Rickenbacker 4003 Copy

[Greywoulf]

How about this, OP?

https://harleybenton.com/product/rb-414bk/

This "Bentbacker" was just recently reviewed in Bass Player magazine. (And no, the world didn't end!) Consensus was that while it was definitely a 'cheapo' it wasn't too bad, but the bridge pup's power was extremely weak. I read it as being described as ok, but only if you took into consideration it's very low price. It was not compared in any depth to a Ric's performance but simply judged on it's own merits and flaws. (How refreshing!)
There's also a BG now being made by Jackson that looks a lot like a Ric, but I haven't seen any test reviews on it yet. Jackson of course is a larger well known reliable BG company, so I would assume there's some decent quality there. But IMO a Jackson styled Ric is again definitely something that should be judged on it's own and not compared to it's apparent design inspiration...

There appears to me to be a lot more friendly acceptance of Squiers as less expensive but generally adequate Fenders by both Squier and Fender owners, without all the acrimony usually displayed by Ric owners towards legal Ric styled basses. Ric ownership sometimes seems to me to be almost a religion or a fetish?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I recently tried one of the Jackson basses at GC. It feels and sounds nothing like a Ric, it’s just a low end bass with a few “borrowed” Ric visual cues that don’t really work with the overall look of it. Not a bad bass, but nothing special either. I played it for about 5 minutes and got bored with it.

 

[GodsLove66]

The video GilmourIsGod posted is a counterfeit RIC. Had the real nameplate with Made In USA on it. That's what I have a problem with.

Regardless, that whole send them the virus part was in poor taste

I recently tried one of the Jackson basses at GC. It feels and sounds nothing like a Ric, it’s just a low end bass with a few “borrowed” Ric visual cues that don’t really work with the overall look of it. Not a bad bass, but nothing special either. I played it for about 5 minutes and got bored with it.

I concur, the thing sounds great for a PJ...but once you've played or owned a Ric...NOTHING really compares.

 

[Steve Cooke]

At 1 point I bought a unfinished Chinese Rick neck thru body, finished it, built it with all decent hardware [not genuine Rick, but still nice]. A fun project, but in the end I wasn't happy with it at all. It wasn't the real thing didn't sound very good, and the body - although looks similar - was all wrong. [Pick of the finished bass below]

Then I bought a few thru-neck necks only from China, and built a few Rick style basses. All fun projects, but nothing close to the quality and sound of the real thing.

I say based on my experience, unless you want a fun project that honestly will never be close to a real Rick [even with the genuine Rick parts], save your $$ for the real thing. I thought I wanted a project and to save $$, but what I REALLY wanted was a REAL Rick.. Now that I have a real Rick [3 actually, but soon to be 1] I can say with some level of experience that the real deal is worth saving for.

 

[Tommyc]

Look at a nice Peavey T-40. Does most of the Ric thing and more. They’ve been appreciating steadily for a while now though. If heavy bothers you, forget what I’ve said.

 

[Greywoulf]

Regardless, that whole send them the virus part was in poor taste

I concur, the thing sounds great for a PJ...but once you've played or owned a Ric...NOTHING really compares.

Unless of course one likes other types of bass guitars better than Rics. Then what you like is obviously better than any Ric, and is probably better for you than any other bass guitar in existence. I know this may shock some Ric owners, but not everyone likes the look or feel or sound of a Rickenbacker bass guitar... Really.
For instance if someone wanted (in some strange fantasy world) to trade their Ric for my Mustang, the only reason I'd do it would be to sell the Ric to buy another Mustang and keep the $$ difference for my pocket...

 

[jeff7bass]

Its weird how Ric C!one discussions almost always devolve into some kind of acrimony and get shut down. What is it about Rics? There was a recent thread about Greco basses wherein much "praise" of blatant IP thievery produced no censor reaction from the moderators, or any serious arguments between posters. Something about Rics seems to generate equal parts Tribal brand loyalty or loathing that I just dont see applied to.other brands. Personally, i really dont care how other people spend their money, and the High Horse attitude towards IP theft (of which Rickenbacker Inc.is also demonstrably guilty) strikes me as hypocritical. They are very nice, somewhat overpriced, anachronistic basses with a unique look and tone, not some sacred fetish object, though you wouldnt know it by the way some people carry on. The consensus should be pretty clear to the OP here, as it has been on a hundred other Ric Clone threads: with rare exceptions, the counterfeit Rics arent that great unless all you care about is the overall look of a Ric. Meh. Build your own and improve the handful of bad design features inherent to the brand, or save your pennies and get the real deal, warts and all.

Rickenbacker has been making electric guitars since 1931. If they're guilty of theft you need to back it up. And their sound has played a major role in some of the most popular songs of all time. To dismiss their customers as "sacred fetish object" worshippers is a bit presumptuous, almost like you yourself are standing above the fray while looking down on Chris Squire, Jon Camp, Geddy Lee, Gary Strater, Martin Turner and other greats.
Using this thread to bash real RICS is silly IMO. Maybe a few came off the line imperfect but most I've played were mint. I bought mine in 1977 new for 600 bucks and 38 years later it fetched 2100 bucks despite plenty of wear. Here's the deal. If you buy a fake RIC, eventually some musicians are gonna ask you about it and then all the cool will dissipate like a poof of smoke. Better off buying the real thing or if you can't afford it, there are basses like this Chowny that sound ballsy and and look vintagey cool. Price is right too.
Retrovibe Vantage Tony Butler Signature | Chowny Bass

 

[sloppy_phil]

Rickenbacker has been making electric guitars since 1931. If they're guilty of theft you need to back it up.

Look into the story of the Tubeampology and their invention, the Treble Bezel. You'll find ample proof of theft from RIC. I love my 4003 to bits and will keep it for life, but I'm also very happy I bought used and have given precisely $0 to the company itself

 

[jeff7bass]

Look into the story of the Tubeampology and their invention, the Treble Bezel. You'll find ample proof of theft from RIC. I love my 4003 to bits and will keep it for life, but I'm also very happy I bought used and have given precisely $0 to the company itself

Gee did they steal a volume knob also? I mean, come on.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Gee did they steal a volume knob also? I mean, come on.

It may be a "small" piece, I'll grant you that much, but it was an original design by a small company that RIC has stolen. No doubt, sales of their treble bezel were good for business, given they had come up with a novel solution to a longstanding issue with 4001/3 basses, and were the only show in town.

For a company like RIC, that polices all of their IP and potential copyright infringements incredibly vigorously (which is their right, of course), it just smacks of extreme hypocrisy that they'd then go and do *exactly* the same thing to some little guy

 

[blastoff99]

This (mostly) stayed on the rails for longer than I expected, but we're going in a direction now that's unlikely to end well. Closing for mod review.