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RickenFakers

Happy Jack

By Happy Jack,
in Bass Guitars

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Nibody Rising Star

Nibody

Posted
Posted

Its daft really. I'd love one of these copies, and if I had the money to buy a real Rik... I'd spend it on a classic P-Bass... LOL. You'd think they'd be better licensing to a company to make copies or a "budget" version. I wonder how Bass Collection get away with their "Californian"



or are they officially licensed?

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Musky Proficient

Musky

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1320862097' post='1432492']
Its daft really. I'd love one of these copies, and if I had the money to buy a real Rik... I'd spend it on a classic P-Bass... LOL. You'd think they'd be better licensing to a company to make copies or a "budget" version. I wonder how Bass Collection get away with their "Californian"



or are they officially licensed?
[/quote]
Probably the same way they got away with calling the Rockingbetters 'Tokai'.

If you do a search for registered UK trademarks you'll find that unlike the US they haven't actually registered the designs. They can probably get away with scaring some distributors into pulling the line, but if they're ignored RIC will be looking at significant costs which they'd probably have trouble recouping from some outfits.

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Musky Proficient

Musky

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1321302898' post='1437613']
Depends how many really. Do it as a collective, and sell them cell style. I'd be interested in that.
[/quote]
I seem to recall a guitar forum did that with (I think) non-reverse firebirds from (I think) Bach in the Czech Republic. Though they didn't actually sell them on. :)

But it could be worth a punt as long as you don't want to sell through ebay - they'll just shut down the auction as soon as they get notification through their Vero scheme. Although RIC haven't registered their designs as trademarks in the UK, they [i]may[/i] be covered by trademark legislation anyway. It's hideously complicated legislation and it would probably only be solved by [i]very[/i] expensive litigation. RIC seem to rely on scaring people off, though if you've got balls of steel you could brazen it out.

I've a sneaking suspicion the Bass Centre are behind the commission and import of the Rockinbetters, which now seem to have been replaced by the very similar Bass Collections. God knows exactly what that's all about, and there might be a simple explanation, but it might be an attempt to muddy the waters a little. But I would suppose the best bet would be to keep things off the radar, which would inevitably mean lower sales.

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Musky Proficient

Musky

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1321308642' post='1437730']
Last bass outpost I think it was done a group buy of Non Reverse T-birds from Bach. As you say keeping it below the radar lowers the sales. Although I have found some where that will do Minimum orders of 6 rather than the $5k others are looking. I have no where to keep a 20foot containers worth of fakers :) they have said they will do a faker to spec but who knows how good or bad they will be :)
[/quote]
Ah, close but no cigar!

Regards the quality of these things, there seems to be a sizeable group who don't seem to care. Someone's buying those Kays and Hondos. :)

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Musky Proficient

Musky

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1321484498' post='1439889']
"Tokai": [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tokai-Anniversary-COPY-Rickenbaker-4001-Bass-/170730905407?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item27c05adf3f"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item27c05adf3f[/url]
[/quote]
That's a new twist. Now the Anniversary's have an tenuous and unproven Tokai connection - they may as well just call it an Ibanez and have done with it. :)

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Soloshchenko Enthusiast

Soloshchenko

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1321299658' post='1437549']
This is pushing the boundary a bit, but fairly sure of the intention: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alden-Beatbacker-through-neck-Bass-guitar-/320794264885?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4ab0d40535"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item4ab0d40535[/url]
[/quote]

If that had a more traditional shape I'd be bidding like a maniac.As it is, it just looks ugly.

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Mr. Foxen Veteran

Mr. Foxen

Posted
Posted

Kay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Kay-20B-Bass-Rickenbaker-Copy-/170733282945?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item27c07f2681

Much more interesting shaftesbury Semi: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHAFTEBURY-BASS-60S-70S-SEMI-ACOUSTIC-SEARCHERS-/160686223241?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2569a52f89

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  • 2 weeks later...
TheDaivisch Community Regular

TheDaivisch

Posted
Posted

I know this has been brought up a few times, but does anyone have any experience of these?

[url="http://www.tiptop.se/tiptop2010/itempage.php?i=2523&bigimage=2"]http://www.tiptop.se/tiptop2010/itempage.php?i=2523&bigimage=2[/url]

they look lovely (and I love the idea of a 22 fret Rick) and I'm very tempted!

I'm confused though, why does this appear to be the only place that sells them, and also the only place where I have seen them with a proper headstock? Also, with delivery fees, it works out at £700!!

I contacted the seller and the conversation went as follows. I'm rather skeptical about his claim that he helped design them..the parts, as far as I can see are standard Shine - just with nicer finish options and a Rick shaped headstock:

>> Med Vänlig Hälsning / Best Regards
>> Björn Clern, "Mr TIP TOP"
>> TIP TOP Musik AB: Katarinav�gen 22 (T-Slussen),
>> S-11645 Stockholm, Sweden
>> Öppet/Open: Tis-Fre kl 13-18, L�r 12-15
>>
>>
>>> I understand these are good bases, but 810E seems a lot for Chinese made
>>> copies. The older versions are £500 here. Would you do it for 700Euro?
>>> Dave

> On 29 Nov 2011, at 21:51, "Tip Top Musik" <[email="[email protected]"][color="#234786"][email protected][/color][/email]> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> I designed these basses after being RICs distributor for 10 years...
>> Its better than a RIC:
>> bone nut, better bridge, better head angle,nicer inlays etc.
>> USA Duncans are killer pickups.
>> Yes they have correct RIC heads.
>>
>> 810 euros is firm sorry.
>>

> You designed them? I thought they were Shine basses? Is it not the
> RK2000NT?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>

Hi,

They are Shine basses.

I did "design" these RIOC copies for Shine and included all improvments I
told RIC to do when we were their distributor(but they did not listen...).

For Sweden, Shine also make the right head.

Deal or ?

Med Vänlig Hälsning / Best Regards
bc

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ash Grand Master

ash

Posted
Posted

Hmmm, I had a Shine Rick and also a Tokai, both looked OK but certainly felt like a budget bass at a not so budget price and were sold on very quickly. There are cheaper alternatives out there that are as good if not better in terms of quality and you could always mod it yourself.

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TheDaivisch Community Regular

TheDaivisch

Posted
Posted

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1323083036' post='1458932']
Hmmm, I had a Shine Rick and also a Tokai, both looked OK but certainly felt like a budget bass at a not so budget price and were sold on very quickly. There are cheaper alternatives out there that are as good if not better in terms of quality and you could always mod it yourself.
[/quote]

Bummer. The Shines on the website I linked to look very well made, at least in the pics. I'm assuming you had the standard black, with funny headstock RK2000NT?

What would you recommend?

Dave

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ash Grand Master

ash

Posted
Posted

It was the type with the funny headstock, they are all reasonably well made but I'd be unsure about their longevity in comparison to say an old Ibanez or CMI Faker. The hardware for example felt lightweight and cheap - all very shiny (s'cuse the pun) but no substance. There are still bargains out there especially given the recession, I got my US Rick as a restoration project off a local chap for less than that, mine needed a lot of TLC but it's now one of my main gigging basses.

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TheDaivisch Community Regular

TheDaivisch

Posted
Posted

[quote name='ash' timestamp='1323084076' post='1458952']
It was the type with the funny headstock, they are all reasonably well made but I'd be unsure about their longevity in comparison to say an old Ibanez or CMI Faker. The hardware for example felt lightweight and cheap - all very shiny (s'cuse the pun) but no substance. There are still bargains out there especially given the recession, I got my US Rick as a restoration project off a local chap for less than that, mine needed a lot of TLC but it's now one of my main gigging basses.
[/quote]

Cheers, good to know.

I just realised your're the chap with the John Birch for sale...how's that going?

by the way, the reason I got distracted by other potential Rickenfakers was that I had heard the Birch sounds nothing like a Rick. Also, I'm not sure I can get my head around the funny looks. Still intriguing though...

Dave

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ash Grand Master

ash

Posted
Posted

Hi Dave, I sold the Birch last week, the Retrovibes look as good as the Shine basses and they are so much cheaper, I think the Shine bass is an expensive risk at that price. Faker's come up on here relatively frequently, maybe worth biding your time.

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TheDaivisch Community Regular

TheDaivisch

Posted
Posted

Hmm....

Real one
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOCspuo9lRU&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOCspuo9lRU&feature=related[/url]

"Career" Rickenfaker
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQwu7c7mhY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQwu7c7mhY[/url]

Sounds pretty good!

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