Rickenbacker are amazing. As anyone can see from this video, they really make a handmade product on a small scale. Yet they are one of the world's most desired products alongside Ferraris or Learjets. If I see a group where just one of them uses one I always look twice.
Around 1980 I drove down to the Ric factory. It was hard to find, but I finally figured "this is it". Went in and this guy was in the office. He could see I was hot to check things out, so he very nicely offered to show me around. Finally got to the upstairs museum-ish (at the time) area. He's saying, "Well, this was Georges, and this..." I'm like "Wait...George? You mean...?" "Yes, Harrison.") It was great! As I left he stuck out his hand "I'm John Hall". I almost fell over!
As a New Jersey guy, hearing you name drop the Smithereens made my day; awesome band that deserves more love. My dream guitar would be a Rickenbacker 325c58 in Blueburst. That'd be the only thing that could take the #1 spot from my '89 Rickenbacker 325v59.
What a magical place! My Fireglow 4001 is on the wall hanger to the left of my computer screen and I kept looking at it while I watched it's young brothers & sisters being born 😃 Even in the earliest stages of construction, these instruments are beautiful and elegant. Thanks for the tour!
What a rare treat! I have always wanted to check out this factory and see pickups wound. Love to see that the soul is still there even with the modern updates and improvements. I agree the HB1 is an underrated modders dream, packed with wiring options that circuit boards can take full advantage of. I’m thrilled to see the return of the true 4005!
I was hoping they'd talk about those archtops made by Roger Rossmeisl.... He was one of my inspirations to get into repairing and making guitars back in the 70's.
Had a black 360 that I bought new at Guitar Center in Hollywood in the early nineties and later traded it for a mint Fender blackface 67 super reverb because I was playing jazz on an L5 and needed an amp, but the Rickenbacker 360 was my mod power pop guitar. I now live in Tokyo and the super reverb has been given away and I wish I would have kept the Rickenbacker because it is such a cool guitar. Those "Happy Monday" basses are too cool! I ran across what looked to be a 330 Rickenbacker bass the other day and it was also very interesting... Those archtop Rickenbacker guitars and what looks to be thinline archtops from the early 60s are so so fabulous. The color on all those guitars are lovely. Thanks for the video!
Eddie, keep rockin' my friend. i never played a ricken backer guitar. someday i will have to play one. i know it's going to sound great through a line 6 spider V modeling combo amp. those amps accept acoustic electric guitars. this guitar will sound great through a peavey vypyr modeling combo amp too. sounds like you're having fun in the guitar museum buddy. how cool.
Over the years, I've purchased three brand new 360s...I always end up selling them because the neck back is too round, the fretboard too narrow and frets too short. But I love the way they look...could also get rid of the sharp back edge...not comfortable.
@@williammacintosh1239Thanks for replying and I've searched the entire inter web for a pre sale of this 4005 V none to date? Please respond if you have a bread trail to follow when this might be a reality and thank you.
@@josephcorcoran8714 I don't know. Doesn't sound like a good idea. It'll make modding or repairs more complicated. I'll stick to my older Rics (320 and 325v63). Never was a fan of CNC. Mine were made before that process was in place and before they changed to UV cured conversion varnish.
I wait for my 620 Firegloo more than 2 years. Ipad it cash to my music shop in France and I wait with any news neither from Rick and the French customer's service. Theyjust say thatRick don't really care about european market. But I bought it and it's s theguitarofmy lire time I wait till my 60 years old to have one. I realky canunderstand how a comptant as Rickenbacker can use like this with his customer.
Factory does look run down could do with a good clean and organisation, seems stuff all over the place, but I have two 2023 basses and they are the best Rics I have owned changing from dual truss rod to single, new bridge system and skunk stripe, the neck profiles are wonderful nice flat D shape and pretty skinny for a Ric.
We love the new updates to the models you described as well. We need to keep in mind they have been iconic for a long time and have stayed small-ish as far as factories go!
I’ve also got a new Rick 4003, made the first week of 2023. After wanting a Rick for 40 years, I finally splurged and *I am lovin’ it* !!! I look at it a lot when I’m not playing. So beautiful, and I can’t believe it’s mine!
@@eddiesguitarsI didn't have to adjust the neck on my '76 4001 for 17 years...I doubt any single truss rod setup will be anywhere near as stable as that
I ordered a 360/12 at an official Rickenbacker dealer here in Europe, because I wanted a 12-string for recording. I waited three (3!!!) years without even getting an approximate delivering date. I have cancelled the order and will look for a Gibson or Fender! That´s not the way to deal with customers...
@@mr_bassman6685Spot on. This is absolutely true. They don’t really trouble themselves selling direct to customers; they sell to official Rickenbacker dealers. The poster would’ve had better luck asking the nearest Rickenbacker dealer for exactly what he wanted, then the dealer could’ve relayed the order and had it delivered to the store. It still would’ve taken awhile - Rick is really backed-up on orders - but not quite as long.
Hate to hear they're going to circuit board control circuits. That's a shame. You'd think they'd know better, and there's no telling how many people will lose their jobs because of it. Bear in mind the prices won't go down either, I can tell you that!
That’s a fact. Either they’re unaware or unwilling to stick to what people like me loved about them. I have a Ric 360 that I bought in college back in the 90’s and was going to look into a different one now but have decided against because of this. Sometimes these companies need to realize it’s not always about the great profit motive and bottom line. I’m an economist and know that of which I speak. Sadly, this is the nature of corporate America today. Quantity over quality. What a goddamn shame😢
Being honest it looks a mess like a sweat shop. No wonder you can’t get a Rickenbacker guitar in Europe. The production process is like from the 50s. 😢
Exactly correct re: 50s, they also still build Rolls Royce’s by hand…”sir, we have some lovely new Corollas in our east showroom I’d be happy to show you”
I was going to say the exact same thing about my 360/12 Walnut. This factory looks dysfunctional. No full explanations. I’m glad this wasn’t an Anderton’s walk through. They would have ripped them apart.
Most master artisan craftsman of any type have similar work environments. Looks like clutter, but it’s small, and they can tell you where anything and everything is at a moment’s notice. Really not much different than Ferrari’s pre-fiat shop when you see photos of their shop.
I've had a ton of Ricks but their customer service SUCKS Unless you are a Family Friend or Celebrity.
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The factory looks old, dirty and not well kept. Just look at the floor...ugly! The guy in the pink shorts did a horrible tour. No explanation of the process of how Rickenbacker makes their guitars. Thank you Alejandro and Eddie's Guitars for posting this "Insipid" presentation from the man in pink shorts! You guys rock!
It was just a very informal tour of the operations. We didn't ask Ben to give us a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough of the process because unfortunately we had limited time there. Next time we will do a better job of getting details!
Maybe they don't give tours because they are focused on building guitars instead of putting on a "show."
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@@scottfenney6910 I disagree. I worked at The WB Television Network. We, Warner Bros. employees, were very proud of where we worked. I gave countless tours and explanations on our Warner Bros Technical Operations facility. It's has to do with the mentality, culture from the top down. I worked at Warner Bros for decades(Retired from. there) and I knew as teenager in Fresno that Warner Bros had a great culture. And indeed it was.
Rickenbacker is an ultra-premium maker that was first with electric guitars. To me, they have always been an all around maker. In other words, a guitar for all seasons. The companies commitment to high quality is astonishing. Think about it, this is a company that is primarily concerned about making something they are proud of over making compromises that increase dollars but give the customer a false impression of what they are buying. Basically, all Rickenbackers are custom one-offs. This is probably why they are still held by the Hall’s and have not become just another name on a corporate brand list. I bought a 480 XC recently and it sounds and looks beyond my expectations, which were high. The guitar has a very natural “woody” tone that sounds indescribably classy. I do wish it had a 24 fret neck instead of 21, though. I own several RICs and the attention to detail is second to none. My only complaints are I wish they made even more types and still made amplifiers. I hope they always cherish these enviable values. All credit to the Hall family. Long live this company.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Rickenbacker are amazing. As anyone can see from this video, they really make a handmade product on a small scale. Yet they are one of the world's most desired products alongside Ferraris or Learjets. If I see a group where just one of them uses one I always look twice.
Around 1980 I drove down to the Ric factory. It was hard to find, but I finally figured "this is it". Went in and this guy was in the office. He could see I was hot to check things out, so he very nicely offered to show me around. Finally got to the upstairs museum-ish (at the time) area. He's saying, "Well, this was Georges, and this..." I'm like "Wait...George? You mean...?" "Yes, Harrison.") It was great! As I left he stuck out his hand "I'm John Hall". I almost fell over!
As a New Jersey guy, hearing you name drop the Smithereens made my day; awesome band that deserves more love.
My dream guitar would be a Rickenbacker 325c58 in Blueburst.
That'd be the only thing that could take the #1 spot from my '89 Rickenbacker 325v59.
I saw the Smithereens at a tiny venue in Ontario, Canada. They really played a great set!
It's awesome to see where and how my 360/12 was made. Heartwarming. Thank you Rickebacker.
Saw some really cool stuff in the museum at the end, I hope they open it to the public some day
I spotted a Chris Squire Limited Edition signature bass.
What a magical place! My Fireglow 4001 is on the wall hanger to the left of my computer screen and I kept looking at it while I watched it's young brothers & sisters being born 😃 Even in the earliest stages of construction, these instruments are beautiful and elegant. Thanks for the tour!
😅
What a treat, thankyou!!
Whauw real hand crafted guitars!
What a rare treat! I have always wanted to check out this factory and see pickups wound. Love to see that the soul is still there even with the modern updates and improvements. I agree the HB1 is an underrated modders dream, packed with wiring options that circuit boards can take full advantage of. I’m thrilled to see the return of the true 4005!
I love Rickenbacker guitars and ebasses. :)
I was hoping they'd talk about those archtops made by Roger Rossmeisl.... He was one of my inspirations to get into repairing and making guitars back in the 70's.
Roger Rocked!
It’s so awesome to see the way these beautiful guitars are made😎
deciding on a rick, this was very cool to watch
can we get the extended cut of this video? lol love this!
It's crazy to think without The Beatles this shop would be probably closed by now. They made them legendary ever since.
If the beatles had used a mosrite they might not have gone under in the 70s
The Byrds
Had a black 360 that I bought new at Guitar Center in Hollywood in the early nineties and later traded it for a mint Fender blackface 67 super reverb because I was playing jazz on an L5 and needed an amp, but the Rickenbacker 360 was my mod power pop guitar. I now live in Tokyo and the super reverb has been given away and I wish I would have kept the Rickenbacker because it is such a cool guitar. Those "Happy Monday" basses are too cool! I ran across what looked to be a 330 Rickenbacker bass the other day and it was also very interesting... Those archtop Rickenbacker guitars and what looks to be thinline archtops from the early 60s are so so fabulous. The color on all those guitars are lovely. Thanks for the video!
Eddie, keep rockin' my friend. i never played a ricken backer guitar. someday i will have to play one. i know it's going to sound great through a line 6 spider V modeling combo amp. those amps accept acoustic electric guitars. this guitar will sound great through a peavey vypyr modeling combo amp too. sounds like you're having fun in the guitar museum buddy. how cool.
Thanks Mat and crew for this tour. Some beautiful guitars, if I can use that description. Your fan, Howie.
I have a 4003s and a 330, incredible instruments
Bought my Rick at Eddies!
Cool guitars, though. I have a 1999 360V64 6 string and a 2012 4003 both in Fireglo and I love them.
Over the years, I've purchased three brand new 360s...I always end up selling them because the neck back is too round, the fretboard too narrow and frets too short. But I love the way they look...could also get rid of the sharp back edge...not comfortable.
I wish i had a rickenbacker like john lennon
So what other guitar company would be of comparable size? Surprised by how small they are.
Oh god... The Jazzbos.... 🤤
So you visit Rickenbacker wearing a Suhr sweater?
I Sure do!
Whoops!
Amazing!!! I just ordered another Ric perhaps its construction was captured in this video.
I wish Rickenbacker would reissue the 360F or the 375F. My favourites.
Howdy anybody have a time frame and cost when the new 4005 V Rick bass is going to be available for sale?
Shipments getting in during the summer, $5k retail
@@williammacintosh1239Thank you for the update I'm gonna have to pick up a few more roadhouse gigs to get my order in.
@@williammacintosh1239Thanks for replying and I've searched the entire inter web for a pre sale of this 4005 V none to date? Please respond if you have a bread trail to follow when this might be a reality and thank you.
Nice
Will you have any Satin finish 4005Vs in stock?
We are working on getting some!
Guy goes to the ric factory with a Suhr jacket on
Are they changing to circuit board wiring?
Ben mentioned that they might be. To save time hand wiring each assembly.
@@eddiesguitars I don’t think that’s a good idea.
@@josephcorcoran8714 I don't know. Doesn't sound like a good idea. It'll make modding or repairs more complicated.
I'll stick to my older Rics (320 and 325v63). Never was a fan of CNC. Mine were made before that process was in place and before they changed to UV cured conversion varnish.
@@joellebrodeur1015exactly
Eddie mentioned what happened when Gibson did it. I thjnk people like Rics specifically because of details like that.
Rickenbacker is still selling amplifiers?
At Micro Fret we had chairs for the women who sanded the guitars by hand, theytook their time & we didn`t have to sorry about machine sand marks !!
I wait for my 620 Firegloo more than 2 years. Ipad it cash to my music shop in France and I wait with any news neither from Rick and the French customer's service. Theyjust say thatRick don't really care about european market. But I bought it and it's s theguitarofmy lire time I wait till my 60 years old to have one.
I realky canunderstand how a comptant as Rickenbacker can use like this with his customer.
You can’t buy one until someone else buys the factory and answers the need
Factory does look run down could do with a good clean and organisation, seems stuff all over the place, but I have two 2023 basses and they are the best Rics I have owned changing from dual truss rod to single, new bridge system and skunk stripe, the neck profiles are wonderful nice flat D shape and pretty skinny for a Ric.
We love the new updates to the models you described as well. We need to keep in mind they have been iconic for a long time and have stayed small-ish as far as factories go!
I’ve also got a new Rick 4003, made the first week of 2023. After wanting a Rick for 40 years, I finally splurged and *I am lovin’ it* !!! I look at it a lot when I’m not playing. So beautiful, and I can’t believe it’s mine!
Single truss rods???
Did I hear that right?
Yes, pretty much across the board Ric's are going to have single truss rods now!
@@eddiesguitarsI didn't have to adjust the neck on my '76 4001 for 17 years...I doubt any single truss rod setup will be anywhere near as stable as that
I ordered a 360/12 at an official Rickenbacker dealer here in Europe, because I wanted a 12-string for recording. I waited three (3!!!) years without even getting an approximate delivering date. I have cancelled the order and will look for a Gibson or Fender! That´s not the way to deal with customers...
As far as Rickenbacker is concerned, the dealers are their customers.
@@mr_bassman6685Spot on. This is absolutely true. They don’t really trouble themselves selling direct to customers; they sell to official Rickenbacker dealers.
The poster would’ve had better luck asking the nearest Rickenbacker dealer for exactly what he wanted, then the dealer could’ve relayed the order and had it delivered to the store. It still would’ve taken awhile - Rick is really backed-up on orders - but not quite as long.
I got one immediately from the Guitar Center in Clearwater, FL. Ordered it yesterday, due on Friday.
Hate to hear they're going to circuit board control circuits. That's a shame. You'd think they'd know better, and there's no telling how many people will lose their jobs because of it. Bear in mind the prices won't go down either, I can tell you that!
That’s a fact. Either they’re unaware or unwilling to stick to what people like me loved about them. I have a Ric 360 that I bought in college back in the 90’s and was going to look into a different one now but have decided against because of this. Sometimes these companies need to realize it’s not always about the great profit motive and bottom line. I’m an economist and know that of which I speak. Sadly, this is the nature of corporate America today. Quantity over quality. What a goddamn shame😢
Being honest it looks a mess like a sweat shop. No wonder you can’t get a Rickenbacker guitar in Europe. The production process is like from the 50s. 😢
Exactly correct re: 50s, they also still build Rolls Royce’s by hand…”sir, we have some lovely new Corollas in our east showroom I’d be happy to show you”
I can hardly believe that my wonderful Rick 650C came out of such a bleak factory with seemingly dirty, messy, and unorganized workstations.
It may look different than say Taylor or Fender, but you can't deny the quality instruments that leave their shop!
I was going to say the exact same thing about my 360/12 Walnut. This factory looks dysfunctional. No full explanations. I’m glad this wasn’t an Anderton’s walk through. They would have ripped them apart.
Most master artisan craftsman of any type have similar work environments. Looks like clutter, but it’s small, and they can tell you where anything and everything is at a moment’s notice. Really not much different than Ferrari’s pre-fiat shop when you see photos of their shop.
Hmmm. I don't feel particularly inspired to be honest. I think I'll stick to Fender.
I've had a ton of Ricks but their customer service SUCKS Unless you are a Family Friend or Celebrity.
The factory looks old, dirty and not well kept. Just look at the floor...ugly! The guy in the pink shorts did a horrible tour. No explanation of the process of how Rickenbacker makes their guitars. Thank you Alejandro and Eddie's Guitars for posting this "Insipid" presentation from the man in pink shorts! You guys rock!
It was just a very informal tour of the operations. We didn't ask Ben to give us a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough of the process because unfortunately we had limited time there. Next time we will do a better job of getting details!
@@eddiesguitars I appreciate your video tour!
Maybe they don't give tours because they are focused on building guitars instead of putting on a "show."
@@scottfenney6910 I disagree. I worked at The WB Television Network. We, Warner Bros. employees, were very proud of where we worked. I gave countless tours and explanations on our Warner Bros Technical Operations facility. It's has to do with the mentality, culture from the top down. I worked at Warner Bros for decades(Retired from. there) and I knew as teenager in Fresno that Warner Bros had a great culture. And indeed it was.
I worked at Jackson/Charvel in '85='86. Looked the same. It's a manufacturer.
Rickenbacker is an ultra-premium maker that was first with electric guitars. To me, they have always been an all around maker. In other words, a guitar for all seasons. The companies commitment to high quality is astonishing. Think about it, this is a company that is primarily concerned about making something they are proud of over making compromises that increase dollars but give the customer a false impression of what they are buying. Basically, all Rickenbackers are custom one-offs. This is probably why they are still held by the Hall’s and have not become just another name on a corporate brand list.
I bought a 480 XC recently and it sounds and looks beyond my expectations, which were high. The guitar has a very natural “woody” tone that sounds indescribably classy. I do wish it had a 24 fret neck instead of 21, though. I own several RICs and the attention to detail is second to none. My only complaints are I wish they made even more types and still made amplifiers. I hope they always cherish these enviable values. All credit to the Hall family. Long live this company.