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Why no Rickenbacker import line?

#61
You can't deny the fact that Rickenbacker sued Jason Lollar out of making a Horseshoe reissue. It may not be a technically advanced pickup, but some people like its tone, and Rickenbacker isn't making one either. Now a company called Classic Amplification is apparently attempting to make a "shoeless" reissue. Quick, Rick. :D:rollno:
 
#63
Everybody already has the budget line, I want to know where the higher end model is!!!

I'm only kidding, I love my 1985 Rickenbacker

I do think they currently have the perfect opportunity to ride the short scale wave and bring the 3000 back, make it sub $1k and they would kill it. I also just want one of those and I don't want to pay the astronomical prices when they do show up for sale!
 
#65
The only thing that makes a Ric difficult to build and finish is the neck through aspect, and even that's debatable with CNC. The asking price has more to do with carefully engineered artificial scarcity than construction cost. A lot of the Japanese Lawsuit basses were built as set neck copies, and sound as good or better than genuine Rics. The Chinese set-neck counterfeits are cheaply made with substandard hardware and crap electronics.
 
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#66
From an investment in longevity, it's completely narrow minded. They will feel the effects at the next economic downturn when the backlog runs out and the orders slow down. Not to say that they did so much to ramp things up. Ric has not done much to innovate their product, but who's to say they have to? But a budget minded off shore model would be flying off the shelves right now and might carry them through the next recession.
 
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#68
2tonic said:
What if Ric went the other way??
A custom offering of original 4001's (67~72 specs, give or take) with certain improvements.
- harder fretwire
- Hipshot bridge
- checkerboard binding
- non mysterious truss rods
- outsourced paintwork (your wallet is the limit)
- select woods
- vintage spec pickups with matched outputs
In short, address every shortcoming of the 4001 on a custom "cost is no object" basis, but still with the imprimatur of Rickenbacker of America.
Is there a clientele for the "Ric of their dreams" at a
$ 3~5k pricepoint?
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Independent of having a boutique line or something similar, I think they should have optional modern or vintage pickups (since doing so would cost them nothing), and an option of a single-truss-rod instead of two (which IMHO two are completely unnecessary) for no additional charge.
 
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#69
Gilmourisgod said:
The only thing that makes a Ric difficult to build and finish is the neck through aspect, and even that's debatable with CNC. The asking price has more to do with carefully engineered artificial scarcity than construction cost. A lot of the Japanese Lawsuit basses were built as set neck copies, and sound as good or better than genuine Rics. The Chinese set-neck counterfeits are cheaply made with substandard hardware and crap electronics.
Click to expand...
Artificial scarcity. Touché.
I've no sympathy for counterfeits and general IP infringement from any country, but I still find it amusing and ironic that some Japanese lawsuit-era basses are better than real Ricks (and sometimes Fenders and Gibsons for that matter). :laugh:
 
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#70
TexasEdition said:
From an investment in longevity, it's completely narrow minded. They will feel the effects at the next economic downturn when the backlog runs out and the orders slow down. Not to say that they did so much to ramp things up. Ric has not done much to innovate their product, but who's to say they have to? But a budget minded off shore model would be flying off the shelves right now and might carry them through the next recession.
Click to expand...
Not to say that the next recession can't get em, but they have survived quite a lot of them already.
 
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#73
Teijo K. said:
Not to say that the next recession can't get em, but they have survived quite a lot of them already.
Click to expand...

Who knows right? It all depends on what they are doing now. Have they taken out any large loans to expand the facility? Buy new tooling? Automation improvements? I honestly don't know, and I guess they have not done a darn thing. They are probably still running Quickbooks 98 on a 386SX for all I know. So maybe the worst thing that will happen is their backlog goes from 6 months to 6 days. Not to say that is a good thing either since it seriously limits their ability to issue debt. But with history being the predictor of the future, a company that fails to innovate is doomed for failure.
 
#74
Iristone said:
I still find it amusing and ironic that some Japanese lawsuit-era basses are better than real Ricks (and sometimes Fenders and Gibsons for that matter). :laugh:
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it this very reason why Fender started the Nippon facility in the first place? Their knock offs were just as good, if not better, than the real thing.
 
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#75
I’d like to see Rickenbacker break out of their comfort zone and try something different, maybe more modern. Active electronics, full 34 inch scale length. I’m not suggesting abandoning their classic models. The current 5 string model shows that they are willing to think a little outside the box , but I really think they missed the mark on that one.
 
#76
probably the same reason rolex does not offer a Chinese made budget line of watches

they choose not to really is the answer.

I was talking to an upright bass luthier who hand makes instruments recently. They are very affordably priced. I asked him why he doesn't offer violins (same building principals, smaller, less hours of work, less material, higher profit margins, larger market to sell to) and he replied with the simple answer "i love basses."

A good reason may be that the folks at rickenbacker don't find budget lines exciting, but they like what they offer now? OR maybe they're all about money and are going to jump at the idea of money left on the table, i don't know,
 
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#77
ScottsTheLimit said:
I usually get excited when I see someone play a Rick on stage...but if I spot the USA sticker on the pickguard or worse yet the push/pull sticker by the knobs my doooooshcanoooo meter goes off and I can't take them seriously.

At least an import line would keep people from leaving stupid stickers on their basses.
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If there were imported Ricks, I think that would provide MORE incentive for those who bought a USA Rick to leave the sticker on, not less - to show they bought a "real" Rick.
 

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