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Rickenbacker crooked pick ups

#161
awilkie84 said:
Why settle for flaws? Really? As a company, why would they accept stagnation and complacency? Why not try to be better (on both the quality and customer service fronts)?
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Stagnation and complacency are Ric's bread and butter. There is literally no incentive to improve upon what they have right now. Unless musicians just stop buying their instruments, they won't change. Because they don't have to.
 
#162
willsellout said:
Stagnation and complacency are Ric's bread and butter. There is literally no incentive to improve upon what they have right now. Unless musicians just stop buying their instruments, they won't change. Because they don't have to.
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Ok, then. Why, as a consumer, would anyone support a company that cares so little about the quality of their product, or the satisfaction of their customers?
 
#163
It boggles the mind.

Ric basses sell because people buy them, regardless of the crooked pickups and other "flaws". Rick doesn't take the time to "fix" these "issues" because people like me will still buy them regardless. Why would they spend more time, energy and money? It doesn't make sense that they would.

This is capitalism, people - this is how the economy works.

To me, it's really pretty simple. If one doesn't like the "flaws", don't buy the product. More for the rest of us who like the product. Maybe if the demand goes down, the price will follow.

So yeah, please don't support the company or product! Rics have crooked pickups! The basses are flawed! They are ergonomic nightmares! It's a half a century old design! They are a one trick pony! They buzz! The finish rubs off! It's all crap!

:P
 
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#164
awilkie84 said:
Ok, then. Why, as a consumer, would anyone support a company that cares so little about the quality of their product, or the satisfaction of their customers?
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Because there's no other bass like it in the world, either in looks or in sound. So that's why people still buy Rics. They have a great legacy as an instrument. Sadly enough, John Hall is ONLY selling instruments based on that legacy, he's not selling instruments based on the quality that his factory is currently putting into them.
 
#165
awilkie84 said:
Ok, then. Why, as a consumer, would anyone support a company that cares so little about the quality of their product, or the satisfaction of their customers?
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Because Ric's are pretty unique and are, at least in my opinion, pretty damn awesome even with their flaws. I don't think that their basses are low quality. I think they are pretty high quality, but with known flaws that are mainly cosmetic in nature.
There is lots of room for improvement, no one denies that. But really they don't have to change anything because they will continue to sell buttloads of instruments just as they are.
 
#167
mapleglo said:
It boggles the mind.

Ric basses sell because people buy them, regardless of the crooked pickups and other "flaws". Rick doesn't take the time to "fix" these "issues" because people like me will still buy them regardless. Why would they spend more time, energy and money? It doesn't make sense that they would.

This is capitalism, people - this is how the economy works.

To me, it's really pretty simple. If one doesn't like the "flaws", don't buy the product. More for the rest of us who like the product. Maybe if the demand goes down, the price will follow.

So yeah, please don't support the company or product! Rics have crooked pickups! The basses are flawed! They are ergonomic nightmares! It's a half a century old design! They are a one trick pony! They buzz! The finish rubs off! It's all crap!

:p
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tHEY re? BaaDD bAASSESS. I NO beCuZ I am WoRLd'S mosT beSt tyPists.
 
#168
bassline52 said:
That's the same arrogance and answer is to why General Motors almost went out of business, while they were covering up flaws, off shore manufacturer's were "LISTENING" to customers complaints and concerns and fixing them.
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I saw something along these lines firsthand back in 2001 when I visited Yamaha's Atlanta plant where they made WaveRunners and ATVs to do an upgrade on a laser marker there. At one point, an assembly worker stopped the WaveRunner production line and within 30 seconds about half a dozen Japanese engineers swarmed the workstation. They spent half an hour investigating the issue the worker was reporting, at a cost of about $10,000 per minute that the line was shut down, in order to make sure the same problem didn't happen again. Lots of overseas companies are seriously hardcore about quality issues in manufacturing, and it's a shame that Mr. Hall doesn't seem to adopt the same philosophy.

Still love my 4003W though. I got lucky and got a flawless one.
 
#169
Aah, Rickenbacker... A company that manages to return an instrument that was sent in for warranty refinish in an even worse state than it arrived... But hey, at least it's got the stickers on it:

Invalid Link Removed

Rickenbacker Customer Service said:
I spoke to management and showed them the picture that you attached of your instrument, I also showed it to the factory floor manager. This is the finish sitting in the wood grain and is completely normal, there are several instruments on the floor at the moment that are being ready to ship out that have the same marking in areas. This is just a natural occurrence the same as when the finish on instruments starts to show the joints in the body and neck, it is unfortunately a drawback of using an organic material such as wood for a product but is not a flaw.
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#171
Complaining about the bridge pickup on a Rickenbacker being crooked is like complaining about a Fender jazz bass having the hole for the cnc machine under the pickguard. On the Ric the pickup cover is designed to be left on. On the jazz the pickguard is designed to be left on. If you remove either and then complain about how it looks do you really have s legit gripe with the manufacturer? Or are you just looking for something to prove a reason for your pre-existing hatred for the manufacturer?
 
#172
Ric5 said:
If you remove either and then complain about how it looks do you really have s legit gripe with the manufacturer?
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It's not really a fair comparison - the pickguard doesn't adversely affect the playing style of most Jazz owners. The fact that Tube Ampology continues to sell a lot of Treble Bezels is one indication that the bridge cover does, and that a lot of people remove them despite what RIC's intent was. I know the plural of "anecdote" isn't "data", but I removed the covers from both of my 4003s, and it made the instruments *much* more comfortable and enjoyable to play for me. John Hall's intention for the instrument didn't factor into that decision. I'm sure the same is true for a lot of others.

I don't have a hate for RIC in general, and I likely will be getting a 4003SW to add to the stable. Just the same, IMO (and MO only), it speaks to a lack of concern for detail, especially when the problem could be completely rectified with a fixture made from a dollar's worth of scrap wood and zero additional assembly time. Whether it adversely affects how the bass sounds/plays is irrelevant - what's setting people off is paying top dollar for a mass-produced instrument where it's perceived that the company couldn't care less about what they receive, and the perception that they're not willing to stand behind the product when problems are brought to their attention.
 
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#173
I keep seeing folks mention the Ric charges boutique prices. Honestly have to disagree with that, they are not bargain instruments but they are neck through American made instruments that retail in the $2300 range new iirc.

Yes, imports are cheaper. Yes, there are domestic bolt ons that are cheaper. I do not know that many American manufacturers that deliver a neck through instrument at that price.

Fodera, Alembic, even my beloved Spector all charge substantially more for their neck through offerings. Iirc Spector Euros retail for about the same as a Ric 4003.

Some of the fit and finish issues make sense to me, when I take that into account.
 
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#174
tbz said:
I do not know that many American manufacturers that deliver a neck through instrument at that price.
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EBMM recently started offering the StingRay as a neck-through at around $2K street for the 4H. And of course the Thunderbird has been around forever, and is right around $2K as well. Neck-through Carvins start at about half that.

I'd like to try a Spector though. :)
 
#175
Ric5 said:
Complaining about the bridge pickup on a Rickenbacker being crooked is like complaining about a Fender jazz bass having the hole for the cnc machine under the pickguard. On the Ric the pickup cover is designed to be left on. On the jazz the pickguard is designed to be left on. If you remove either and then complain about how it looks do you really have s legit gripe with the manufacturer? Or are you just looking for something to prove a reason for your pre-existing hatred for the manufacturer?
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Your logic: If you aren't supposed to see it, it can't be wrong!!!

Great logic there.
 
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#177
Ya ... look at the crooked pickups on this one ... they are split in half or something.

ric.jpg
 

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