Rickenfaker

[Guest MoJo]

Seen this [url="http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=EG01679"]Rick inspired copy[/url] ? Wonder how they play/sound

[Musky]

I think Jon (Bassassin) has tried one of these and was decidedly unimpressed. You'll probably find his thoughts on them in the Rickenfaker sticky in the Ebay Links forum.

[NeonMig]

Abort! Abort! Abort!

You'll get yourself sued even thinking about fake Rickenbackers!!!

[Bassassin]

I played one a couple of years ago at Music Live - it sounded & felt nothing like a real Rick (or good copy) and the overall impression was budget bass - not at all good when the price tag was over £500. I was also quite put out by "Mr Indie Guitars", whose attitude was both cynical & ignorant.

£370 is a little less painful, I suppose but it's really a generic Korean bass with a Rick body shape, rather than an in any way faithful copy. Construction of these is set-neck, not neckthrough.

There are better & more accurate copies around, if you look - the Shine is a lot more realistic, and has a nice set of Seymour Duncan Rick pups as well:

[url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522[/url]

These are available in a variety of pretty finishes too.

I'd always recommend old JapCrap - like this one that's being sold right here:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25735"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25735[/url]

Jon.

[NeonMig]

And now they're about to be sued as well.

Rickenbacker really goes over the top with such matters.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='NeonMig' post='264470' date='Aug 18 2008, 12:35 PM']And now they're about to be sued as well.

Rickenbacker really goes over the top with such matters.[/quote]
Rickenbacker doesn't really have a lot of luck in enforcing their trademark ownership anywhere outside the US, actually. That's probably OK because the only reason they have to do this is the way trademarking works over there - a mark owner (RIC, in this case) has to be seen [i]actively[/i] kicking the arse of every infringer - if they don't, they lose the exclusive right to use the trademark.

Hence they [i]have[/i] to go after Ebay auctions & US based importers of copies - if they didn't then any bugger would be able to legally make & sell Rick copies. This is exactly why there are a million different Fender/Gibson knockoffs (usually apart from the headstocks - which [i]are[/i] protected trademarks) but comparatively few Ricks.

Ebay auctions in the UK & elsewhere get pulled down because Ebay's a US company, and would suffer the Wrath Of RIC if they didn't. There's probably not a lot RIC can do beyond blow hot air & chuck out cease & desists to other overseas infringers, because international law is different to US & the process would be long & very expensive for a small business like RIC. What they do is probably enough, though.

Given that Rickenbacker has stayed small & family-owned, and they sell a unique & well-made niche product - and still remain [i]fairly[/i] competitively-priced, compared to other US-made instruments, I think it's overall a good thing they've hung onto their trademarks so far. Even though John Hall seems to be an arrogant, hostile cock.

Jon.

Edited August 18, 2008 by Bassassin

[NeonMig]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='264509' date='Aug 18 2008, 03:08 PM']Given that Rickenbacker has stayed small & family-owned, and they sell a unique & well-made niche product - and still remain [i]fairly[/i] competitively-priced, compared to other US-made instruments, I think it's overall a good thing they've hung onto their trademarks so far. Even though John Hall seems to be an arrogant, hostile cock.

Jon.[/quote]


Yeah I guess. I didn't like the whole price-rising thing they did recently, it was like 'hey we can't keep up with demand, let's raise our prices insanely high so fewer people order!'

It's just sometimes their overzealousness in suing people can border on comedy...