karlfer Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Wish I hadn't sold mine, gonna be worth a fortune in a years time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB3000S Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Epic bad PR move on Rickenbackers part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 It is sort of super harsh to the Rick owners, but the only way to be safe is to ban all sales of anything that looks like a Rickenbacker for sale from BC, including Rickenbackers. Should probably set the autofilter for the term 'Rickenbacker' too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I came on this evening to list for sale my lovely Ghersen faker and saw this thread. Damn, really need the cash as well having, ironically, just bought a v63. Can I list it somehow or am I going to be economic with information (and pics)? C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 List it ... but don't include any photos of the headstock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Happy to chip into any fighting fund. Pretty sure we have some in-house legal types. In any case, it's not gone that far - it's just bluster. He'll make threats in the hope of having his way; and, as in all other walks of life when someone threatens you out of the blue, we can make our own judgements about the character of John Hall. I've seen CEOs intervene personally to make a difference, from firms far larger than Rickenbacker - but I've never seen one quite do cack-handed. They normally dive in to so brands; not f*** them. Ah well, perhaps we'll have some Ratner-esque gaffe for further amusement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johngh Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1334150821' post='1611630'] A mate of mine loves Ricks, has a few guitars all fairly new, and a 4001. He's had to send a couple of the guitars back to be replaced because of QC issues and poor finishing, he has a (360?) 12 string that has a tuning peg route that was totally messed up at the factory, and his 4001 had to have a new nut and full set up at the Gallery to stop the G falling off the side of the neck when played. The string mute adjuster keeps falling off too, awful bridge design. [b]He still loves them but readily admits he's more often than not disappointed with the quality and quality control.[/b] He has to work had to get a good one, because they make so few of them. He's taken five years to get four that he's happy with, and even two of those needed work at his own expense I love the look of the 4001 basses, but I can't buy stuff from someone who behaves so pathetically, even if I wanted to, which I don't because they play so badly and are so poorly designed. [/quote] So what they need, as well as a sane CEO, is a decent Quality Engineer, which is where I come in, so Mr Hall, fire your Quality Manager and Quality Engineer, cause' they are clearly crap, and apoint me instead. Go on I dare you. Seriously I have just recently aquired Ricky GAS and was looking for a black one. Needless to say Mr Hall, can now stick it. I've always thought the build quality was crap, but I just fancied one. When you have to spend extra dosh to get a brand new bass put right something is clearly very wrong. Congratulations Mr Hall for shooting yourself in the foot big style. I'm friggin' disgusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Johngh' timestamp='1334169122' post='1612016'] So what they need, as well as a sane CEO, is a decent Quality Engineer, which is where I come in, so Mr Hall, fire your Quality Manager and Quality Engineer, cause' they are clearly crap, and apoint me instead. Go on I dare you. [b]Seriously I have just recently aquired Ricky GAS and was looking for a black one. Needless to say Mr Hall, can now stick it. I've always thought the build quality was crap, but I just fancied one.[/b] When you have to spend extra dosh to get a brand new bass put right something is clearly very wrong. Congratulations Mr Hall for shooting yourself in the foot big style. [/quote] If you want to save yourself a few quid you're in luck mate. Possibly not the real thing though, WoT's got one for sale and it's black!!! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173256-for-sale-rockinbetter-copy/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173256-for-sale-rockinbetter-copy/[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johngh Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1334169292' post='1612019'] If you want to save yourself a few quid you're in luck mate. Possibly not the real thing though, WoT's got one for sale and it's black!!! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173256-for-sale-rockinbetter-copy/"]http://basschat.co.u...kinbetter-copy/[/url] [/quote] Nah, too expensive, and the wrong shade of black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I'll be happy to chip in for any legal opinion, should it be needed. As has been said however, it's a case of who blinks first and it can be very, very expensive to discover who that will be. From what I remember of reading a trademark lawyers website (perhaps 8 years ago) the US and UK treat the definition of trade differently, and unless things have changed in the intervening years the private sale of personal goods doesn't fall within trademark law in the UK. It does in the US, so JH may well believe he is right. However RIC is likely to have deeper pockets than us and the merest hint of of this going to court could quite easily empty our collective pockets. In other words, in true Maxwell bully-boy style, he may well be able afford to just to bluff it out with the confidence he'll drain our coffers first. As for why JH doesn't license mass produced Far Eastern copies, it's because he doesn't have the inclination. He believes in the quality of his instruments, they're tied up with his personal history and he grew up knowing his family were closely involved with an iconic design. Why would he want to cheapen the family brand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny B Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 It's not really my area, but I think the key (recent) case is L'Oreal v Ebay, where counterfeits were being listed and sold. Will try and dig it out and see how applicable it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1334162643' post='1611888'] Amazing what people trademark these days [/quote] Lovin' this even more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1334165004' post='1611930'] I came on this evening to list for sale my lovely Ghersen faker and saw this thread. Damn, really need the cash as well having, ironically, just bought a v63. Can I list it somehow or am I going to be economic with information (and pics)? C [/quote] Publish it, Chris!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Oh he's not gonna sue, even if he reads this and thinks 'Oh well now I'm gonna make an example of the site', it's still a ridiculous move to make. At best you're going to see a massive dive in UK sales, at worst there'll be a massive sale of 2nd hand Rics, which could affect global sales (shipping to other countries etc). I know they're the extremes, but the online backlash from legal action on something so petty (It's not even like we're building copies in a garage) would not be worth the action. They'd need to spend so much in legal fee's maintaining the precedence, they might as well sell up now. Si Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1334171893' post='1612093'] Publish it, Chris!! [/quote] Done mate, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173293-late-70searly-80s-gherson-copy-of-a-famous-brand-bass-for-sale/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173293-late-70searly-80s-gherson-copy-of-a-famous-brand-bass-for-sale/page__fromsearch__1[/url] (pics to follow). OK, I've been a little discrete, but mostly 'cos I don't want Kiwi and Ped waking up to a summons following JH's communication! C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 What a way to generate business, good feeling and customer care. What a pity that many bass players (on this forum) might have been selling their 'copy' basses to move on to the real thing. Oh, now they can't because the CEO of 'real thing' does not want their money. I had the real thing, for about 10 years 1980 - 1990. Have not bought another, and now, will never. Do ask me about long term build quality by the way at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Maybe we should ass 'Rickenbacker' to the swear filter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Did you mean to type ass, ped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 The guys with the RIC account at Rosetti won't like this............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1334172751' post='1612114'] Maybe we should add 'Rickenbacker' to the swear filter [/quote] That's really elegant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Alas a 4003 is on my 'will have one day list' but things like this aren't encouraging me that Rickenbacker are customer orientated and thus are undeserving of my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='Stacker' timestamp='1334172993' post='1612121'] The guys with the RIC account at Rosetti won't like this............ [/quote] Neither will RIC, but it really does take some doing to alienate so many possible customers, in one niche market, in one day. Wish there was an applause emoticon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Having once been a member of the Ric forum, many of whose hugely partisan members positively revel in ratting out Rickenfaker sales, I can only imagine they are planning an invasion of our small island waving their (dual) truss rods in righteous indignation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 hmmm anyone here living on the isle of man got the ability to host servers and a forum in their house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I had gas for a ric but changed my mind now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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