Rickenfaker question #457 & #458

[daz]

I have a hankering to try one of those Rickenfaker copies, so...

1) Which of the Ric copies (Toaki, Probass, Anyothers?) are true [i]stereo [/i]basses?
2) Which companies still make new Ric copies and sell them here in the UK (apart from the two i have already listed?)

[BigRedX]

Tokai don't make a Rickenfaker bass.

Edited to add the word "bass"

Edited December 16, 2010 by BigRedX

[Mykesbass]

Don't know about stereo, but these guys make very good quality instruments:
[url="http://www.imuso.co.uk/Bass-Guitars/7361-/Indie-R-Rickenbacker-4003-Shape-Bass-Guitar-Jetglow-Black"]http://www.imuso.co.uk/Bass-Guitars/7361-/...r-Jetglow-Black[/url]

[MythSte]

Bassassasin will be along shortly I think...!

Personally I wouldnt go anywhere near any of the new faker models, but I'd be keeping my eye out for some old JapCrap Ibanez or similar

[Bassassin]

None of the modern copies are stereo, as far as I know.

Many of the 70s Japanese copies were stereo though. On the whole these are a lot closer to being replicas of the original than any of the modern ones, so are somewhat more likely to sound like a Rick too.

Jon.

[daz]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1060308' date='Dec 16 2010, 08:48 AM']Tokai don't make a Rickenfaker bass.

Edited to add the word "bass"[/quote]

Excuse my ignorance, I am late to this Ric copy thing, I need to catch up But why do i see what are supposedly Toaki made Rockinbetter bass all over the shop ? Whats going on there then?

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1060530' date='Dec 16 2010, 01:06 PM']None of the modern copies are stereo, as far as I know.

Many of the 70s Japanese copies were stereo though. On the whole these are a lot closer to being replicas of the original than any of the modern ones, so are somewhat more likely to sound like a Rick too.

Jon.[/quote]


If you will indulge me a while longer to ask another question. What are the names of these 1970s Jap' Ric' copies (apart from Ibanez) I just need to know what to search for.

Edited December 16, 2010 by daz

[BigRedX]

[quote name='daz' post='1060635' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:04 PM']Excuse my ignorance, I am late to this Ric copy thing, I need to catch up But why do i see what are supposedly Toaki made Rockinbetter bass all over the shop ? Whats going on there then?[/quote]
There is absolutely zero evidence that the Rockinbetter basses have anything to do with Tokai Gakki.

It's a myth perpetuated by those who have a vested interest in selling you a Rockinbetter bass, hoping to confer some brand respectability onto what is essentially a no-name MIC instrument.

There is a possibility that the Rockinbetter basses are made in the same Chinese factory that also produces the lowest quality Tokai instruments. However this doesn't actually mean anything in real terms since these Chinese musical instrument factories make all sorts of instruments for all sorts of customers at all sorts of quality levels and price points. All it could possible mean is that maybe the Rockinbetter was cut out on the same CNC machine that also cuts out some of the Tokai instruments and maybe the same worker(s) had a hand in the assembly, but that's as far as it goes. The important aspects to this type of product are the original instrument specs and the level of QC applied to the product. For a Tokai branded instrument these specifications come from Tokai Gakki. For the Rockinbetter - who knows?

Tokai, have had no problem producing Ric-style guitars with Tokai on the TRC. I have a 2000 catalogue from Tokai that shows a pair of them. However although there are basses 'inspired' by Fender, Gibson and some with original models in the same catalogue, there is nothing based on the Rickenbacker design. I have yet to see a Rickenfaker bass with Tokai on the TRC.

In short the attempts to link Rockinbetter and Tokai are nothing but hype and you're best off ignoring them.

[BigRedX]

BTW what does the Rick-O-Sound socket actually do?

Is is simply a way of routing the neck and bridge pickups to separate amplifiers (in which case it should be an easy enough mod to apply to any Rickenfaker) or is there more involved?

[KevB]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1060676' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:47 PM']BTW what does the Rick-O-Sound socket actually do?

Is is simply a way of routing the neck and bridge pickups to separate amplifiers (in which case it should be an easy enough mod to apply to any Rickenfaker) or is there more involved?[/quote]

That's pretty much it, more info here:
[url="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-363690.html"]http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/i...p/t-363690.html[/url]
I don't think I've ever seen anyone in pub bands actually do it though, I haven't with my ric. Enough gear to be humping around without a second rig!

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1060676' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:47 PM']BTW what does the Rick-O-Sound socket actually do?

Is is simply a way of routing the neck and bridge pickups to separate amplifiers (in which case it should be an easy enough mod to apply to any Rickenfaker) or is there more involved?[/quote]

It is a means of separating the bridge and neck pickups, it is a funny switching jack, and there is also fun with the bass cut capacitor on the bridge pickup.

If you are set on using stereo, it is easy enough to wire a stereo socket, should be able to make it switchable too. I wired mine straight stereo because I felt no need to complicate things in there, the switching jack looked like a prone to failure thing.

[skankdelvar]

There's a mob called Anniversary (dreadful name) who chop out quite a nice-looking little Faker. [url="http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80606"]http://www.expressmusicstore.co.uk/products.asp?code=80606[/url]

Bloke in Leicester's unloading one for £200 s'hand [url="http://buy.vivastreet.co.uk/instruments+barwell-le9/anniversary-bass-with-gps-case----anbacker-style/30258988"]http://buy.vivastreet.co.uk/instruments+ba...-style/30258988[/url] for more pix. Bridge p'up assembly looks a bit squint, though it could be my eyes...

[Bassassin]

[quote name='daz' post='1060635' date='Dec 16 2010, 03:04 PM']What are the names of these 1970s Jap' Ric' copies (apart from Ibanez) I just need to know what to search for.[/quote]
Tricky question to find a straight answer to! The vast majority of 70s Fakers have long since had their original name truss rod covers removed, and replaced with poorly-faked Rickenbacker ones. These are usually a very roughly-cut piece of perspex over a bit of paper carrying a hand-drawn or smudgily-printed Rickenbacker logo.

Most people selling an old Japanese (or Korean, or Brazilian, or Czech) Faker will say it's an Ibanez anyway. 99% of them aren't. The Ibanez 2388B range of Rick copies are very well made but are the most inaccurate of all the MIJ copies, and one of the inaccuracies is that most of them aren't stereo. Late in the life of the model it was heavily revised to make it as accurate as most of the other MIJ copies, and these are stereo.They're also very rare & will cost more than most other Fakers.

Stereo Rick copies from a load of different factories were sold under brands like Aria, Aria Pro, CMI, Shaftesbury, Kimbara, JHS, Hondo, Arbiter and various others in the UK, plus a million other names around the world. They are about half & half bolt-on or through-neck in construction, but with the exception of the low-end plywood stuff like the Korean-made Hondo, I wouldn't be put off by a bolt-on; they are exceedingly well-made.

There's a guy selling an increasingly realistically-priced Aria [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=114495"]here[/url], otherwise your best bet for finding one is the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=270"]Rickenfakers sticky[/url].

J.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Bassassin

[daz]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1060831' date='Dec 16 2010, 06:19 PM']Tricky question to find a straight answer to! The vast majority of 70s Fakers have long since had their original name truss rod covers removed, and replaced with poorly-faked Rickenbacker ones. These are usually a very roughly-cut piece of perspex over a bit of paper carrying a hand-drawn or smudgily-printed Rickenbacker logo.

Most people selling an old Japanese (or Korean, or Brazilian, or Czech) Faker will say it's an Ibanez anyway. 99% of them aren't. The Ibanez 2388B range of Rick copies are very well made but are the most inaccurate of all the MIJ copies, and one of the inaccuracies is that most of them aren't stereo. Late in the life of the model it was heavily revised to make it as accurate as most of the other MIJ copies, and these are stereo.They're also very rare & will cost more than most other Fakers.

Stereo Rick copies from a load of different factories were sold under brands like Aria, Aria Pro, CMI, Shaftesbury, Kimbara, JHS, Hondo, Arbiter and various others in the UK, plus a million other names around the world. They are about half & half bolt-on or through-neck in construction, but with the exception of the low-end plywood stuff like the Korean-made Hondo, I wouldn't be put off by a bolt-on; they are exceedingly well-made.

There's a guy selling an increasingly realistically-priced Aria [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=114495"]here[/url], otherwise your best bet for finding one is the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=270"]Rickenfakers sticky[/url].

J.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice. Yeah i saw the one Ash is selling. Like i said if it were not xmas time id have it off him. In my neck of the woods too.