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Rickenbacker Rant

#122
Ric5 said:
Actually I got those pics off of ebay years ago ...

Somebody tried to seriously mod his Ric and then after chewing up the wood he decided to sell it.

I have no idea what some of those holes are for ...
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Why would you post those pics? They are *CLEARLY* not the output from the ric factory (other than the painted section near the electronics). Totally irresponsible to suggest those pics reflect ric quality.
 
#123
Ric5 said:
Here is some shocking Rickenbacker quality.

How did this ever leave the factory? Did someone let their kids play with the power tools?

b-ric01.jpg
b-ric02.jpg


b-ric03.jpg
b-ric07.jpg


b-ric08.jpg
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It's the best Ric for metal!
 
#131
Ric5 said:
Here is some shocking Rickenbacker quality.

How did this ever leave the factory? Did someone let their kids play with the power tools?

b-ric01.jpg
b-ric02.jpg


b-ric03.jpg
b-ric07.jpg


b-ric08.jpg
Click to expand...

I was going to say it looks like someone started working on modifying it before he realized it was upside down. But after looking at it some more, I'm going with the meth theory.
 
#132
Got the bass back today, haven't plugged the bass in yet so I still need to go over it. I am still pretty pissed though, the hard case it arrived in is defective, it will not latch properly because there is something wrong with the latches. The case arrived with one of the latches not even being secured even though it was closed down. Now I don't know if this is the fault of UPS or not, but I really just want my stuff in working order. For some reason I can't have that.

Update: the Bass is in perfect working order. That is a relief.
 
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#134
So you didn't play before you paid - you bought it on faith.

I never buy new basses on line - only used - and then I expect that its highly likely that a setup / cleanup will be required. I've gotten pretty lucky on most of my purchases, but I've found a few real stink-birds.
 
#135
SanDiegoHarry said:
So you didn't play before you paid - you bought it on faith.

I never buy new basses on line - only used - and then I expect that its highly likely that a setup / cleanup will be required. I've gotten pretty lucky on most of my purchases, but I've found a few real stink-birds.
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Lol stinky birds! I got one of those from used guitar center and returned it to a local one the guy was like " looks good for $200, oh wait, oh my this thing is trash" a stinky bird indeed.
 
#136
A-Step-Towards said:
Lol stinky birds! I got one of those from used guitar center and returned it to a local one the guy was like " looks good for $200, oh wait, oh my this thing is trash" a stinky bird indeed.
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SanDiegoHarry said:
So you didn't play before you paid - you bought it on faith.

I never buy new basses on line - only used - and then I expect that its highly likely that a setup / cleanup will be required. I've gotten pretty lucky on most of my purchases, but I've found a few real stink-birds.
Click to expand...

Very much agree on this one, particularly with a wooden instrument. The exact same amount of care and precision can go into two guitars made at the same time at the same factory. One can sound fantastic and the other ordinary. The wood itself is an important variable.

I lucked out. I bought my 4003 from MF and it was pretty good out of the box. I wouldn't do it again though. Especially with a higher end instrument

If you can, it is wise to go to a good store that has several RICs (or whatever brand one desires) and play them. I'll bet most of us have observed just how different two side by side American Fender Jazz basses can sound at a store. You can absolutely love one, but the other can leave you cold. Not picking on Fender, just using them as a much more likely scenario due to Fender being so huge. Fender basses are in every music store in America. I would wager that both those basses were made with about equal care, but the difference is with how the individual wood resonates and how the bass is set-up. That's another advantage of playing before you buy. If you don't like set-up, or see tiny imperfections, you walk away and play another.
 
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#137
My first decent bass was a 1969 Ric. I bought it brand new for $700. It was way nicer than the Guyatone I was playing. After trying to deal with Rickenbacker trying to get parts some years later, I had to dump it. They wouldn't even answer the phone. I'll never buy another one.
 
#138
Moe Monsarrat said:
My first decent bass was a 1969 Ric. I bought it brand new for $700. It was way nicer than the Guyatone I was playing. After trying to deal with Rickenbacker trying to get parts some years later, I had to dump it. They wouldn't even answer the phone. I'll never buy another one.
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Rick is an odd company. I used to go to the NAMM show every year for a a number of years, and I'd always go their booth, see if they have anything new / cool - when I'd chat them up, they were distant and surly - they sure didn't seem to want to generate any business. I had zero clue why that was, but it seemed clear they are a slightly odd bunch.
 
#139
SanDiegoHarry said:
Rick is an odd company. I used to go to the NAMM show every year for a a number of years, and I'd always go their booth, see if they have anything new / cool - when I'd chat them up, they were distant and surly - they sure didn't seem to want to generate any business. I had zero clue why that was, but it seemed clear they are a slightly odd bunch.
Click to expand...

The image that tends to come to my mind concerning RIC's business model:


Invalid Link Removed
 
#140
What other company does not care if you need parts? What other company doesn't answer phone calls or messages or even letters? It was a nice bass, but it wasn't THAT nice. All you can buy is aftermarket parts & used parts on ebay. Hell, they don't even allow the prices to be listed in ads. You have to really want one to get past all of that. Maybe they have all the business they need, but I wouldn't run my company like that. Oh I forgot.....Steinberger also doesn't care about your parts woes.....there's one more.
 

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