Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
I've heard all the Ric QC issues before...I want to hear more about that snazzy embroidery machine!
I want to hear more about this sewing machine. Pics or she didn't really get it.
For what it's worth
the toggle on mine wouldn't hold on the bridge position; it would just return itself to the centre detent.
The difference is that it was eleven years old at the time and hadn't been treated very nicely.
I never switch pups but it bothered me anyway so I fixed the switch. It was a matter of the bevelled part of the switch body just needing a minor tweak.
I respect the OP's argument.
Speaking strictly for myself, if mine had been new, I would've fixed the problem for no other reason than to keep the fiddle in my hands and onstage instead of in a courier truck.
Again, speaking strictly for myself, no criticism of the OP intended.
the toggle on mine wouldn't hold on the bridge position; it would just return itself to the centre detent.The difference is that it was eleven years old at the time and hadn't been treated very nicely.
I never switch pups but it bothered me anyway so I fixed the switch. It was a matter of the bevelled part of the switch body just needing a minor tweak.
I respect the OP's argument.
Speaking strictly for myself, if mine had been new, I would've fixed the problem for no other reason than to keep the fiddle in my hands and onstage instead of in a courier truck.
Again, speaking strictly for myself, no criticism of the OP intended.
I'm glad OP mentioned having Gibsons suffering similar issues occasionally, and the fact is I have had this kind of problem from a long list of American bass makers over the course of 38 years playing them.
It is disappointing and reprehensible. In a perfect world, it would never happen.
Given the imperfect world in which we live, my approach over the years has been to measure all the other attributes of the instrument against the defect. Simply put, truly special, great-playing instruments that inspire a bond are pretty rare IME. I can recall several times where the instrument was perfect aside from one bone-headed QC issue. After grumbling about it, I had to ask myself a very important question: If I return this instrument with the relatively simply defect that is utterly jaw-dropping amazing in every other respect, will I get such a special instrument the next time? Or will I end up regretting not just taking steps to quickly and easily remedy the defect.
Now, if it's not really that special of a bass, this is a moot point. But I have had this regret and heard it from other musicians numerous times. Food for thought anyway.
It is disappointing and reprehensible. In a perfect world, it would never happen.
Given the imperfect world in which we live, my approach over the years has been to measure all the other attributes of the instrument against the defect. Simply put, truly special, great-playing instruments that inspire a bond are pretty rare IME. I can recall several times where the instrument was perfect aside from one bone-headed QC issue. After grumbling about it, I had to ask myself a very important question: If I return this instrument with the relatively simply defect that is utterly jaw-dropping amazing in every other respect, will I get such a special instrument the next time? Or will I end up regretting not just taking steps to quickly and easily remedy the defect.
Now, if it's not really that special of a bass, this is a moot point. But I have had this regret and heard it from other musicians numerous times. Food for thought anyway.
The sophisticated machine has been built and assembled by skilled people who most likely work in a well renowned factory or something like that. Is that difficult to grasp...!? Is it the far east thing that blows your mind?
I love my Rickenbacker but I wouldn't mind if there were some companies that made clones/versions of them, like Fender guitars do. I'd love to have more options, in terms of color, electronics, number of strings, everything. Not to mention availability.
I always wanted to try flint knapping....... My wife recently picked up a nearly perfect granite arrowhead while walking on a local beach, easily 300 years old. No denigration of ancient skills intended! My point is, the standard for guitar wiring is absurdly crude relative to modern electronics. Rics have no preamps , or anything not invented after about 1955, seems like this is an incredibly simple problem to fix in-factory. It may well have happened during shipping, as others have said, regular gigging is likely to reproduce the worst effects of rough shipping over and over again, so wiring should be pretty bulletproof. Ric isn't alone in the sloppy QC department, amazing what we are willing to live with for such crude technology.
Seriously? The components on a $2k bass are so flimsy they get knocked out of wack during shipping and you are expected to repair, or replace it??The lead from the neck pickup runs in a channel that puts it near the switch when it exits the channel and into the control cavity. Sometimes, as in knocking about during shipping, it may slide up next to the blades of the selector switch and prevent the switch from doing its job. If you know how to use a screwdriver, and have the ability to take the pickguard off the body of the bass (you can actually do this without loosening or removing the strings, just use common sense so as not to scratch the bass) you will see where the lead is and solve the problem quite easily, most likely. Just dress the lead so that is does not make contact with the switch components.
If you are not up to this very simple procedure, any decent guitar (or other) tech can take care of this for you.
Where do you live? Perhaps there is someone we may know in your area qualified to do this.
Seems like a failing toggle switch could be an indication that cheap overseas parts are being used to cut
production expenses. maybe not, but maybe.
However, is also fairly common that in a box of 100-200 small parts (which they probably pull those switches from during assembly) there is likely to be one faulty piece. And the guy who installs it probably isn't the one who tests it for continuity.
Then, on the other hand, you'd think the guy who DOES test such things would have caught that issue in the final prep/string up/play test before it went into the case and shipping box.
And I would guess that no one at MF does any measure of inspection, much less set up, before loading up a box from their distribution warehouse and shipping it out as they are more or less just an on line entity/seller.
FWIW: My Rics all came from Pick of the Ricks. And they were all set up perfectly and hiccup free. I use three of them for gigging and they've survived a lot of stage time without issues. I do have to retighten the strap lock buttons every other gig but that's just routine since I chose not to use thread locker on them.
As for MF, I consider them to be somewhat a GC warehouse without the teenage cashiers. So I buy only small items like cables, picks, etc from them, when I DO purchase from them, and choose more hands on vendors for special purchases.
production expenses. maybe not, but maybe.
However, is also fairly common that in a box of 100-200 small parts (which they probably pull those switches from during assembly) there is likely to be one faulty piece. And the guy who installs it probably isn't the one who tests it for continuity.
Then, on the other hand, you'd think the guy who DOES test such things would have caught that issue in the final prep/string up/play test before it went into the case and shipping box.
And I would guess that no one at MF does any measure of inspection, much less set up, before loading up a box from their distribution warehouse and shipping it out as they are more or less just an on line entity/seller.
FWIW: My Rics all came from Pick of the Ricks. And they were all set up perfectly and hiccup free. I use three of them for gigging and they've survived a lot of stage time without issues. I do have to retighten the strap lock buttons every other gig but that's just routine since I chose not to use thread locker on them.
As for MF, I consider them to be somewhat a GC warehouse without the teenage cashiers. So I buy only small items like cables, picks, etc from them, when I DO purchase from them, and choose more hands on vendors for special purchases.
They ought to just send you the bass in pieces and you can assemble it yourself. I mean, hell, everyone knows if you leave the parking lot of a dealership and the car dies at the next light, get out your trusty screwdriver and deal with it.
As someone that worked manufacturing and deals with manufacturers every day, of course they make mistakes, but you need to call them out on it, tell their lazy ass engineers to get their head out of their ass and fix this ridiculously stupid problem,
I understand quality control isn't perfect, accidents happen, but to justify a multimillion dollar company's pathetic, easily remedied problem because it's easy to fix on your own is incorrect.
If it can malfunction during shipping, it can do it on the way to, or during a gig. That's why I'm so aggravated about this
As someone that worked manufacturing and deals with manufacturers every day, of course they make mistakes, but you need to call them out on it, tell their lazy ass engineers to get their head out of their ass and fix this ridiculously stupid problem,
I understand quality control isn't perfect, accidents happen, but to justify a multimillion dollar company's pathetic, easily remedied problem because it's easy to fix on your own is incorrect.
If it can malfunction during shipping, it can do it on the way to, or during a gig. That's why I'm so aggravated about this
Got a little carried away, the first page left me feeling like this was a common with the how to fix it post
Apparently RIC must be flooded with issues. All those poor RICs riding around in tour busses, aircraft, etc.
People still think "Made In USA" means something.
It does.
What would your comment be if it were a MIM Fender in the OP?
Rick QC has dropped recently. Solution? Don't buy them new...anything past 2013?
Then again, IMO, the Rick used market prices are WAAAAY bloated. no reason to purchase one used over new, but yeah, if you genuinely want one, just purchase it used, you'll still save a few bucks.
Or just make a surefire and buy something that's top Kek for sure. Warwick. Spector. AVRI P-bass FFS. My RIC is by far my favorite bass, top to bottom, but it's a wierd animal that has eccentricities that don't sit well with everyone. Try it before you buy it...as in, support a local shop and buy a Rick from them. If they have one in stock. Or off someone on craigslist. Online in general is...somewhat unreliable.
Then again, IMO, the Rick used market prices are WAAAAY bloated. no reason to purchase one used over new, but yeah, if you genuinely want one, just purchase it used, you'll still save a few bucks.
Or just make a surefire and buy something that's top Kek for sure. Warwick. Spector. AVRI P-bass FFS. My RIC is by far my favorite bass, top to bottom, but it's a wierd animal that has eccentricities that don't sit well with everyone. Try it before you buy it...as in, support a local shop and buy a Rick from them. If they have one in stock. Or off someone on craigslist. Online in general is...somewhat unreliable.
The fact that it's such a simple and quick repair makes it even more preposterous that so many of them leave the factory this way.
My comment would be "quality of product isn't nearly as dependent on country of origin as it was fifty years ago".
