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Rickenfakers on a Chinese website
- Thread starter mooreon131
- Start date
I have bought from tradetang in the past - not a bass, but a "Gibsun" copy. It was a copy of the LP Supreme that runs $3K new...!! Like I'd ever pay $3k for guitar lol! Some people can maybe afford it but I certainly can't.
So I went for the copy. Total price was $395 for the guitar with a hardshell case after I had to pay a customs "fee".
The guitar was fantastic - easily on par with higher end epiphones. Ebony fretboard was good, pickups were typical, not bad but not anywhere near great either. Guitar construction was much better than I thought it would be. I took it to my local luthier for a setup - they were impressed with what they saw, the only issue was a bridge post not fully seated.
Make no mistake - this would never pass muster as a gibson. The serial number did not match the neck color, the binding was all wrong, and the "Supreme" logo on the headstock did not match the real thing either. But the body paint/finish and neck inlays looked great.
Overall I was impressed but honestly I don't think I'll ever buy that way again. It's really a crapshoot given what you can buy from MF or Rondo and have a great return policy. There's really no option to send it back in this case. Possible I'm sure but a real PITA if you're lucky enough to get your money refunded.
YMMV.
So I went for the copy. Total price was $395 for the guitar with a hardshell case after I had to pay a customs "fee".
The guitar was fantastic - easily on par with higher end epiphones. Ebony fretboard was good, pickups were typical, not bad but not anywhere near great either. Guitar construction was much better than I thought it would be. I took it to my local luthier for a setup - they were impressed with what they saw, the only issue was a bridge post not fully seated.
Make no mistake - this would never pass muster as a gibson. The serial number did not match the neck color, the binding was all wrong, and the "Supreme" logo on the headstock did not match the real thing either. But the body paint/finish and neck inlays looked great.
Overall I was impressed but honestly I don't think I'll ever buy that way again. It's really a crapshoot given what you can buy from MF or Rondo and have a great return policy. There's really no option to send it back in this case. Possible I'm sure but a real PITA if you're lucky enough to get your money refunded.
YMMV.
I'd buy these to use as wall decorations, but not much else. They'd look great in a bar or restaurant where they didn't want to put expensive instruments to waste by never being plugged into an amp even once...
How many sales has Ric lost because of these fake Rics? People don't choose to buy these Chinese made knock offs because they have amazing quality and QC. They tend to buy them because they're what they can afford. I don't have a $200 used Spector because I support Korea, I have it because I can't afford a 3k USA Spector. The same with Chinese knockoffs.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
TB user Rick4001s has a nice collection of Chinese copies from this thread:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/im-wondering-if-anyone-has-experience-852547/
so there ARE people in the world who have purchased them, did not get ripped off, and are happy with the "cheapness".
Not to say EVERYONE has such a pleasurable buying experience, but here is his family of CLONES:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/im-wondering-if-anyone-has-experience-852547/
so there ARE people in the world who have purchased them, did not get ripped off, and are happy with the "cheapness".
Not to say EVERYONE has such a pleasurable buying experience, but here is his family of CLONES:
Hello TBers
I have read just about all of the trademark breach discussions on this forum and can only say this. These Chinese rickenfakers can be instantly transformed into "acceptable" rick copies if you remove the head plate with the "R" word. You can then toss um into the fire for all I care. I did it because I don't take it too seriously.
I just love the shape and sounds basses like these make and I am too poor to buy the so many examples of the genuine article.
Here is my latest faker acquisition.
Invalid Link Removed
I have read just about all of the trademark breach discussions on this forum and can only say this. These Chinese rickenfakers can be instantly transformed into "acceptable" rick copies if you remove the head plate with the "R" word. You can then toss um into the fire for all I care. I did it because I don't take it too seriously.
I just love the shape and sounds basses like these make and I am too poor to buy the so many examples of the genuine article.
Here is my latest faker acquisition.
Invalid Link Removed
When is STEALING someone elses trademarks ever acceptable? If you can't make enough money playing music to buy a $1500.00 bass, then you're not trying hard enough.
It would be nice if Rickenbacker got on the bandwagon and created an entry level Ric so that struggling musicians could get a taste of the "good life." That way they would attract new customers and leave them wanting the high end models. 
It would be nice if Rickenbacker got on the bandwagon and created an entry level Ric so that struggling musicians could get a taste of the "good life." That way they would attract new customers and leave them wanting the high end models.
Thank goodness there's at least one company that still employs Americans, making quality American products, instead of selling out, like so many others have.
On living "the good life" on the cheap: If 'ya can't/won't afford 'em, don't buy 'em.
Did you notice the guys painting the guitars in the spray booth are not wearing any mask even though the Chinese are famous for putting lead in their paint finishes.
My reason for not buying an original Rickenbacker is that I simply don't want to wait over half a year to get a Rickenbacker and even after waiting, it still costs a sh*tload of money. Plus it's really hard to buy a Rickenbacker in Germany when on the other hand an almost exact copy is availble at all the times.
I'm a customer. Welcome to capitalism.
When trademarks are infringed upon, it's not capitolism, it's theft. Enabling it is just lazy. If you wrote a song and someone recorded it and made money on it because it was easier than writing their own song, would that be capitolism? Would that be okay with you? Or would you be expecting to be paid for YOUR song? Perhaps in Germany those standards don't apply.
I put the word acceptable in inverted commas because I too question whether buying one of these basses is really acceptable. Breach of trademark is unlawful.I live in Australia, and it would be almost a godsend if I could buy a real rick for $1500!!!! Rickenbackers in OZ go for $2500 AUD or more second hand. New ones nearly $4000!!!! You have got it so good in the US. As I said before, we only just got a Rick distributor in Oz after many years of not being able to buy one here retail. I have owned a 1978 Rick 4001. I think I worked damn hard for it
Aside from the ethical and trademark infringement issues (a civil matter), here's something else to keep in mind: these Chinese companies are located in China and subject to China's laws. Offering these counterfeits for sale in the U.S. via the internet is technically a criminal act, but since the companies are in China they are out of reach and it's impossible to shut them down and difficult to shut down their websites.
Most of YOU, on the other hand, are U.S. citizens and subject to U.S. law. If YOU cause one of these counterfeits to be imported into the U.S., and Customs inspectors catch it on the way in, YOU could face civil/and or criminal consequences. Fair? No. Reality? Yes. Just something to think about. . .
Most of YOU, on the other hand, are U.S. citizens and subject to U.S. law. If YOU cause one of these counterfeits to be imported into the U.S., and Customs inspectors catch it on the way in, YOU could face civil/and or criminal consequences. Fair? No. Reality? Yes. Just something to think about. . .
I feel sorry for my non US brothers & sisters. When I was stationed in the UK, the price they paid for instruments, blew my mind.
What counterfeiters in China are doing may actually not be illegal there. It seems that whomever is first to trademark or patent something there is the allowed to produce it, even if it's fake. Martin guitars is being ripped off in this way, and the countereiters are actually using Martin's name!
Correction China does not care about Copyright at all. It is not just US Copyright but all Copyright. They have a fundamentally different world view. In their world view ideas are open to everyone only the physical manifestation of those ideas have any values. I am not saying I agree with or support their world view but that is what happens when we have globalization, we run into people who have completely different and sometimes contrary world views.
I just noticed this thread. A couple years ago, I decided to buy a fake Gibson les Paul supreme from China. It took about 2 weeks to get in. Finish wise, the guitar looked great. After a little setup, it actually played pretty good too.
I wanted something I could take on stage and not have to worry about.
My biggest complaint with it was the pickups. They were microphonic. I ended up pulling and potting them. Sounds pretty good now.
It ends up being the luck of the draw. I still have it and will never sell it.
I wanted something I could take on stage and not have to worry about.
My biggest complaint with it was the pickups. They were microphonic. I ended up pulling and potting them. Sounds pretty good now.
It ends up being the luck of the draw. I still have it and will never sell it.
