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Rickenbacker Pricing - Justified, Or Plain Obscene?

theevilplankton

theevilplankton

Jul 9, 2009
950
719
#1
I was window shopping the other day, looking at prices.

A new Rickenbacker 4003, in the UK, retails at around £1,999! Most places that list them cheaper don't actually have any stock.

A new MIA standard J or P, with case and all the extras, comes in at around £829.

I used to play Rics - and will always have a soft spot for them - but personally, I don't really see them being worth the value of 2 1/2 MIA Fenders??

I appreciate that if you really want one, worth and value isn't so important. But 2 grand? I bought a new one in 2003 (now sold), and was only half of that.

I'm not sure of the pricing difference in the US. Are things any better over there? :bassist:
 
#3
Yes, they are plain obscene, I think it's got to do with the shipping, import costs and demand. If there is a strong demand, retailers can almost charge whatever they want.

I got my '09 4003, for about £1100? (1327 euro), I was on holiday in America and I figured it'd be handier that way. (Apologies to everyone whos read this 4 billion times by now :P)
 
#4
I gassed for a Ric ever since playing one for 15 minutes when I was 16. I have bought two in the last three years ,one pre neck change , one after , and sadly I don't like them anymore. love the styling , love the tone , disliked the feel.
Lots of people love them and to them the price may be justified , if you want one bad enough you will pay it

If you think a 4003 is obscene price a 4001C64S C , just for SAG I had MF email my price ...$3459.99:eek:

For that price I would by a CS Fender or USA lakland.
 
#8
i personally have never gotten the price of rics. they dont use special (hard to pronounce woods) like warwick or have the sheer specialty and craftsmanship as a fodera would. they have a unique sound and play well but ive never seen anything special enough to warrant the price. which is probably why i do not own one:hmm:
 
#9
In Europe the Rick prices are insane ... so I've opted for buying a Lawsuit copy from the '70's. I paid it 300 euros, but all life was out of the frets so it needed refretting and a serious reworking on the electronics ... so that was another 400.
Now I've got a look-and-sound-alike rick lawsuit copy with a lot of mojo for a (more or less) decent price
 
#10
I waited a long time and threw down the bucks , for me it was worth it .
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'08 4004cii BBR
 
#13
I think Rics are going through a 'popularity period' that will end eventually. Thier products have typically gone through cycles like other products. I belive the company is also pushing the envolope to see what they can get price wise. Dealers are doing the same thing. When enough inventory accumulates the price will recend. Rick may even cut back on production to compensate. It's the typical strategy that's used for many things.

Bassically, let's see what the market will bare. :D

Right know there is a dealer (not a authorized Rick dealer by the way) that has two brand new 4001 C64S models in the midnight blue finish. One is glossy, the other is a satin finish. They have them priced at $3,795.00. This bass is not worth the money, sorry it just isn't. They are charging a crazy price becaue of the unusual finish, it's plain and simple. It didn't cost Rick any more to paint the bass blue than it did black. The dealer is speculating that someone out there 'HAS TO HAVE THIS" for whatever reason. And all they need are two people who are willing to lay down the bucks.

I bought a brand new 4001 C64S (natural) in 2006 for $2,200.00. I thought I should have had my head examined for paying that much, but it was something I wanted so I paid the price. I do like the bass, I do like Rickenbacker bass guitars. But, no, I don't think the bass warrents that price tag given what it is. There is NOTHING very unique about it.

I suppose if you want to be a Rickenfan and wave the flag, go right ahead. But the thing you need to do is take a critical look at what you're waving at. Ignorance can only be bliss for so long. Sooner or later you need to open your eyes and see things for what they are. :hmm:

Have a look on Gbase, you'll see the bass I'm talking about ($3,795.00)
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The thing is that these Ricks cost less to make than, let's say a Gibson Thunderbird. Just take a look at the T-bird's construction and it will become readilly apparent. There's ALOT more work and time spent on fashioning a T-bird. (lamanted neck that is tappered, headstock and body that are angled). The Rick is just a plank of wood with minimal craftsmansip. Sorry, but that's all it is and ever was. I like the bass, own several, play them frequently, but let's call it and understand it for what it is. The comapny and dealers are simply cahing in on the mania. It's that plain and simple.

But because there's a demand at the moment, Rick & Dealers are going to continue cashing in on the mania.

So... which one of you blocks are going to submit to the mania and buy the $3,795.00 Rick bass? Go on you know you want it. Plus you'll be doing your thing to help stimulate the economy and put several steaks on Rick & Dealer's table, along with a lobster tail and nice bottel of wine. Every day for the next month. :eek:

Rock on brothers and sisters and the the good times roll! :hyper:

Oh, to Rickenbackers credit, they haven't raised the price of thier strings over the past 5 years. It's nice to see the $35.00 price tag hasn't changed. :atoz:
 
#14
Possibly obscene, but no more obscene than some other makers who produce a unique product -- or even some who don't. I love my Lakland USA, but if I hadn't been lucky enough to work a trade, I'd still be playing Skylines. Are the USA Laklands worth what they are asking? Absolutely.

I think German Hofners are overpriced, and I'm sure the company realized that or else it wouldn't have run out the Chinese clones. Plus, if no one bought Rickenbackers at the current prices, they wouldn't be priced so high. I think John Hall knows that he makes a good product and refuses to cheapen it, and who can blame him for that? It looks to me that profit isn't his lone criterion: if it were, we'd see Korean or Chinese 4003s.

BTW, I paid $375 for my 4001 in 1972. I don't recall what list price was, but the dealer whined long and hard about how I was cheating him. This was in the days before almost every guitar store gave 30-40% off routinely. By currrent reckoning that would be $1987.50 in 2009 dollars. So I guess current pricing is in line and maybe a little cheap.
 
#15
You never know what's going to go up in value and how much it'll go up.

Look at the vintage Fenders - horrible, muddy, arm-busting things made of some kind of green wood from who-knows-where and screws from the hardware store but they're worth thousands and tens of thousands of bucks now.

As for the rick, when I was gigging I had two of them, a 70's 4001 and an early 80's 4003S. It was impossible to get out the things - I couldn't sell both of them for even half the price of a good G&L. I finally had to basically give the things away when I quit gigging - I sold them both together for IIRC $400. That was in the mid 80's tho.

My current 4003 was a "blem" (a couple of small chips in the finish near the binding on the body) that was otherwise factory new. Got it in Austin in 2000 for $900, even with the blemishes it's probably worth a little less than twice that now. Why I bought it, I don't know - nostalgia maybe?

I guess it's because they've been in production for so long. And you have to admit rickenbacker never compromised and outsourced their manufacturing. A new rick is the same quality (even slightly better) than a vintage one made in the 60's (not to mention the improvements in the neck design). They were heavenly high-quality compared to their nearest competitor Fender.

Can't say if they're really worth it at their current prices. To me they're not. I can't even get myself to pull the trigger on an FL model, which I've GAS'ed for for a long time now. Just can't seem to get over that 1800+ buck hump.....

LS
 
#17
Whether or not Ric's are "worth" the asking price is a question that the purchaser must decide. Each to their own. Both my current Ric's were at or around the $1500 mark, 2 yrs apart, and both a 4003 and a 4004Cii. Would I pay alot more for either one, it's hard to say, since I don't have to. But one thing is for sure. The quality of the product has never been better than it has been since '06.
 
#19
Its been said, but one more voice on it. Ric prices are high, but not outlandish for what they are (or there would be no waiting list). In the states they are vastly more reasonably priced than in the UK, but that isn't the fault of hte manufacturer. Again, gently used is the key. I am in the US, and bought mine for 1600 bucks and had to wait about a month and a half to have it in stock and shipped. I am satisfied with that. If I had to pay 1800 plus pounds and wait a year, I would be much less pleased with the end result.
 

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