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NBD! (Rockinbetter content)

ferdinandstrat

ferdinandstrat

Guest
Oct 7, 2014
575
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34
#1
IMG-20161010-WA0002[1].jpeg


Oh boy they werent lying about it rocking better. It's basically a cheap Rick without most of the issues. It looks fancy but it only costs 380 pounds, sounds AMAZING, I was like "HOLY CRAP" when I plugged it in.

Plays fantastic right out of the box, neck was straight like a ruler and the intonation was spot on. Action was a little too low and caused a lot of string buzz, fortunately this thing has a bridge different to the actual Ricks and it is very easy to set up two Allen keys that came with it(and two free cables :D) and BAM. And yes, your eyes are not decieving you these things have 22 frets.

Plugged it in, ran it through my ZOOM B3(Sansamp and EBS comp) into EZMix and it sounded like an actual Rick(I will record some demos tomorrow).

The bridge pickup is actually close enough to the bridge itself to satisfy any bassist looking for a Royal Blood esque setup(will record seperate clips for that too).

And a HUGE shoutout to Steve from Back Alley Music who sold it to me(They have a limited amount so GO BUY THEM NOW), 380 Pounds excluding shipping. The guy went out of his way to ship it from Chester, England to Israel by finding some group to ship it to me(They usually dont ship to Isreal), Arrived extremely quick as well. THANKS STEVE!
 
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#2
Updates

Two demos, the first played with fingers with both picks and the other with the Royal Blood setup:



[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And I also made a custom thumbrest for it out of a closet door, cos I aint paying 26 bucks to those Zero guys:

20161011_224309.jpg


Further modifications: A set of new tuners, do you think Warwicks will fit? And I also thought of that Hipshot Ric replacement bridge.
 
#3
Looking and sounding good.
I've played a few of these, old and new.
They have a definite Rick feel to them-meaning- as uncomfortable as the real thing! For me.
Rock it dude. But expect some nonsense from people who will be outraged that you didn't buy a real one.
I've had 3 Rick copies: all better than a real one.
Enjoy.
 
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#4
Qlanq said:
Looking and sounding good.
I've played a few of these, old and new.
They have a definite Rick feel to them-meaning- as uncomfortable as the real thing! For me.
Rock it dude. But expect some nonsense from people who will be outraged that you didn't buy a real one.
I've had 3 Rick copies: all better than a real one.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...

For the money they are asking and their facist policies, RIC can bite me. Not to mention that the money needed to maintain an actual RIC is as high as the price tag itself.
 
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#6
Gravedigger Dav said:
Okay, sounds good. You told us everything about it except what it is. Sorry, not familiar with any Ric knockoffs except the Chinese Chickenbacker, but they don't have a good rep. Please enlighten us.
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Supposedly Rockinbetters were commissioned by the UK Tokai branch and built in Tokai factories but it isnt sold as a Tokai RIC copy, Rockinbetter IS the brand name.
 
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#8
Beaten to the reply by the OP :D

@Gravedigger Dav

It's what the OP said ! A Rockinbetter.
I've heard the folks that make them have a connection to Tokai. Been out for quite a few years and the OP got a great deal,my local shop has one in the window for £499.
 
#15
ferdinandstrat said:
Supposedly Rockinbetters were commissioned by the UK Tokai branch and built in Tokai factories but it isnt sold as a Tokai RIC copy, Rockinbetter IS the brand name.
Click to expand...

Just to set the record straight, they weren't "commissioned" by the then UK Tokai Importer, but were just imported & distributed by them. Hence the misnomer of "Tokai Rockinbetter". I believe they had a "cease & desist" notice filed against them many years ago.

They were also imported into Australia under the "Rebelrocker" brand name.
 
#17
RickyWoo said:
You sure seem to want to change a lot about a bass that comes "without the issues" of a Ricky.
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Yeah, but with the costs it would take would still cost less than an actual Rickenbacker, not to mentions fixing said Rickenbacker.

Sid the Kid said:
How does the neck heel look? Most rick copies really do a bad job on the neck heel.
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It sticks about.....an inch from the start of the body, I think? I say some pictures of a MapleGlo variant and it sure looks like a neckthrough, it has 22 frets though.

Skybone said:
Just to set the record straight, they weren't "commissioned" by the then UK Tokai Importer, but were just imported & distributed by them. Hence the misnomer of "Tokai Rockinbetter". I believe they had a "cease & desist" notice filed against them many years ago.

They were also imported into Australia under the "Rebelrocker" brand name.
Click to expand...

So no more Rockinbetters? FFS RIC get off your high horse and make affordable models in Korea or Indonesia!
 
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#18
ferdinandstrat said:
So no more Rockinbetters? FFS RIC get off your high horse and make affordable models in Korea or Indonesia!
Click to expand...

While I do appreciate that some makers have sent their brands overseas for manufacturing to keep costs down for consumers, I gotta give Rickenbacker a nod in their direction for not outsourcing and keeping things in their own backyard. Some people actually think that strengthens an economy, believe it or not. I understand people's disdain for their (mostly resolved) issues, if not for their CEO's ways of customer relations, however I do appreciate that they never once sold out on their in house manufacturing. It's not easy in this day and age.

All that said, I've been hoping for a Fakenbacker to come my way for awhile. Congrats on yours!
 
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#19
RickyWoo said:
While I do appreciate that some makers have sent their brands overseas for manufacturing to keep costs down for consumers, I gotta give Rickenbacker a nod in their direction for not outsourcing and keeping things in their own backyard. Some people actually think that strengthens an economy, believe it or not. I understand people's disdain for their (mostly resolved) issues, if not for their CEO's ways of customer relations, however I do appreciate that they never once sold out on their in house manufacturing. It's not easy in this day and age.

All that said, I've been hoping for a Fakenbacker to come my way for awhile. Congrats on yours!
Click to expand...


I actually do understand that, I just dont understand the whole "No copies allowed" policy....well, if they dont stop a company from making a good copy they might just go bankrupt, so there's that.

Go to Back Alley Music, buy a Rockinbetter, simple as that.
 
#20
That's an interesting variant, it has the identical bridge shown on all the Chinabackers for sale on Aliexpress, but it doesn't have the elbow relief carved along the top horn edge that most Chinabackers do. Do you have a rear shot? Most of the Chinese ones are set neck rather than neck-through, but they can be ordered that way. Unusual to see the herringbone binding too. Nice score. Invalid Link Removed
 
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