Is this a Fake Ric TRC?

[Quadzilla]

Spotted this listing and was interested. So I reached out to the seller and asked if it's a real, OEM Ric TRC or a 3rd party reproduction. He said that he didn't know and told me to just buy it or not.

I sent him back a cordial response telling him why it's so important to know and explained on how he could determine if it's legit or not. I even told him that it's likely worth more than $85 if it's real. Well, he was about as rude of a seller that I've ever experienced. Told me to mind my own business and a lot of other not so nice things.

Anyway, this look real or fake to you?

Link to reverb ad:
Truss Rod Cover Replacement-White | LaSalle 's 4 String

Update: it's taken down off of Reverb for being counterfeit, but now on eBay.. Rickenbacker Bass Truss Rod Cover | eBay

Pics from ad:
Link Removed

Link Removed

 

[Warpeg]

I'm not an expert, but this one sure looks weird compared to all the others I see in Google Images. The "b" and "a" look especially peculiar to my eyes.

 

[charlie monroe]

I have little faith

 

[Volker Kirstein]

Also not an expert, but it looks immediately sketchy to me: the space between "i" and "c", the lean of the "c", the sloppiness of the "ba"...

 

[gwangi]

I'm going to say fake, that b looks funky!!!!

 

[mikewalker]

I'd say FAKE

 

[Axstar]

Yes. That TRC is identical to one I had from AliExpress a while ago. Blotchy painting onto white ABS plastic.

 

[Quadzilla]

Listing is removed.

Given his attitude, I'm glad that it was pulled. Guy was a total.....well, never-mind....

 

[Quadzilla]

I saw that he also listed it on eBay... Rickenbacker Bass Truss Rod Cover | eBay

 

[jd56hawk]

Is there no end to their chicanery?

 

[ICM]

That's 100% a fake, and a bad one at that.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Absolutely, fake.

 

[GIBrat51]

Well, depending on when it was made, Rick TRC's are different; sometimes noticably so. The one on my '73 4001, for example, is a bit different from the one on my '01 4003. Except for one thing; they both have the model number under the "made in USA". So, yeah - that's a fake one. A rather nice, serviceable fake, though - IMO...

 

[4001]

F A K E

 

[BAG]

The fact that he got angry and told you to mind your own business when you've told him that if it is legit it is worth more is enough to say it's fake without even looking at it.

 

[sleddogn]

everyone email the seller and ask, lol, sounds like a tool

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

The real question is how does a piece of plastic cost so much!? Like come on now, what does it cost rickenbacker, $1 to make it?

 

[Wilmingtonian]

The real question is how does a piece of plastic cost so much!? Like come on now, what does it cost rickenbacker, $1 to make it?

Do they no longer sell them with exchange? I don't think they were asking for much, more of a service. They sold them outright but they were abused. This shows why.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

AFAIK, all genuine Ric TRC's have raised plastic lettering, anything flat and a little shabby like that is fake. Let's be generous and say the real injection molded ones cost $2.00 to make, which has nothing to do with street value. For a while Ric would only replace a broken or damaged TRC if you mailed in the old one, now they are just officially unobtanium, other than people parting them out and on EBay. Aliexpress has recently started selling counterfeits, all badly screen printed like that one.

 

[Paul Boyer]

AFAIK, all genuine Ric TRC's have raised plastic lettering, anything flat and a little shabby like that is fake.

Well, that's not right. Actually, all the raised-letter ones are genuine, but not all genuine ones are raised-letter. Certainly the old ones before the mid-1970s or so, were back-painted acrylic. Many of the "vintage" models (such as the V63, C64, etc.) and some of the specials have back-painted acrylic as well (it's all in the book). Also, all the lefty ones ("smiley" or regular - would that be a "frowny"?) are back-painted acrylic.

But the one in question here is certainly a fake.