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Please tell me why I should avoid getting a Rickenbacker!


Al Krow

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The price has dropped from the silly numbers that were floating about when I wrote that review. They peaked at about £3400 in late 2018, spent most of last year at around £2600, and are now available (in the UK and Germany) for less than £2200. Google is your friend.

FWIW, if the price (new) drops below £2000 it is entirely possible that I'll buy one. I was, and remain, very impressed by that bass.

 

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2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

That is exactly the method I use. I don't ask, so their policy means it isn't worth looking. I have told them, they ignored it, that is their choice. If I a looking at a wall of basses, one of the important thing for me is the price of them. WIthout that, they become less interesting.

Yep - the thing I need to know when I go into a shop is "how much".

Maybe they think that in asking you are then engaged in the sale process...

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3 minutes ago, prowla said:

Yep - the thing I need to know when I go into a shop is "how much".

Maybe they think that in asking you are then engaged in the sale process...

As tempting as it is to go in and ask the price of everyone in turn, I haven't done that.

I went in at one point, I was after a yamaha reface, and they had them, I played them, and decided i wanted the yamaha reface DX, rather than the YC I went to look at. But they had no prices on them, so I didn't buy one, I assumed they would be more expensive. When I got home I looked on the net, and it turned out PMT were cheaper than anyone else for the DX by about a fiver. I knew the sort of price these things went for, if the price had been on it on the shop I would have bought it, but as I was on the net anyway, I had a look on ebay and there was a good condition one £50 cheaper, so I got that.

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I have absolutely no trouble asking how much something costs in a shop, even if I'm not particularly interested in buying it. I have even less trouble asking how much something costs if I *am* interested in buying it. Not quite sure why such enquiry would be a big deal for anyone.

What I definitely don't like is websites not giving prices next to images of things for sale. What do you do? Do you have to email them just to satisfy your curiosity?

Obviously I'm not referring to high-end custom builds, each of which will have a different price depending on specs.

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23 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I have absolutely no trouble asking how much something costs in a shop, even if I'm not particularly interested in buying it. I have even less trouble asking how much something costs if I *am* interested in buying it. Not quite sure why such enquiry would be a big deal for anyone.

I am guessing that this policy is created by someone who thinks like you and doesn't understand why someone like me just won't do it, which is probably why when making a sales decision it is important to consider that not everyone is like you.

The thing is - I don't mind asking how much something is, assuming someone is there, which is not always the case. When I have a look round I want to see if there is anything in the price bracket I am looking for that is interesting. I have no interest in engaging or finding a salesman just to find out that first step.

Say I wanted a jazz bass. I go into PMT, there is a wall of maybe 10-12 jazz basses, from squiers right up to some custom shop thing. I would look at that, and I want to see what of those basses I should be being tempted by. Say If I have £800 to spend, I want to know what is up to £800, but maybe there is something really nice at £900, maybe I would be ok with that too, a salesman can't know that. 

Say I can afford all of them. Some of them are nicer than others, some of them look better than others, some are cheaper than others, some look horrible but play well. He could tell me the prices of those basses, but there is no way I will remember them.

So yes, I will still go there for something I already know the price of and have already decided on to try and buy, but it completely stops the idea of an impulse purchase.

Its just not practical, that is why shopping online is such a joy, you get to know the price.

People always say the internet killed the high street, but that is rubbish. The high street killed the high street, it was just it had nothing to be compared against until the internet came along. 

 

 

Edited by Woodinblack
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I guess it's the same as wandering into a high end store such as Tiffany's and having no clue as to how many zeros are attached to a particular item! 

Why put customers through the embarrassment of them having to find out something is well above what they have budgeted to pay? Why is that even a thing? 

Mark at BD is very happy to put prices on his stock, a lot of which are a multiple of the cost of a new Rick. 

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37 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I have absolutely no trouble asking how much something costs in a shop, even if I'm not particularly interested in buying it. I have even less trouble asking how much something costs if I *am* interested in buying it. Not quite sure why such enquiry would be a big deal for anyone.

What I definitely don't like is websites not giving prices next to images of things for sale. What do you do? Do you have to email them just to satisfy your curiosity?

Obviously I'm not referring to high-end custom builds, each of which will have a different price depending on specs.

Typically in shops I find that if I want to ask someone something they are all busy, but if I'm just browsing I keep getting approached to see if I need any help!

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On principle, I refuse to shop anywhere that won't put a price on every (and I mean every) item for sale. It's an inexcusable practice which achieves nothing except to drive away customers.

Luckily enough, the vast majority of shops DO put the price on display so it's not as if I've denied myself much. :D

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3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

On principle, I refuse to shop anywhere that won't put a price on every (and I mean every) item for sale. It's an inexcusable practice which achieves nothing except to drive away customers.

Luckily enough, the vast majority of shops DO put the price on display so it's not as if I've denied myself much. :D

A shop without prices on their stock is just a shït museum.

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If I were ever in a shop without a price on something I was interested in I would use my phone for a few minutes to investigate the best internet price which would be my starting point of any bartering process. Not fair maybe but no advertised price is the shop's choice.

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4 hours ago, 4000 said:

Loving the BRG. Nearly bought one shortly after they came out.....and then didn’t. Wish I had though.

I wasnt *planning* to, then a friend who knows I am weak willed pointed it out. Then, umm, it turned up at my house. Ive gigged it a few times, its pretty damn fine sounding but because its "special" (or : just too dear for pub gigs) I only take it out every now and then. The Burgungy glo is the go-to weapon of choice! :)

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Just for reference, there's a Fireglo 4003 on the wall in PMT Manchester at the mo. It's £3,395. I didn't take it down...

I'm beginning to see why they don't put prices on them any more; the pile of stunned unconscious bodies piling up underneath it would make it hard to get to the other basses...

Edited by Muzz
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Yup. It appears that it's a Limited Edition (seems to be just the colour - I was wrong about Fireglo (and the exact price), but it didn't look that different to me):

image.thumb.png.2e3b5fd8b080148349f2432b9f7ba0d8.png

That Walnut 4003...I bought one new from GAK four years ago for £1600...I should have kept it as an investment piece...

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21 minutes ago, Muzz said:

Yup. It appears that it's a Limited Edition (seems to be just the colour - I was wrong about Fireglo (and the exact price), but it didn't look that different to me):

image.thumb.png.2e3b5fd8b080148349f2432b9f7ba0d8.png

That Walnut 4003...I bought one new from GAK four years ago for £1600...I should have kept it as an investment piece...

Lol at those prices.

Si

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That pillbox red one is one of a run of 25, theres one of them in the Norwich store too. A very silly price. I paid significantly (like, a lot) less than that for my BRG and that's also a limited run of 25. You also got the vintage funky shiny silver case with mine, not so with the pillbox red ones... you just get the standard black Ric case which is nice 'n all but not "special" or going anyway towards justifying that price tag. Maple neck is something of an oddity on a 4003 as well, i tried it and didnt much like it (yet I love my maple necked Fender Geddy Jazz!)

Edited by Stag
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