Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Rickenfakers on a Chinese website
- Thread starter mooreon131
- Start date
.
Build quality looks fairly decent. I actually own an old 4001, but it's 35 years old & I'd prefer not to gig with it anymore (frankly the s.o.b. weighs a ton anyway).
I'd consider the "blonde" but the body & neck heel look way too thick and the pickup & bridge/tailpiece aint even close.
Wouldn't be expecting Ric quality or components, but something a little closer style-wise.
I'd consider the "blonde" but the body & neck heel look way too thick and the pickup & bridge/tailpiece aint even close.
Wouldn't be expecting Ric quality or components, but something a little closer style-wise.
I got the blue one. The photos are true to what it is, and its no heavier than my ash p bass; probably less than 9 lbs.
$353 isnt that bad. The blue doesnt look much thicker than any other ric or copy Ive seen
The body is about 1 3/8 wide where it hits your belly and about 1 3/4 at the bottom by the jack. there is a nice subtle arch on the top. It is comfortable and the finish is beautiful. The neck is 1 5/8 at the nut, frets are pretty thick, finished nice with just a few rough edges. Neck is very straight. Mother of toilet seat inlays. Single truss rod of course. Neck pickup was mounted too close to the body routing so it was cocked. I had to chissel the routing a little so it would lay flat. The positive leads from the pickups are wired to the pots instead of the switch, so I suppose that's why the volume pots both work as master volume when both pickups are selected. The pots are 500k. The pickups seem to be good quality. Overall quality is about like an SX -very good for the price.
Looking at the website I can see they even go so far as to put the Rickenbacker name on the headstock! Wow, nothing like supporting Communism AND the theft of intellectual property from an American company that builds all of it's products here. It's hard to avoid buying goods produced in China these days, but this was just too easy.
I wish I had an anonymous untraceable email, an out-of-state postal box and a handfull of counterfeit $100 bills... I'd buy a round of Rickenjunkers for everybody.
Tired of hearing how impossible it is for a US customer to pursue the overseas crooks into their spider-holes and get their money back... I'd like to see if it was as difficult in reverse,
Tired of hearing how impossible it is for a US customer to pursue the overseas crooks into their spider-holes and get their money back... I'd like to see if it was as difficult in reverse,
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
All dealings I've had with China, mostly via Hong Kong admittedly, have been very smooth, very eager to please even if their English is funny. In fact, its about the only country I regularly deal with that has given me no trouble except unpredictable wait times for arrival.
I've told this story before, but will tell it once more! 
My Guitar player had been talking about these very sites a while back so he finally decided to test them out and bought the Gibson gold top Les Paul. He already has the real deal, but wanted to see if their quality was anything close to Gibson.
He brings it to rehearsal (along with his actual Gibson LP) and when he opened the case with the phony, I nearly fell over. I am no guitar expert by any stretch of the imagination, but honest to god, I couldn't tell them apart.
He said that when it arrived, he swapped out the garbage tuners and dropped actual Gibson PUPs into it and nothing more. Total price? $347 for the guitar and about $250 for parts. Roughly $600 for a copy of the $3,000 original.
He ended up giving it to his Grandson.
I personally HATE everything these guys stand for and I hate the idea that they are ripping off the individual companies (not to mention hijacking intellectual property). However, they do not observe copyright or trademark laws. To them, they don't exist.
My personal opinion is that as soon as they hit the US shores, they should be confiscated and used as firewood.
However, YMMV and, of course, IMHO
My Guitar player had been talking about these very sites a while back so he finally decided to test them out and bought the Gibson gold top Les Paul. He already has the real deal, but wanted to see if their quality was anything close to Gibson.
He brings it to rehearsal (along with his actual Gibson LP) and when he opened the case with the phony, I nearly fell over. I am no guitar expert by any stretch of the imagination, but honest to god, I couldn't tell them apart.
He said that when it arrived, he swapped out the garbage tuners and dropped actual Gibson PUPs into it and nothing more. Total price? $347 for the guitar and about $250 for parts. Roughly $600 for a copy of the $3,000 original.
He ended up giving it to his Grandson.
I personally HATE everything these guys stand for and I hate the idea that they are ripping off the individual companies (not to mention hijacking intellectual property). However, they do not observe copyright or trademark laws. To them, they don't exist.
My personal opinion is that as soon as they hit the US shores, they should be confiscated and used as firewood.
However, YMMV and, of course, IMHO
Well, the problem stems from the fact that any other manufacturer you can name (excluding boutique) offers a lower end "off shore" (generally Asian) model.
Some of us don't want to drag a vintage instrument into a dive & risk it being stolen or damaged. I'll sit & play my 4001 at home, take it to a practice or studio...maybe even a venue I know is cool, no problem. But I'm NOT hauling it to a gig 400 miles away in uncharted waters. I'd have no issue taking an "official" low end model or copy to one of those places. I'd still be pissed at losing a $300 - $400 instrument, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Aint a snowball's chance in Hell I'd ever be able to replace my Ric...financially, or the 36 years of accumulated mojo.
John Hall could avoid the hassle of chasing down the Asian copies & throw some more coin in his till at the same time if he offered one of his own. He hasn't & he has his reasons which he's entitled to.
But I have my reasons for being interested in one of these copies.
In fact, the seller states that they'll build to your specs (don't know the additional cost or turnaround time). I just may look into an unbound satin maple finish version.
Nope, it'll never fool another musician. Not trying to. The audience doesn't care what you're playing as long as it sounds good to them either. But there are circumstances where there's an appearance expectation on their part. I'm in one of those circumstances. This might fill my need without breaking the bank or risking a vintage instrument.
Some of us don't want to drag a vintage instrument into a dive & risk it being stolen or damaged. I'll sit & play my 4001 at home, take it to a practice or studio...maybe even a venue I know is cool, no problem. But I'm NOT hauling it to a gig 400 miles away in uncharted waters. I'd have no issue taking an "official" low end model or copy to one of those places. I'd still be pissed at losing a $300 - $400 instrument, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Aint a snowball's chance in Hell I'd ever be able to replace my Ric...financially, or the 36 years of accumulated mojo.
John Hall could avoid the hassle of chasing down the Asian copies & throw some more coin in his till at the same time if he offered one of his own. He hasn't & he has his reasons which he's entitled to.
But I have my reasons for being interested in one of these copies.
In fact, the seller states that they'll build to your specs (don't know the additional cost or turnaround time). I just may look into an unbound satin maple finish version.
Nope, it'll never fool another musician. Not trying to. The audience doesn't care what you're playing as long as it sounds good to them either. But there are circumstances where there's an appearance expectation on their part. I'm in one of those circumstances. This might fill my need without breaking the bank or risking a vintage instrument.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
They don't exist to them, because the country has different laws. Just like Chinese laws don't apply where you are.
My personal opinion is that as soon as they hit the US shores, they should be confiscated and used as firewood.
Legally they can be. And apparently some of those Chinese dealers are good enough to send you another if that happens, although I've not heard of that ever coming up.
I understand how you feel, however, we're not talking "vintage" here. I play Rics and Fenders and, while none are considered "Vintage" (If I would have kept everything from the 70s - maybe!), I have a good deal of cash tied up in my basses and amps, as well.
My thing is fairly straightforward. They have proven to me that they can build a high quality instrument. No doubt about that! So, why not start a company "over there" call it "Whatever" and market it worldwide? Why rip off Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, etc etc??
I, for one, would have a LOT more respect for them, if they went that route...
Understood. However, I'm relatively sure that the "powers that be" who run these companies are absolutely aware that they are stealing. Obviously, it doesn't matter to them.
That still doesn't justify it. And, of course, that doesn't just go for basses and guitars, but electronics, jewelry such as watches, etc.
Again, if anyone is comfortable buying these fakes, I'm not here to throw a wrench into the works. Do whatever floats your boat. It's just not for me.
Cheers!
I understand how you feel, however, we're not talking "vintage" here. I play Rics and Fenders and, while none are considered "Vintage" (If I would have kept everything from the 70s - maybe!), I have a good deal of cash tied up in my basses and amps, as well.
My thing is fairly straightforward. They have proven to me that they can build a high quality instrument. No doubt about that! So, why not start a company "over there" call it "Whatever" and market it worldwide? Why rip off Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, etc etc??
I, for one, would have a LOT more respect for them, if they went that route...
For the most part I agree with you, but I am talking about risking a vintage Ric (my '76).
The Japanese were lambasted for copying Gibson & Fender for years (the "Lawsuit" era).
Gibson & Fender got smart & started issuing their own Asian built versions. Why lose money to an offshore competitor if you can tap into that market yourself? IIRC, Fender actually got the Japanese plant that built most of the better copies to build the "Fender Japan" models for them! For their part, the Japanese started issuing original models under their own brand name...quite successfully (Ibanez Jem comes to mind).
For whatever reasons, Rickenbacker elects not to do so. And that is entirely their prerogative. Personally, I think it's a loss of revenue for them and a loss for us as players since they'd have control over what was leaving the factory...(though they've had their own QC issues in recent years). I guess they just don't see it the same way.
I'm not wondering where dinner's coming from, but I'm not rich either. Can't afford to put a $2900 bass on the line on a daily basis. Even if I could, I've had this bass since 1977 or 78. Losing it would be like chopping one of my arms off (well, to me anyway).
So if I want a Ric style bass that I don't mind getting a little road weary or beat up, that doesn't leave me with many options.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
Think you are misunderstanding that its an entirely different culture. Much less store is set by brand, some symbols on a headstock are exactly that, and nothing more. If someone wants to buy something for $30 dollars, make something worth $30 to sell to them, but in China negotiation is going to work by quality, and the price is down to the honesty of the seller to quote an honest price for a set level of quality (which is why if you do western style haggling, you get crap quality), going via Hong Kong helps with that, being a multicultural trade hub and all. Main point being, the Chinese don't see a problem with other people trying to do the same thing but better, and don't assume there is some obligation for anyone other than themselves to stop it (as in, you look after your own trade secrets, not demand a third party do it for you, like the government/legal system). As for how well that works as an industrial economic system: check how their economy is doing.
Having owned a Rick 4001 and an Epiphone pro IV , I gotta admit I can make the Epi sound a lot like a Rick, or a Gibson, or whatever I want. It's pretty versatile. I really missed the Rick until I got the Epi. Let me see, $500 vs $1,500. Maybe if the union laborers didn't demand $20 per hour, I would have bought American. I love my country but I'm just a poor hobbiest. Rickenbacker doesn't make anything in my price range, even used. However when it comes to blatant rip offs without licensing, I feel that should not be tolerated at all. No Quarter. All in all it comes down to personal choice.
RIC has less than 100 employees, and they're not unionized. But if anyone thinks $20.00 an hour is a fortune, volountarily take a pay cut. Who's first? Stealing is stealing. There just isn't any way to justify it. Anyone who feels differently, tell ya what, give me all of the music you've spent your life writing and recording. I'll get it out there, make a tone of money, and then...pay you nothing. By the way...other than a 4002 or 4005, no post '73 70's Rick bass is worth anywhere near $2700.00.
