Rickenbacker on a budget? Harley Benton RB-600CS

Rabs

OilCityPickups

Looks like a perfect platform for upgrades.

Funkfingers

The Artec pickups certainly don't do the rest of the guitar justice. Everything else about the H-B seems carefully designed to not quite infringe any Brand R trademarks. 

chrisj1602

They do a 12 string too

Rabs

chrisj1602 said:

They do a 12 string too

Cool..  Just looked that up..

ICBM

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Looks like a perfect platform for barbeque sausages

Fixed that for you .






OK, I understand the desire to get a Rickenbacker sound on the cheap, and I know that because RIC are so intransigent about trademark violations (with good reason, in fact) that if you do want one it's going to have to be quite different in many ways, but...


... what an ugly guitar that's absolutely nothing like a Rickenbacker, apart from the pickguard shape.

The 12-string doesn't even have the main/octave strings the right way round, which I'm sure is not a RIC trademark.

prowla

Well, if asked, most people would say it's a Ric copy (even if they couldn't say which particular model).

I'd beware of going too wild with the upgrades, though those Chickenbacker pickups are particularly horrible looking.

I suppose under £200 new inc. shipping is incredible cheap though.

Henrytwang

Nothing like the real thing but it’s an option if you’re looking for a cheap 12 string.

ICBM

prowla said:

Well, if asked, most people would say it's a Ric copy (even if they couldn't say which particular model).

Really? It looks nothing like one other than the pickguard and a bit of a hint of the upper horn. And doesn't sound like one.

It's actually much more like a 60s/70s Italian or Japanese cheapo.

Henrytwang said:

Nothing like the real thing but it’s an option if you’re looking for a cheap 12 string.

Exactly. If you don't think of it as being a Rick substitute then it's fine for the money. If you do, it isn't.

prowla

ICBM said:

prowla said:

Well, if asked, most people would say it's a Ric copy (even if they couldn't say which particular model).

Really? It looks nothing like one other than the pickguard and a bit of a hint of the upper horn. And doesn't sound like one.

It's actually much more like a 60s/70s Italian or Japanese cheapo.

Henrytwang said:

Nothing like the real thing but it’s an option if you’re looking for a cheap 12 string.

Exactly. If you don't think of it as being a Rick substitute then it's fine for the money. If you do, it isn't.

Sure (ignoring the headstock): the wave crest upper horn, the teardrop control panel, the overlaid pickguard, the bridge/tailpiece arrangement, the fireglo, the binding, the 4 knobs and selector switch, the neck cutaways right at the top fret, black plastic nut, jack plate position (though not twin outputs), the chromed pickup surrounds - they're all classic Ric features.

Definitely more Ric-esque than Fender, Gibson, etc.

if you know the Ric ranges, you would know it is not a copy of a specific one, but it's full of the design cues of a Ric; probably a 620 is the nearest (hmmm - RB-600?).

darthed1981

ICBM said:

OK, I understand the desire to get a Rickenbacker sound on the cheap, and I know that because RIC are so intransigent about trademark violations (with good reason, in fact) that if you do want one it's going to have to be quite different in many ways, but...


... what an ugly guitar that's absolutely nothing like a Rickenbacker, apart from the pickguard shape.

The 12-string doesn't even have the main/octave strings the right way round, which I'm sure is not a RIC trademark.

So you buying one or not buying one?

It's a £200 guitar, ultimately if it sounds OK and plays well it's excellent VFM?

olafgarten

It looks just like a Rickenbacker from a distance. 

ICBM

prowla said:

Sure (ignoring the headstock): the wave crest upper horn, the teardrop control panel, the overlaid pickguard, the bridge/tailpiece arrangement, the fireglo, the binding, the 4 knobs and selector switch, the neck cutaways right at the top fret, black plastic nut, jack plate position (though not twin outputs), the chromed pickup surrounds - they're all classic Ric features.

Definitely more Ric-esque than Fender, Gibson, etc.

if you know the Ric ranges, you would know it is not a copy of a specific one, but it's full of the design cues of a Ric

No, the only one which is distinctively anything to do with Rick is the pickguard. The others are all found on any number of guitars.

More like a Rick than a Fender, yes... but that’s not saying a lot. Take away the pickguard and it’s just any generic semi-acoustic.

I genuinely don’t get why you don’t see that.

darthed1981 said:

It's a £200 guitar, ultimately if it sounds OK and plays well it's excellent VFM?

Exactly, but it is *not* a Rick copy. I’ve said this several times already!

If you buy one thinking you’re getting a budget Rick, you’re going to be very disappointed.

But I give up, since it appears that anything vaguely semi-hollow with a cherry burst finish and a white teardrop pickguard looks like one to some people...

darthed1981

ICBM said:

But I give up, since it appears that anything vaguely semi-hollow with a cherry burst finish and a white teardrop pickguard looks like one to some people...

Well perhaps it looks like one just enough to justify a £200 purchase..?

Rickenbacker as you point out yourself have been unusually successful in protecting their brand from value-for-money copies.

Most other brands, like Gibson and Fender are clever enough to control the lower-end market by their brands Squier and Epiphone and also put out marketing to convince those there to be convinced that only the most expensive will do to cash in a pension or two.

So if the only way to make a little fun guitar that hints at a Ric while simultaneously avoiding a lawsuit is what HB have done, no harm done surely?

I had a little Squier Bullet strat, played well, sounded surprisingly decent, not as good as a £2k custom shop jobbie sure, but even ignoring the economics of selling a lump of wood with medal attached for multi-thousands, it WAS a Strat.

So is your objection that this is LESS a Ric than a cheap Squier is a Strat, or would you consider in both cases the "real thing" is the ONLY thing that will do?

I'm not weighing in here, I'm genuinely curious as to be honest for £200 I think these look rather fun

thermionic

Where’s the fifth knob?

SteveRobinson

ICBM said:

The 12-string doesn't even have the main/octave strings the wrong way round, which I'm sure is not a RIC trademark.

Fixed that for you .

ICBM

darthed1981 said:

So is your objection that this is LESS a Ric than a cheap Squier is a Strat, or would you consider in both cases the "real thing" is the ONLY thing that will do?

No, not the only thing that will do - just that this is so far from being any kind of worthwhile Rick copy that it does a disservice to anyone thinking of buying one if that's what they want. It doesn't even look like one really.

Is this a Tele copy?

http://a4.pbase.com/o6/20/42620/1/92708642.k6ntbZ8V.2b62_3.JPG

Kind of... in that the body and pickguard shapes are roughly the same. Otherwise, no. It isn't going to play or sound like one, and it doesn't really look like one.

And that's probably *closer* to a Telecaster than the Harley Benton is to a Rickenbacker.

57Deluxe

looks more like Ricy Gervais to me...

prowla

ICBM said:

prowla said:

Sure (ignoring the headstock): the wave crest upper horn, the teardrop control panel, the overlaid pickguard, the bridge/tailpiece arrangement, the fireglo, the binding, the 4 knobs and selector switch, the neck cutaways right at the top fret, black plastic nut, jack plate position (though not twin outputs), the chromed pickup surrounds - they're all classic Ric features.

Definitely more Ric-esque than Fender, Gibson, etc.

if you know the Ric ranges, you would know it is not a copy of a specific one, but it's full of the design cues of a Ric

No, the only one which is distinctively anything to do with Rick is the pickguard. The others are all found on any number of guitars.

More like a Rick than a Fender, yes... but that’s not saying a lot. Take away the pickguard and it’s just any generic semi-acoustic.

I genuinely don’t get why you don’t see that.

darthed1981 said:

It's a £200 guitar, ultimately if it sounds OK and plays well it's excellent VFM?

Exactly, but it is *not* a Rick copy. I’ve said this several times already!

If you buy one thinking you’re getting a budget Rick, you’re going to be very disappointed.

But I give up, since it appears that anything vaguely semi-hollow with a cherry burst finish and a white teardrop pickguard looks like one to some people...

So - which maker's catalogue do you think they were browsing when they came up with this model then?

You could argue that all guitars have a neck and a body and are painted, but it's when you put all of the aspects together that it paints the picture.

If you showed it to a room full of guitarists, I suspect they would suggest one brand if asked what it is based on...

If you took off the pickguard and control panel it would still be the same answer.

darthed1981

ICBM said:

darthed1981 said:

So is your objection that this is LESS a Ric than a cheap Squier is a Strat, or would you consider in both cases the "real thing" is the ONLY thing that will do?

No, not the only thing that will do - just that this is so far from being any kind of worthwhile Rick copy that it does a disservice to anyone thinking of buying one if that's what they want. It doesn't even look like one really.

Ahh, Je Comprend Pas!

I still like the look of the HB though

redrighthand

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