Jayro Rickenfaker

[hookys6stringbass]

I found a Rickenfaker made by [url="http://bacchusdo.com/product/jrb600.htm"]Jayro[/url]- looks quite tasty. Any one know anything about them?

[beerdragon]

Looks nice. here's another one a bit cheaper. Unless i'm wrong it works out at about £425 plus tax?

[url="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.mikigakki.com/category/details.php%3Fitem_id%3Dujrb600blk&ei=KoKRSf3_I9yxjAfR1KjBCg&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=8&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djayro%2Bbasses%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN"]http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl...l%3Den%26sa%3DN[/url]

[Musky]

Jon highlighted one of these a little while ago on the Rickenfaker thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=270&hl=shine&st=700"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...hine&st=700[/url]

Certainly the most convincing 'faker about at the moment.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='405325' date='Feb 10 2009, 01:18 PM']I found a Rickenfaker made by [url="http://bacchusdo.com/product/jrb600.htm"]Jayro[/url][/quote]
I'll always think of it as "Gayro".

They do look pretty good as far as attention to detail is concerned - these are the first ones in ages which actually make the effort to have Rick-esque hardware throughout. This is a set-neck though, as far as I know the Beckinrotters & Shines are neckthrough.

Jon.

[Earbrass]

[quote name='beerdragon' post='405342' date='Feb 10 2009, 01:40 PM']Looks nice. here's another one a bit cheaper. Unless i'm wrong it works out at about £425 plus tax?

[url="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.mikigakki.com/category/details.php%3Fitem_id%3Dujrb600blk&ei=KoKRSf3_I9yxjAfR1KjBCg&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=8&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djayro%2Bbasses%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN"]http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl...l%3Den%26sa%3DN[/url][/quote]

Looks nice but:

※ We will ship internationally is not supported. 予めご了承下さい。 Please note in advance. (Seller will not ship internationally.）


...so it's a long trip to the shop to pick it up.

[Footos]

I just bought a Jayro Rickenfaker from Japan...bought it for like 54800 JPY...that loosely translates to around 400 pounds

Body is def. not ply wood. According to the shopkeeper the hardwares were sourced from Korea, whilst the body is CNC-ed by Bacchus...

The bass is beautifully made, no cosmetic blemishes, good hardwares and loving the vintage style tuners!

The neck size+shape is in between P and J bazz... not baseball bat like but not fast either. It will fit onto ur hand just nicely and has no neck-dive! The sound of the neck pick-up is pretty weak given that it acts as the bass-ier one whilst the bridge pick-up has that Ric bridge pick-up bite! Switch it to the bridge pick up and unleash those slap, pops and taps, hell even distort and pick it like crazy and it will not disappoint you. The neck pick up is kinda average...It will still get the job done but it excels in nothing, ie. a lil too passive. Still good for slow Motown/blues grooves and walking bass lines here and there, but overall its quite thin for a neck pick up and lacks that supposedly Ric deep growl.

NOW HERE COMES THE BAD NEWS: I'm no wiring expert, but when you switch the toggle to the middle position(activating both pick ups), the pickups will get much much much quieter and muddier! Instead of harmonizing each other, the pick ups kinda cancel each other out and create a weak-sauce output. A friend of mine told me that the problem can be solved by rewiring the pickups/pots or whatever that was....

So far so good and I can assure you that Jayro JRB-600 is miles better than Indie's Rickenbugger and Aria Pro's knock-off! With a little tweaking this bass can be transformed into a potent bass!

[Musky]

Sounds like exactly what I get from my '68 4001S - the original toasters were pretty low output.

This is what the wiring should look like if you want to check though.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Hamster
Upload removed due to copyright infringement

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Footos' post='495610' date='May 22 2009, 10:31 PM']So far so good and I can assure you that Jayro JRB-600 is miles better than Indie's Rickenbugger and Aria Pro's knock-off! With a little tweaking this bass can be transformed into a potent bass![/quote]
Agreed that the Indie copy is a half-arsed piece of crap, but the Aria (built by Matsumoku) neck-through copies are stunning - near indistinguishable from the real thing, and the reason that they are as rare as they are is because most of them have spent the last 30 years being passed off as genuine Rickenbackers.

J.

[Kongo]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='495700' date='May 23 2009, 01:01 AM']Agreed that the Indie copy is a half-arsed piece of crap, but the Aria (built by Matsumoku) neck-through copies are stunning - near indistinguishable from the real thing, and the reason that they are as rare as they are is because most of them have spent the last 30 years being passed off as genuine Rickenbackers.

J.[/quote]


Well put.

[Footos]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='495700' date='May 23 2009, 08:01 AM']Agreed that the Indie copy is a half-arsed piece of crap, but the Aria (built by Matsumoku) neck-through copies are stunning - near indistinguishable from the real thing, and the reason that they are as rare as they are is because most of them have spent the last 30 years being passed off as genuine Rickenbackers.

J.[/quote]

Hi thanks 4 your clarification. I went to my friend's place to confirm whether or not Aria Pro II is the closest thing to a Ric. Upon further inspection, I found out that ,in my opinion, a lot of questionable modifications have been done on my friend's Aria, those are:

1.Self relic-ing...looks crap to me
2.Replaced the stock pickups with the Seymour Dunc. Ric replacement pickups, which in turn, made it sound like a P-Bass
3.Re-strung with D'Addario super light gauge EXL220 (if im not mistaken)...they made made my fingers hurt

I still cant believe how immaculate Aria's build quality is...The pots arent nasty like mine, the hardwares are made of high quality parts, sexy thru body...But I cant comment on the finish, cuz most have been covered with Emo/punk stickers or been sand papered...

My friend also owns an 80's Aria Pro II flying V guitar which to me is identical or even better than Gibson's V...So I could only assume that Aria's Ric copy should be far superior than my Japanese CNC-ed+assembled / Korean sourced hardwares+pots Jayro

Edited May 30, 2009 by Footos

[cris the man]

[quote name='Footos' post='495610' date='May 22 2009, 10:31 PM']I just bought a Jayro Rickenfaker from Japan...bought it for like 54800 JPY...that loosely translates to around 400 pounds

Body is def. not ply wood. According to the shopkeeper the hardwares were sourced from Korea, whilst the body is CNC-ed by Bacchus...

The bass is beautifully made, no cosmetic blemishes, good hardwares and loving the vintage style tuners!

The neck size+shape is in between P and J bazz... not baseball bat like but not fast either. It will fit onto ur hand just nicely and has no neck-dive! The sound of the neck pick-up is pretty weak given that it acts as the bass-ier one whilst the bridge pick-up has that Ric bridge pick-up bite! Switch it to the bridge pick up and unleash those slap, pops and taps, hell even distort and pick it like crazy and it will not disappoint you. The neck pick up is kinda average...It will still get the job done but it excels in nothing, ie. a lil too passive. Still good for slow Motown/blues grooves and walking bass lines here and there, but overall its quite thin for a neck pick up and lacks that supposedly Ric deep growl.

NOW HERE COMES THE BAD NEWS: I'm no wiring expert, but when you switch the toggle to the middle position(activating both pick ups), the pickups will get much much much quieter and muddier! Instead of harmonizing each other, the pick ups kinda cancel each other out and create a weak-sauce output. A friend of mine told me that the problem can be solved by rewiring the pickups/pots or whatever that was....

So far so good and I can assure you that Jayro JRB-600 is miles better than Indie's Rickenbugger and Aria Pro's knock-off! With a little tweaking this bass can be transformed into a potent bass![/quote]


I saw a 'Toka' or 'Toca' (not sure what it was, definately wasn't tokai) copy of a rikenbaker 4001. It felt OK, but not what you get for £399. It was in fireglo, my least favourite colour , but it sounded horrid. The bass was very difficult to play with finger and with slap.

The Jayro Rickenfaker mentioned above sounds like a bargain to me!

[Musky]

[quote name='cris the man' post='501448' date='May 30 2009, 09:48 AM']I saw a 'Toka' or 'Toca' (not sure what it was, definately wasn't tokai) copy of a rikenbaker 4001. It felt OK, but not what you get for £399. It was in fireglo, my least favourite colour , but it sounded horrid. The bass was very difficult to play with finger and with slap.

The Jayro Rickenfaker mentioned above sounds like a bargain to me![/quote]

That's another one I've never heard of. Where did you see it?

[Soloshchenko]

[quote name='cris the man' post='501448' date='May 30 2009, 09:48 AM']I saw a 'Toka' or 'Toca' (not sure what it was, definately wasn't tokai) copy of a rikenbaker 4001. It felt OK, but not what you get for £399. It was in fireglo, my least favourite colour , but it sounded horrid. The bass was very difficult to play with finger and with slap.

The Jayro Rickenfaker mentioned above sounds like a bargain to me![/quote]

Do you mean the tokai ones? I saw one recently too.

[url="http://www.rockfactory.co.uk/prodimages/IMG_0221.jpg"]http://www.rockfactory.co.uk/prodimages/IMG_0221.jpg[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='503381' date='Jun 1 2009, 10:44 PM']Do you mean the tokai ones? I saw one recently too.

[url="http://www.rockfactory.co.uk/prodimages/IMG_0221.jpg"]http://www.rockfactory.co.uk/prodimages/IMG_0221.jpg[/url][/quote]
What do these Rockinbetters have to do with Tokai? I can't find a connection.

J.

[12stringbassist]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='503755' date='Jun 2 2009, 12:20 PM']What do these Rockinbetters have to do with Tokai? I can't find a connection.

J.[/quote]
Possibly that Tokai actually make them. I have seen both types of copy and all that appears to
have changed is the name on the TRC. They don't seem to have got the Rics to sound right.

Tokai do Fender very well, though - I have one of their early original 80's Strats. Marvelous.
Here it is, lent to some bloke for 10 minutes...

Edited June 2, 2009 by 12stringbassist

[Bassassin]

[quote name='12stringbassist' post='503854' date='Jun 2 2009, 02:54 PM']Possibly that Tokai actually make them. I have seen both types of copy and all that appears to
have changed is the name on the TRC.[/quote]
What do you mean "both types"? I've never seen the exact same bass as this with a different brand - and thinking about it, I have never seen a Tokai-branded Rick bass copy, old or current. They did do a copy of the Rick 325 guitar in the 80s, so it's possible bass models existed, but I've never encountered one.

It does look like the only connection between the Tokai brand & the Rockinbetter bass seems to be anecdotal; just discussions like this and retailers' sites - it doesn't appear on any of Tokai's own listings & literature as far as I can tell. It would seem strange that Tokai would want to disassociate themselves from it - if it was anything to do with them - considering they were audacious enough to actually call their original Gibson copies "Les Paul Reborn"!

And that's the other thing: Tokai have always made replica-standard copies, & that's what their reputation's based upon, but Rockinbetters are pretty ordinary modern basses that just look a bit like Ricks in terms of shape & finish. They are not accurate in terms of construction, hardware, or, by the looks of them, dimensions.

J.

[12stringbassist]

A Google search shows one for sale here - clearly labelled 'Rockinbetter
by Tokai', as per The Bass Centre.
[url="http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-guitars/tokai-rockinbetter.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-gu...ckinbetter.html[/url]

I'm absolutely certain that I have seen more than one branded 'Tokai' and have
tried a couple before I got my own Rics.

Obviously this one is from a Tokai Ric guitar copy:

Edited June 3, 2009 by 12stringbassist

[Bassassin]

[quote name='12stringbassist' post='504581' date='Jun 3 2009, 12:12 PM']

A Google search shows one for sale here - clearly labelled 'Rockinbetter
by Tokai', as per The Bass Centre.
[url="http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-guitars/tokai-rockinbetter.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-gu...ckinbetter.html[/url][/quote]
Exactly what I said - these references appear on [b]retailers' sites[/b], not Tokai's!

It's interesting to look at that side-by side pic - apart from having a conventional bridge & a Fender-type bridge pup cover rather than copied Rick hardware, you can clearly see the neck shape & dimensions are very different. The "Tokai" has what looks like a standard scale length & taper meaning the string spacing is much wider at the dusty end & up to the bridge - I doubt it would feel very much like a Rick to play.

I think the bridge pup on these sits in a conventional rout & this might be to do with why they don't sound right - some people reckon the Rick "clank" is to do with the bridge pup being suspended by big bits of metal & springs in a huge cavity in the body - lots of resonance!

[quote name='12stringbassist' post='504581' date='Jun 3 2009, 12:12 PM']I'm absolutely certain that I have seen more than one branded 'Tokai' and have
tried a couple before I got my own Rics.[/quote]
I'd be quite surprised if they didn't make one back in the day - however I've never seen one - I have a near-obsessive interest in Rick copies & I would definitely remember!

[quote name='12stringbassist' post='504581' date='Jun 3 2009, 12:12 PM']Obviously this one is from a Tokai Ric guitar copy:

[/quote]
That will be probably the same as the 325 copy I mentioned in my earlier post - an RG40 from around 2001 which appears in this Japanese-market catalogue:
[url="http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai20013.jpg"]http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai20013.jpg[/url]

J.

[hookys6stringbass]

I've just got an Anniversary Rickenfaker, which is what the Jayro basses are called over here for some reason. I have to agree that this bass is very well built. It has the same feel of my old Hondo II in size and thickness of the body and plays really well out of the box- but i'll get spot on over the next few days. Funnily enough I found the neck pick up to be louder than the bridge pick up..? The neck pick up has adjustable poles..... feck knows what the bridge pick up is supposed to be, but i'll replace it with a toaster pup for the moment.The bridge pup cover is utter sh*te and i've binned it already! The wiring is wrong if you want it set up like the real deal, but i'll sort that out as well. All in all i'm really really pleased with it.

[Musky]

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='512461' date='Jun 12 2009, 09:36 PM']I've just got an Anniversary Rickenfaker, which is what the Jayro basses are called over here for some reason. I have to agree that this bass is very well built. It has the same feel of my old Hondo II in size and thickness of the body and plays really well out of the box- but i'll get spot on over the next few days. Funnily enough I found the neck pick up to be louder than the bridge pick up..? The neck pick up has adjustable poles..... feck knows what the bridge pick up is supposed to be, but i'll replace it with a toaster pup for the moment.The bridge pup cover is utter sh*te and i've binned it already! The wiring is wrong if you want it set up like the real deal, but i'll sort that out as well. All in all i'm really really pleased with it.[/quote]


You'll have to let us know how you get along with it once it's fully fettled.

Seems like what Jon predicted 18 months ago when RIC upped their prices is actually happening - more cheap copies coming on to the market.
A quick look on google reveals that they're selling for quite a keen price. With more and more new Rickenfakers becoming available you've got to wonder what that will do for the prices of old Japcrap.

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='Musky' post='512532' date='Jun 13 2009, 12:00 AM']You'll have to let us know how you get along with it once it's fully fettled.

Seems like what Jon predicted 18 months ago when RIC upped their prices is actually happening - more cheap copies coming on to the market.
A quick look on google reveals that they're selling for quite a keen price. With more and more new Rickenfakers becoming available you've got to wonder what that will do for the prices of old Japcrap.[/quote]

well hopefully knock the price down a bit, but what i've noticed with the newbies is that the build quality is really good ( except for the indie.. I wouldn't wipe my arse on it) but the leccys let them down... For example my Tokai, really well built but with sh*t pups and pots. I've put decent pots, pups on it and it's a force to be reconned with now. where as the 70's fakers had decent pups and leccys....

[Bassassin]

Maybe, but it looks like the short-term effect has been to make vintage Faker prices even sillier, recession notwithstanding. They are definitely thinner on the ground now, which doesn't help, but old copies that get through Ebay have been topping £600 this year, which is bloody ridiculous. I suppose the oldies appeal to a broader market of geeks & collectors than the modern ones do so that will help keep the prices up.

Ian - really curious to get a look at your Anniversary, take lots of pics when you get the bonnet up!

Also to re-ignite the Tokai/Rockinbetter debate - this is interesting:

[url="http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guitars/dillion_rockinbetter_bass.html"]http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guit...etter_bass.html[/url]

Did a bit of digging & it seems these are Korean-made & exported to Canada by a Korean company called SIC. I can't find any more info than that - manufacturer, etc, but what's curious is that these basses look like they have more in common with the Indie attempt than the UK Rockinbetters. Same construction & pickups, I think, but with an "authentic" headstock shape. Having chatted to the Indie CEO guy about these at Music Live a few years ago, he did say that they chose a non-Rick headstock shape to try & avoid copyright infringement.

Jon.

[Footos]

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='512461' date='Jun 13 2009, 04:36 AM']I've just got an Anniversary Rickenfaker, which is what the Jayro basses are called over here for some reason. I have to agree that this bass is very well built. Funnily enough I found the neck pick up to be louder than the bridge pick up..? The neck pick up has adjustable poles..... feck knows what the bridge pick up is supposed to be, but i'll replace it with a toaster pup for the moment.The bridge pup cover is utter sh*te and i've binned it already! The wiring is wrong if you want it set up like the real deal, but i'll sort that out as well. All in all i'm really really pleased with it.[/quote]

LOL my bridge cover is pretty good and even with the cover on, it's still quite comfy to play. On the contrary,my neck pick up is utterly sh*t, been playing mostly with my bridge pup....Gonna try to re-wire it, if it still shows no sign of improvement, a new set of pots along with a new neck pup is the only other alternative.

At the time when I bought my bass, the Japanese shop keeper @ Osaka told me that Bacchus is starting to export Jayros, but those basses were made in Korea whilst mine was made in Japan and he told me that I made the right decision for buying the bass direct from a Japanese dealer. To be honest, I bet they are the identical and he's just trying to be a suck-up and make me feel that I bought the bass from the best possible dealer. So Ian which colour did you go for?

FYI, this is how my Bacchus looks like
[attachment=27024:DSC01048.jpg]
[attachment=27023:DSC01042.jpg]

Edited June 14, 2009 by Footos

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='Footos' post='513367' date='Jun 14 2009, 03:36 PM']LOL my bridge cover is pretty good and even with the cover on, it's still quite comfy to play. On the contrary,my neck pick up is utterly sh*t, been playing mostly with my bridge pup....Gonna try to re-wire it, if it still shows no sign of improvement, a new set of pots along with a new neck pup is the only other alternative.

At the time when I bought my bass, the Japanese shop keeper @ Osaka told me that Bacchus is starting to export Jayros, but those basses were made in Korea whilst mine was made in Japan and he told me that I made the right decision for buying the bass direct from a Japanese dealer. To be honest, I bet they are the identical and he's just trying to be a suck-up and make me feel that I bought the bass from the best possible dealer. So Ian which colour did you go for?

FYI, this is how my Bacchus looks like
[attachment=27024:DSC01048.jpg]
[attachment=27023:DSC01042.jpg][/quote]

I like the Ricky pup cover and i've got one, but I can't decide if i'm going to put it on the Tokai yet... keep thinking it's going to get in the way. Anyway the Anniversary bridge pick up looks/sounds sh*te and as I said i'll replace it with my spare toaster for the moment. I'd go with a new set of pots regardless......

I bet the fella at Osaka is pulling your chain cos they are identical.... well I can't see any difference.
I went for the Jetglo as well!

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='512647' date='Jun 13 2009, 10:16 AM']Maybe, but it looks like the short-term effect has been to make vintage Faker prices even sillier, recession notwithstanding. They are definitely thinner on the ground now, which doesn't help, but old copies that get through Ebay have been topping £600 this year, which is bloody ridiculous. I suppose the oldies appeal to a broader market of geeks & collectors than the modern ones do so that will help keep the prices up.

Ian - really curious to get a look at your Anniversary, take lots of pics when you get the bonnet up!

Also to re-ignite the Tokai/Rockinbetter debate - this is interesting:

[url="http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guitars/dillion_rockinbetter_bass.html"]http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guit...etter_bass.html[/url]

Did a bit of digging & it seems these are Korean-made & exported to Canada by a Korean company called SIC. I can't find any more info than that - manufacturer, etc, but what's curious is that these basses look like they have more in common with the Indie attempt than the UK Rockinbetters. Same construction & pickups, I think, but with an "authentic" headstock shape. Having chatted to the Indie CEO guy about these at Music Live a few years ago, he did say that they chose a non-Rick headstock shape to try & avoid copyright infringement.

Jon.[/quote]
Those Dillon Rockinbetters look alright.... it's the head stock!!! The bloody Indie is awful, good knows how it sounds !?

I'll post some pics ASAP..