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Rickenbacker Clone?
- Thread starter afzoomie67
- Start date
hi,I,m afraid it,s time to bite the bullet.
It took me7 months paying £10 a week to get my first one,I was allowed a quick play on it every week when I paid them .The day when I got it was a special day.
,I foolishly sold that one.
18 years later I got the one I have now,had it for 12 years now.
The initial outlay can be quiet daunting but it,s worth it if your a Ricky player.They don,t suit everybody but what does.
It took me7 months paying £10 a week to get my first one,I was allowed a quick play on it every week when I paid them .The day when I got it was a special day.
,I foolishly sold that one.
18 years later I got the one I have now,had it for 12 years now.
The initial outlay can be quiet daunting but it,s worth it if your a Ricky player.They don,t suit everybody but what does.
Get a 70s greco, univox or ibanez. These don't need any upgrading but you could if you wanted to. I own an ibanez and had a 4003 rickenbacker. I sold the real one and kept the ibanez. They go from anywhere to 600 give or take to the high 800-900 neighborhood.
Theres one for sale right now... 1977 Vintage Ibanez Bass with Case | eBay
Theres one for sale right now... 1977 Vintage Ibanez Bass with Case | eBay
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I wouldn't be surprised if the Rick freaks here on TB report that auction...
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Muscian's Friend has most colors in stock and you can get their platinum card and have a year to pay it off with no interest and get free shiping. Done deal.
That's how I got mine and it was absolutely the way to go and I am as happy as I can be.
That's how I got mine and it was absolutely the way to go and I am as happy as I can be.
Between the Greco clone posted earlier, and my searches on allofcraigs.com, I've found a Greco and a 1971 4001 Ric.
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There are probably more out there, too.
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
There are probably more out there, too.
That's great!
Personally, I'd rather show up with a Squier Affinity J Bass I bought off CL for a hundred bucks than a $800 Ric copy. Musicians are often looked at as being an authentic sort of folk, above the level of posers, above the BS line, and playing a copy just reeks of insincerity.
Rickenbackers aren't even expensive and the wait isn't even long in comparison to other basses, why is it that everyone seems to think they are?
How true. Most of the reputable on-line dealers like Wildwood, MusicZoo, NorthCoastMusic, PickOfTheRicks, usually have many in stock at competitive prices. And the prices of Rics compared to custom builds or Fenders is competitive. I just visited the Fender web site and they have 11 basses from $1500~1900, 10 from $2000~2500, and 2 at $2500 and up.
Add to that, you are getting a 100% Made in America bass when you buy a Ric.
People think they're a lot of money because 2 grand is a lot to shell out for a bass..And at North Coast, they're $1600, which is nice.
If you don't want a floor model then you have to order one. If you do that, you will wait 2 years. I know this from experience. Twice.
And new Rics are a lot more than $1600 if you look on ebay.
Morch, a Danish builder will make a great 4003 copy - but it will cost more than a real one I expect.
I imagine you frown on cover bands as well for playing other peoples songs... However I kind of agree with you on the fake thing. I think its kind of lame to to stick a fender decal on a non fender bass or rickenbacker and try and pass it off as the real deal. Same thing with empty speaker cabinets as props.
I own 5 copies and they proudly all say ibanez. I'm not interested in having the fender, rick, or gibson logo on there. I have real ones too and keep them as is...
Not correct. I bought mine from NorthCoastMusic in December of 2009, they are a warehouse only dealer.
Many time you see very high prices for new Rics on eBay. Ric dictates which dealers can ship to what countries. So if one lives in a country where a Ric dealer is not authorized to ship, they are at the mercy of a non-legit Ric dealer who will mark them up to whatever the market will bear.
If you look at completed listings on ebay there are many new Rickenbackers that sold for $1500-$1600. And unless you're ordering Midnight Blue off of Musician's Friend, it takes a lot less time than 2 years.
Not at all. Performing covers is permissible under current law, and licensing is usually handled by the venue, IE the bar or hall often has an ASCAP blanket license that handles pre-recorded music or covers that get performed there.
Dead wrong... most dealers have a couple of floor models and 10-20 more in the back, or are like MF and just do warehouse only. My local dealer, Wildwood, has no floor models unless the instrument is used, although if you are a reputable customer they'll let you try anything out. They just have to pull it from their warehouse for you first.
As for new Ric prices, $1600-1700 is what people should expect to pay. If you're looking on eBay you're screwing yourself because A) lots of the sellers are quite fishy, like the lady who orders bulk from actual dealers and then lists them "new" at a hefty mark up and B) no Ric sold on eBay will be honored with a warranty, just ask John Hall about that one. They have no dealers that do business on eBay.
I really can't comprehend why this myth constantly persists...
I have played Rics since the early 70s. I have never waited longer than a week to take delivery of a new Rickenbacker. NEVER ONCE. I have owned at least a dozen over the years.
My WORST experience was that I had to fly to Vegas to pick one up in 2001......well, let me rephrase that....I was going to Vegas anyway and bought one (Ed Roman) while I was there...it was sitting at my door when I arrived home.
You CAN NOT order a Ric DIRECTLY from Rickenbacker. PERIOD. End of story. They only deal with their dealers. That is, unless of course, you are the Beatles.......and since they haven't been together in a stone's age.....well, there you go.
Nearly every on-line retailer has Rics in stock. Perhaps not all the same time, but 5 minutes worth of browsing will undoubtedly find a dealer who has what you are looking for in a 4003.
Since Rickenbacker has drastically cut their available models, there is absolutely no shortage of basses out there. In the past, I believe that Rickenbacker perpetuated their own myth...but those days are gone.
I have played Rics since the early 70s. I have never waited longer than a week to take delivery of a new Rickenbacker. NEVER ONCE. I have owned at least a dozen over the years.
My WORST experience was that I had to fly to Vegas to pick one up in 2001......well, let me rephrase that....I was going to Vegas anyway and bought one (Ed Roman) while I was there...it was sitting at my door when I arrived home.
You CAN NOT order a Ric DIRECTLY from Rickenbacker. PERIOD. End of story. They only deal with their dealers. That is, unless of course, you are the Beatles.......and since they haven't been together in a stone's age.....well, there you go.
Nearly every on-line retailer has Rics in stock. Perhaps not all the same time, but 5 minutes worth of browsing will undoubtedly find a dealer who has what you are looking for in a 4003.
Since Rickenbacker has drastically cut their available models, there is absolutely no shortage of basses out there. In the past, I believe that Rickenbacker perpetuated their own myth...but those days are gone.
I just sat down my gorgeous 09 4003 before I read this thread, and its been about a year since I sold my 88 4003...even though I love mine, I didnt plug it in and automatically sound like Chris Squire or Geddy. As a matter of fact, I was a little disappointed when I first got a Ric as it wasnt that much different in tone than my Jazz. So, if you are broke but have your heart set on one, try to track one down so you can play it first. Just the ergonomics are difficult for some people.
Not all copies are bad. I've got a 1975 CMI copy that is well up there with a real Rickenbacker, both in looks, build quailty and sound. Copies from this era can't be too bad, if alleged "rebadged" ones are still being passed off as real Rickenbackers.
