially prescient in this economy.)

5. Increase revenues.

6. This wouldn't hurt (IMO) their status as finely made instruments.

7. Start-up costs for having an Asian factory begin producing a budget line would be marginal.

8. They could use their budget line to experiment and research market demand for newer models or the reissuing of older models.

9. Everybody happy!

IMO.

They could also do a cost effective USA model. Like the Hwy 1 Fender or the Bolt-on Peavey Cirrus.

They could offer a bolt-on model, that doesn't have binding, add cheaper dot inlays, wire it VVT, substitute the bridge with mutes for a cheap Gotoh bridge...And do it in one color...Jetglo. This might knock $4-450 off the price, and maybe they could sell it to compete with an American Jazz at $1249.

 

[cassius987]

Funny thing is, RIC has a lengthy history of budget models that sat on the shelves until they were finally discontinued. The 4000, the 4001S, the 3000, the 3001, the 2030, etc.

 

[tinman 1967]

Was it worth the money??





For me? Answer would be YES!!

 

[Personatech]

Funny thing is, RIC has a lengthy history of budget models that sat on the shelves until they were finally discontinued. The 4000, the 4001S, the 3000, the 3001, the 2030, etc.

+1

This isn't an idea that's new to them - they've tried the budget route before without success:

Of course, it's easy for me to pooh-pooh the idea - I bought my Rick 4001 back in '80 for around $375!!

 

[steddy2112]

If you want one, yes, if you don't, no...

/end thread

 

[maturanesa]

for me, it doesnt. Its a non versatile bass, with a very vintage tone. Its not a bass for a "one bass owner", you definitely will need or miss another. But the collectors and rich musicians love to have one of them in their walls, its beautyfull i admit it...

 

[Personatech]

Its a non versatile bass, with a very vintage tone. ...

Kind of like a P-bass, huh?

 

[MK1]

Its not a bass for a "one bass owner", you definitely will need or miss another. But the collectors and rich musicians love to have one of them in their walls, its beautyfull i admit it...

Its my only bass and I play a lot. Plus I'm far from rich. IMO the Ric can do anything you need it to.

 

[RaginRog]

+1

This isn't an idea that's new to them - they've tried the budget route before without success:

Of course, it's easy for me to pooh-pooh the idea - I bought my Rick 4001 back in '80 for around $375!!

If they offered the 3000 series for about $1200, I'd buy one. It would be their "P bass."

But yeah, I'm aware of their "budget" models....but perhaps give them another go.

 

[BassyBill]

I spent over 20 years GASing for a Ric, and eventually bought one. Used it on a few gigs and kept it for about 7 years, then sold it. As much as I loved it, it just wasn't in the same league as my other basses. I thought it was best to pass it on to somebody who'd enjoy it rather than it just sitting there at home and never getting played.

 

[Eric Albany]

+1

This isn't an idea that's new to them - they've tried the budget route before without success:

Of course, it's easy for me to pooh-pooh the idea - I bought my Rick 4001 back in '80 for around $375!!

Lucky! If I saw a Ric for that kinda money it would have been my first real bass(I bought a really really crappy bass first then upgraded to a better on later on).

 

[steddy2112]

Its my only bass and I play a lot. Plus I'm far from rich. IMO the Ric can do anything you need it to.

Shhhh

Don't say that, you'll get yelled at by the people with 2000 dollar jazz basses with fancy pre amps lol

 

[steddy2112]

I spent over 20 years GASing for a Ric, and eventually bought one. Used it on a few gigs and kept it for about 7 years, then sold it. As much as I loved it, it just wasn't in the same league as my other basses. I thought it was best to pass it on to somebody who'd enjoy it rather than it just sitting there at home and never getting played.

It really is black and white with most bassists.

You either like em, or you don't.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I'm curious as to what exactly it is you can't do on a Ric. Sure I have a lot of other basses and I play them all pretty regularly, but that's because I'm a whore not because I can't play every single song we do with my Ric because I can and often do.