Rickenbacker crooked pick ups

[electracoyote]

Difference is that if you ever have a problem with that Ritter, Jens will bend over backward to help you and do it with a smile on his face.

And, assuming the standard trial return policy is in place, nothing is stopping OP from returning that bass and holding out for one that meets his standards. In that respect, I don't see Rickenbacker or the retailer who sold him the bass as doing anything different than the Ritter folks.

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[lfmn16]

Wow, the "I hate Rickenbacker" crowd is still whining about this?

 

[xaxxat]

Rickenbacker: We don't have time to do it right so our customers have to find time to do it over...

 

[Anachronism]

Rickenbacker: We don't have time to do it right so our customers have to find time to do it over...

And by "do it right" you mean "make sure that pickups that function perfectly and ship with a cover over them will be aesthetically pleasing if the cover is removed."

 

[Dr. Funk]

Here is my challenge. I have not seen evidence that it is legitimate. A hidden part, installed within spec, but not to the liking of the customer is not a legitimate gripe. It is anal retentive.

Now, if there is more to it than that I stand corrected, but the OP already said it sounded awesome, which is the function of the allegedly defective installation.

What is actually wrong with this bass?

The pickup is installed crooked. If someone bought a P-Bass with a pickup cover and removed it for playability issues only to find the pickup installed crooked, it would be considered blasphemy in the bass world.

 

[scotch]

Lots and lots of Ric bass bridge pickups are mounted slightly crooked.

To some folks it matters, to some not. Everybody has different expectations.

Ultimately, Rickenbacker continues to sell as many basses as it can make, so there's not much impetus to fuss over the mounting from their bottom-line financial position.

It is a little sad to me, as a person who has certain standards for craftsmanship, that such an easy thing to fix (along with RWRP'ing a pickup) just isn't done or ostensibly cared about. If I were a hardware/electronics installer at Ric, I'd be whining about this every week. "Just let me do a perfect job!!!!!"

 

[Jaco Taco]

Lots and lots of Ric bass bridge pickups are mounted slightly crooked.

To some folks it matters, to some not. Everybody has different expectations.

Ultimately, Rickenbacker continues to sell as many basses as it can make, so there's not much impetus to fuss over the mounting from their bottom-line financial position.

It is a little sad to me, as a person who has certain standards for craftsmanship, that such an easy thing to fix (along with RWRP'ing a pickup) just isn't done or ostensibly cared about. If I were a hardware/electronics installer at Ric, I'd be whining about this every week. "Just let me do a perfect job!!!!!"

That sort of expectation of excellence would get you fired from Ric in a matter of days.

 

[metron]

I have a slightly crooked bridge pu in my '08 4003. I guess it doesnt bother me but I do leave the cover on. Its a great bass with killer tones. I love it for all its quirks. I even like the bridge mute. I must be an idiot.

 

[Robroy]

The pickup is installed crooked. If someone bought a P-Bass with a pickup cover and removed it for playability issues only to find the pickup installed crooked, it would be considered blasphemy in the bass world.

This is why I said, "A hidden part, installed within spec, but not to the liking of the customer".

Thing is, parts that are installed on any device (car, hair dryer, bass, etc.) for functional, rather than cosmetic purposes need to meet two criteria:

1. Function within spec.
2. Perform that function within certain reliability specs.

Have you ever stripped linoleum from a floor on an old house thinking you are going to find "awesome, aged old oak" only to find dissimilar sections of floor of pine and other less attractive wood? The only reason you found it was because you wanted to modify something. The floor was sturdy enough and the lenoleum had an adequate sub-flooring. You can strip the lenoleum and replace with something else if you want to, of course, but it is unreasonable to believe that the subflooring is somehow "defective" because it doesn't look nice.

And in this case, we are talking solely about what the installation of a non-cosmetic part LOOKS LIKE. It performs just fine according to the OP's own comments.

This is actually absurdly black and white.

 

[Robroy]

That sort of expectation of excellence would get you fired from Ric in a matter of days.

I'm a firm believer in the 80-20 rule.

 

[Robroy]

Lots and lots of Ric bass bridge pickups are mounted slightly crooked.

To some folks it matters, to some not. Everybody has different expectations.

Ultimately, Rickenbacker continues to sell as many basses as it can make, so there's not much impetus to fuss over the mounting from their bottom-line financial position.

It is a little sad to me, as a person who has certain standards for craftsmanship, that such an easy thing to fix (along with RWRP'ing a pickup) just isn't done or ostensibly cared about. If I were a hardware/electronics installer at Ric, I'd be whining about this every week. "Just let me do a perfect job!!!!!"

I suspect they have done the math.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Have you ever stripped linoleum from a floor on an old house thinking you are going to find "awesome, aged old oak" only to find dissimilar sections of floor of pine and other less attractive wood?

We did, in 2013 when we did a gut reno of our kitchen! Old grey vinyl tiles, not linoleum.

 

[Robroy]

We did, in 2013 when we did a gut reno of our kitchen! Old grey vinyl tiles, not linoleum.

View attachment 628732

Awesome sink!

 

[kcole4001]

I like the retro cupboards!

I found some nice hardwood under my 5 (!) layers of kitchen flooring last July, but only about half of it was re-useable.

 

[Dr. Funk]

This is why I said, "A hidden part, installed within spec, but not to the liking of the customer".

Thing is, parts that are installed on any device (car, hair dryer, bass, etc.) for functional, rather than cosmetic purposes need to meet two criteria:

1. Function within spec.
2. Perform that function within certain reliability specs.

Have you ever stripped linoleum from a floor on an old house thinking you are going to find "awesome, aged old oak" only to find dissimilar sections of floor of pine and other less attractive wood? The only reason you found it was because you wanted to modify something. The floor was sturdy enough and the lenoleum had an adequate sub-flooring. You can strip the lenoleum and replace with something else if you want to, of course, but it is unreasonable to believe that the subflooring is somehow "defective" because it doesn't look nice.

And in this case, we are talking solely about what the installation of a non-cosmetic part LOOKS LIKE. It performs just fine according to the OP's own comments.

This is actually absurdly black and white.

Would it be ok if a P-Bass was crooked?

 

[Anachronism]

Would it be ok if a P-Bass was crooked?

If the pickup is covered and the sound unchanged, yes, it is fine.

 

[Robroy]

Would it be ok if a P-Bass was crooked?

Is it hidden? Would it affect the tone? If the answer to the first question is no or the answer to the second question is yes, then it would matter.

Again, KEY POINT: It is a functional part, not a visible part. Like a brake line on your car. The only way position matters is if it affects the function or durability.

 

[Robroy]

I like the retro cupboards!

I found some nice hardwood under my 5 (!) layers of kitchen flooring last July, but only about half of it was re-useable.

I like the whole thing, but I LOVE the sink!

 

[Yango]

Shoddy work, for sure. There's absolutely no excuse for something like that on such an expensive bass.