Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be a Rickenbacker.

Creed_Clicks

As is always the case with me I close the door years after the horse has bolted.

Not a gigging bass player but always loved the Rickenbacker look.

Not wanting to get myself in trouble here or look for links etc but there were always some “begins with R, ends in Better” basses knocking around for cheap enough locally/online and I always laughed them off (the name mainly) but would love one for around the house.

Obviously they’re nowhere to be found online and I’ve read why so not looking for links.

Are/were they decent enough for messing about on?

I wouldn’t go near the Ali Express jobs. They seem to be VERY hit and miss.

I suppose it’s probably harder and harder to find the “R Better” basses now that people have copped on to the fact they’re sought after?

sticker

The Rickenfaker group on Facebook is probably your best been. 

Creed_Clicks

sticker said:

The Rickenfaker group on Facebook is probably your best been. 

Not on FB but will have a peek via someone else’s profile . Saw a Jayro brand and Oakland brand as well recently. Just save up for the real thing !

ICBM

Creed_Clicks said:

Not wanting to get myself in trouble here or look for links etc but there were always some “begins with R, ends in Better” basses knocking around for cheap enough locally/online and I always laughed them off (the name mainly) but would love one for around the house.

Obviously they’re nowhere to be found online and I’ve read why so not looking for links.

Are/were they decent enough for messing about on?

In my opinion, not really. There are some non-'R' ones which are not too bad, but these are not the 'R' basses you're looking for...

@prowla may have some more useful recommendations.

Keefy

Having had a friend's real Rickenbacker in my possession to look at the wiring, I can't say I'm impressed by the build quality of the genuine article.

prowla

Cheers @ICBM ;

FB is definitely the best place.

ebay seem to let things by these days; I think Rickenbacker may have relaxed their policy a bit.

I'm not a fan of the Rockinbladders, nor the various other Chickenbackers; they're shaped similar, but have a different scale length and nasty hardware.

Retrovibe did do some, but they vary the product range. I've got one.

The old Japanese ones are great collectables, but some aren't gigging instruments (some say that about real Rics, though!). I've got a couple of those too.

There's an Eastern European company who are producing some which look interesting.

My selection:

• An Eko semi.
• A Vorg 70s Japanese copy (Matsumoku factory), bolt-on neck.
• A Chinese doubleneck with Ric copy pickups on the bass.
• My Rickenberger - a Steinberger with Rickenbacker pickups.
• A CMI 70s Japanese copy (Might be FujiGen-Gakko factory, but not sure), thru-neck.
• My Retrovibe Renegade "Red Baron", with Seymour Duncan pickups.

Prices can be a bit "variable", but my rule of thumb is: Chickenbacker up to £200, Hondo (Korean, plywood body) up to £350, Japanese bolt-on (Matsumoku) up to £450, Japanese thru-neck up to £550, maybe £600 for an exceptional Grecoguitar one.

Now some might disagree on prices and I see them offered at £800+, but that's in real Ric territory and none of them are as good (though some folks will earnestly say theirs is "better than the real thing").

There are also some custom builders, including a couple in the UK, who will hand make one to order which is of the highest quality.

prowla

Keefy said:

Having had a friend's real Rickenbacker in my possession to look at the wiring, I can't say I'm impressed by the build quality of the genuine article.

I think they are the best made, best finished factory-produced basses you can get; the lacquer is great and the chrome finish is sublime.

They have, in the past, had a bit of a "you won't see that bit" attitude (the wiring channel from the neck pickup to the control panel was just a line of 6 drill-holes side-by-side, which I think is amusing), but now the routing is done by machine and is consistent and uniform.

Keefy

prowla said:

Keefy said:

Having had a friend's real Rickenbacker in my possession to look at the wiring, I can't say I'm impressed by the build quality of the genuine article.

I think they are the best made, best finished factory-produced basses you can get; the lacquer is great and the chrome finish is sublime.

They have, in the past, had a bit of a "you won't see that bit" attitude (the wiring channel from the neck pickup to the control panel was just a line of 6 drill-holes side-by-side, which I think is amusing), but now the routing is done by machine and is consistent and uniform.

TBH I’ve only seen the one!

Creed_Clicks

prowla said:

Cheers @ICBM ;

FB is definitely the best place.

ebay seem to let things by these days; I think Rickenbacker may have relaxed their policy a bit.

I'm not a fan of the Rockinbladders, nor the various other Chickenbackers; they're shaped similar, but have a different scale length and nasty hardware.

Retrovibe did do some, but they vary the product range. I've got one.

The old Japanese ones are great collectables, but some aren't gigging instruments (some say that about real Rics, though!). I've got a couple of those too.

There's an Eastern European company who are producing some which look interesting.

My selection:

• An Eko semi.
• A Vorg 70s Japanese copy (Matsumoku factory), bolt-on neck.
• A Chinese doubleneck with Ric copy pickups on the bass.
• My Rickenberger - a Steinberger with Rickenbacker pickups.
• A CMI 70s Japanese copy (Might be FujiGen-Gakko factory, but not sure), thru-neck.
• My Retrovibe Renegade "Red Baron", with Seymour Duncan pickups.

Prices can be a bit "variable", but my rule of thumb is: Chickenbacker up to £200, Hondo (Korean, plywood body) up to £350, Japanese bolt-on (Matsumoku) up to £450, Japanese thru-neck up to £550, maybe £600 for an exceptional Grecoguitar one.

Now some might disagree on prices and I see them offered at £800+, but that's in real Ric territory and none of them are as good (though some folks will earnestly say theirs is "better than the real thing").

There are also some custom builders, including a couple in the UK, who will hand make one to order which is of the highest quality.

A beautiful selection and those price tips are handy.
There’s a Jayro for sale online in Spain for €850 which seems to have a set neck and is described as Japanese. My hunch is this is too pricey and they are Korean?

PhilKing

My 72 has the side by side drill holes for the wiring.  Mind you given everything else I've put it through, probably that's the least issue now.

ICBM

prowla said:

Prices can be a bit "variable", but my rule of thumb is: Chickenbacker up to £200, Hondo (Korean, plywood body) up to £350, Japanese bolt-on (Matsumoku) up to £450, Japanese thru-neck up to £550, maybe £600 for an exceptional Grecoguitar one.

There was an absolutely outstanding Matsumoku Aria Pro II 4001S copy I saw recently - very close to the real thing, even down to the wavy 'Grover' tuners - except that it had only a single truss rod as usual - but perversely, a neck the size of a tree... I think it was going to be about £750 in the shop, but the owner changed his mind and took it back.





I wanted to love it because I'm a bit of an Aria fanboy as well - so it would have been the perfect mash-up - but I just couldn't handle the neck size.

prowla

ICBM said:

prowla said:

Prices can be a bit "variable", but my rule of thumb is: Chickenbacker up to £200, Hondo (Korean, plywood body) up to £350, Japanese bolt-on (Matsumoku) up to £450, Japanese thru-neck up to £550, maybe £600 for an exceptional Grecoguitar one.

There was an absolutely outstanding Matsumoku Aria Pro II 4001S copy I saw recently - very close to the real thing, even down to the wavy 'Grover' tuners - except that it had only a single truss rod as usual - but perversely, a neck the size of a tree... I think it was going to be about £750 in the shop, but the owner changed his mind and took it back.





I wanted to love it because I'm a bit of an Aria fanboy as well - so it would have been the perfect mash-up - but I just couldn't handle the neck size.

That's a bolt-on neck (Matsumoku, like my Vorg), so not worth that money.

I do like that they chose the wavy tuner option (not all had them); here's my Vorg's:

and my real Ric 72's:

ICBM

prowla said:

That's a bolt-on neck (Matsumoku, like my Vorg)

No it's not .

Glued-in neck, not bolt-on or through. A lot of 4001Ss were too.

JezWynd

ICBM said:

prowla said:

Prices can be a bit "variable", but my rule of thumb is: Chickenbacker up to £200, Hondo (Korean, plywood body) up to £350, Japanese bolt-on (Matsumoku) up to £450, Japanese thru-neck up to £550, maybe £600 for an exceptional Grecoguitar one.

There was an absolutely outstanding Matsumoku Aria Pro II 4001S copy I saw recently - very close to the real thing, even down to the wavy 'Grover' tuners - except that it had only a single truss rod as usual - but perversely, a neck the size of a tree... I think it was going to be about £750 in the shop, but the owner changed his mind and took it back.





I wanted to love it because I'm a bit of an Aria fanboy as well - so it would have been the perfect mash-up - but I just couldn't handle the neck size.

That looks outstanding. I didn’t know Aria made copies, is it very old?

ICBM

JezWynd said:

That looks outstanding. I didn’t know Aria made copies, is it very old?

Late-70s I think, although I didn't check. Japanese instruments are often harder to date accurately than US ones as the pot codes aren't as conclusive. (There's just a single year code digit repeated every decade.)

Creed_Clicks

Sod it, I'm going to save save save for a 4003s...

Creed_Clicks

I came across a thread from a few years ago where @GSPBASSES had some pics of Ric style bodies but not sure if they are “allowed” to do this anymore?

GSPBASSES

 

It just so happens I have a Ricky body, I think I might even have a part built neck somewhere, but it doesn't have the fancy inlays in it. the body is not routed for pickups yet. Most of the Ricky's I've built only have the outline shape of the Ricky but have Fenders shape neck. They also built with a P J pick up configuration, with an East per amp. When I built the Ricky below I made two bodies at the same time, I still have the one left.

Creed_Clicks

@GSPBASSES have you built any with the standard Ric pickups? I guess your necks then would be set/bolt on ? 

GSPBASSES

 

The necks are always glued in, or through body. I haven't made any with Ricky pickups, I can't see any problem in doing that provided I have the pickups to make the appropriate jigs. However I'm not interested in making anymore as everybody knows now, Ricky's management and attack lawyers we'll go after anybody making accurate copies of their instruments. Once the body and neck that I have in stock go, I will not be making any more.

Creed_Clicks

@GSPBASSES totally understandable , and would this body and neck be sold already ?