Rickenbacker Bass vs Japanese Lawsuit Copy vs Chinese copy
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ย. 2021
- In a strange turn of events I found myself with three Rickenbacker style basses on site, it seemed a shame to not show them off. Apologies for this video being so long, I assure you that if I had included all the details I wanted to show then the video could easily have been twice as long.
A short side note about the music, when you hear a bass throughout the video, that is the sound of the bass on the screen, complete with 'new string rattle'. I didn't feel that the song I recorded near the end of the video did justice to each bass individually, but again, doing full individual sound tests would've added a huge amount to the running time. This way you get to hear each bass in isolation and also as part of a musical piece. - เพลง
If Rickenbacker had a line similar to Squier/Epiphone of basically the same instrument but with modern options and cheaper, It would make a lot of people happy and sell a lot of instruments.
Exactly. Harley Benton have their RB 414CS that gets rave reviews, if they could convince John Hall to license them then they could make a few changes to the design to make it closer to the original and make a killing. Here's something worth noting: The bridge on the Harley Benton is the EXACT same unit that was on the Chinese copy. I'd say the factory that produces them is just another fabrication company and they'll sell their product to anyone who wants to buy it. All they need is to not make them suck. Thanks.
Rickenbacker is a family owned company. If they were interested in selling out and making a killing, that would have happened a very long time ago. Unfortunately we are left to scour Ebay and Reverb for people "knowing what they have"
Don't cheapen the Rick with import copies. Not everyone will own a Rick just Like I will never own a '59 Burst. Rick are not that expensive if you really value your instrument. I have owned two and never regretted the price that I paid.
@@davidfaughnder6374 Your argument is invalid sir. Epiphone produces a literal facsimile of that guitar and other "Gibson" designs + has their own signature guitars and ones with more modern improvements, and none of it "cheapens" the Gibson brand. Try to imagine a Chris Squire or Lemmy signature that doesn't have a 2 year wait list and costs 1/2 the price of a traditional Ric, or perhaps something with actual improvements to the design and hardware so they don't constantly have to rely on the 2 or 3 famous players in history who didn't pick one up and immediately feel the need to modify or swap it for something else. Name one bass player in a significant band from 1990-2021 that has consistently played a Ric on records.
@@davidfaughnder6374 It sounds like a form of gatekeeping for me. Don't you, as a guitar manufacturer, want to put as many guitars into as many enthusiast hands as possible?
Great to see you back! Really missed your video's. Keep them coming, they are always really enjoyable and informative.
Nice to have you back. Great vid, great content as usual. Keep em coming 👍
Really enjoyed your presentation. I started playing music about 1950 when I was 5 on piano. Learned to play guitar so I could take it to college with me since back then there wasn't a lot of portable options for keys like we have now. I played keys and guitar in a couple of bands but I just wanted to play bass. I got the opportunity in 1969. I ordered a Ric. Can't remember the model no. then but looked very much like these. Think I paid 350 usd or so. I then had the unbelievable opportunity to buy a used 1963 Fender Precision for 75 usd and it was unbelievable. Now here is where the adventure began. The Ric was like a delicate lady and sounded like that too. Good high's and clarity, but not a lot of balls. The Fender had tons of balls and a quite nice top end as well, but it was ugly. Played great, but the paint had been removed and the wood not refinished so had a soiled brownish finish just from the aging. So, silly me, I just thought, I'll have a couple of fender split pickups put on my Ric like my Precision had and - horror story. They got installed and the bottom two strings sounded great, but the top two (the high strings) sounded very empty. I also had to fly with it for a while which ruined the neck. It is still beautiful and I still have it, but alas, from a usability stand point, it sux. I wish I had left it original. And the precision got stolen. I cried because I loved that bass. Still miss it. I have a 5 string Peavey and it's certainly adequate and plays very nice, but it will never be my Fender. Nice to talk to another bass man!! Thank you for the comparison by the way. Well done.
Wow, that's a heck of a tale, sorry to hear about your Precision, I had a bass that seemed to refuse to be taken from me, a German 1996 Warwick Corvette Pro 5 string, I bought it new with my student loan in 1997, played it all through my music studies at college, and into a few years of gigging. I wore out the frets and played it fretless for a couple of months but the wenge fingerboard got torn up pretty bad so I took it to a local luthier who refretted it but it was never the same. Shortly after that it was stolen, I bought a Cort Curbow (which I still have and love) then the Warwick was returned to me, although by that stage I'd moved on and I wound up selling it. 5 years later I saw it for sale and called in a few favors to buy it back. It was great to have again, but I just didn't use it and another 5 years later I sold it again. That was 6 years ago, and I know the guy who has it, I think it might be my turn to be it's caretaker for a while longer.
A Ric for $350... what a world that must have been.
@@astre7904 Brand New! In a wooden case.
@@fanbladeinstruments Isn't it great to be a musician. We all have our "war" stories to tell. And most of them are true lol!
Wishing the precision thief burns in hell for good
Wow! I was really craving a new vídeo. That you so much for this!
Great to see you back again, and really enjoyed this video! Still inspired by yourself to make my own bass, but no closer to even starting it 😂
"Mother of Toilet Seat" cracked me up. Great video! It's nice seeing you again!
There's a brazilian licensed model called Giannini AE010B. They were made in the 70's and 80's. These basses are really impeccable in terms of sound. I've already tested several of them, including side by side with original 4001's and 4003,s. All gianninis have the same qualities. Sometimes even better than the original one.
Olá Matheus, eu também já tive um Rick Giannini e me arrependo hoje por não ter mais ; era um bx excelente, não devia nada aos originais,acho que era de dos anos 80. Abração, sou de Angra, RJ. 👍
Great to see you back! Made my day.
You manifested that Rick bass into your life. Love the mods on the Chickenhacker, btw.
Extra nice song at the end of the comparison, I REALLY love the chord progression!
Thanks, it's about my only claim to being able to write music is that I can concoct an interesting chord structure to drape over whatever drum pattern I happen to have in me that day. Everything else is just ornamental. Cheers
Really enjoyed this video! Great job!!!
This video is spectacular! I just found your channel and am adoring your content (and your playing; you are a grooving monster). Thank you! I only play short scale, but I love the look and sound of a Ric. I don't agree with IP theft, but (as you sort of alluded to) there is an OCEAN between a copy and a counterfeit. In a captial-based ordeal, if you cannot meet demand... your product will (eventually legally) be ripped off. Money talks, they say, and that is a two-way street.
THANK YOU for the info. on how to read the Maxon pickup codes on the Ibanez! I've owned my (left-handed, but strung right-handed) one since new in the early 1970s and love it to bits. I've changed the tuners for new Gotoh ones, the bridge for a Hipshot (I *hated* the original bridge for many decades), and the nut for a GraphTech one, but it's original apart from those changes. Oh, and it has had the pivcup switch replaced once or twice as well.
Fascinating to see "my" bass taken apart by someone with such depth of knowledge, and who knows what they're doing. 😄
I have had a Chinese Ric copy, changing the pickups is a must do. Gave a 300 dollar bass a completely different personality 👍
The Chinese fault is that they use parts bin electronics.
Excellent. Enjoyed that very much. Nice playing also.
The acrylic/vinyl back is a work of twisted genius!
Thank you, this is a very informative and interesting video.
I loved it.
Congrats on getting together a unique and fun collection of basses!
I've played a friend's Ibanez Rick copy and it was quite good (because it's Ibanez of course), and would likely even sound very close if not the same as a 4001 if it had RIC pickups. ('Rick' is the bass, 'RIC' is the company name).
I'll preface this by saying I own 4 Rick basses (1976, 1977, 1981, & 2010) and have owned the oldest one since 1986. They all vary in weight quite noticeably, wood being wood (maple in authentic Ricks of course).
A couple of FYIs:
The plastic cover was adopted when they stopped producing the horseshoe bridge pickup in the late 1960s, and yes they are all plated plastic, and they are definitely a pain to play around. I like the look but can't handle the obstruction.
Yep, the bridge design is antiquated and a major pain to adjust, however the Hipshot replacement is great (I have one in brass, though the brass unit is very heavy - the aluminum one is nice and light), and RIC have FINALLY introduced a modern replacement of their own, I haven't tried one yet but it looks to be a good unit.
The modern 4003 330k pots (early 2000s and up I believe) might benefit with replacement using 250k pots - a common mod to improve overall tonal response. In the 1970s-1980s they used 500k tone and 250k volume pots.
As far as anchoring one's thumb, I learned back in the 1980s to just float rather than try to find a place on a Rickenbacker - I suspect that may be one of the reasons people dole out such hate on them at times. They're not a P Bass, and shouldn't be expected to be one, just like a Les Paul is not a Strat. I can't stand playing P Basses, so we all just like what we like, :)
Cheers, and have fun! :)
I have a '76 Ibanez, still has the pickup cover on it lol. Got it at a pawnshop for $75 about 15 years ago, case and all. I don't play it often. It did suffer from the "bridge lift" issue, so I put a Hipshot on it. Highly recommend. It plays very well, and I know it's weird, but I love how the inlays are slowly turning green.
now we know that ginger baker is one of your drums hero. awesome demostration. thanks!!!
Excellent walkthrough best wishes
Liverpool UK 👍
Interesting video. I bought my 4003 almost 20 years ago. Still use it. I love the pickup cover. I rest the back of my hand on it, which makes it easy to play with a pick close to the neck pickup. Rickenbacker's customer service is non-existent, but it you get one of their well-made guitars, it's a keeper.
Got a 4003s in '81, $650. Custom shop black on black dot neck. Bridge adjust screw was fused, bridge would not stand up in pit. Front pickup lasted a year. Serrated strap knobs as mute adjust knobs. Kept it and worked on it. Was in a mod revivalist band. Loved it, not even tone, it growled. Great sound with drums.
What a detailed video. That bass you got from China is nice after you fixed it. I like that they do custom orders. I'm guessing after said and done you're still under $1,000 on the Chickenhacker. The jam at the end was a pleasant surprise. You earned my sub'd.
Yes, even under NZD$1000, I haven't added it all up properly but I think I spend about USD$600 on a bass that feels like the equivalent of a mid-high end Epiphone. If I added up the hours I put in and applied what I charge for my time then that price effectively doubles. Thanks.
Just found this great video - meticulous, entertaining & informative New subscriber - cheers!
Thunderbird pickup,Gibson mud bucker-Bartolini all fit into the route in the neck ..I put usa pennies epoxiid together under the bridge piece to give it more resonance.. ripped out all the stereo stuff ,just 2 volumes...I love the way it sounds!
The Chickenhacker sounds the BEST ! The ebony board really shines. Damn, you're such a good player ! That solo was sick. You are an incredible songwriter, too !
haha😄
What a joke! Hahahaha
So whatever you paid for the "Chickenhacker", you really only got a nice maple top, a proper pick guard and blank truss rod cover and triangle fret markers. It looks great. You did a hell of a lot of work on it, but nothing beats the real thing. Good comparison work. Enjoyed it.
I live in the US. A few years ago I acquired what I call my Rickenmocker. It came as a kit, ordered on line from Pitbull, and it came from Australia. It arrived unassembled with everything needed to build it.
It had the Rickenbacker style body and pickguard, and the headstock is made to look like the original. A friend built and finished it for me. He told me he used a different type of pick-up for the bridge pick-up, than what came with the kit.
It took some adjustments, but I got it to a very nice set-up and it plays and sounds terrific! A bit different than the real thing, but I like it anyway.
I thought I would be happy with that, adding it to my collection of basses, but not so! About a year and half ago I ran across a beautiful Rickenbacker 4003 in a music store and made the mistake of trying it out. Needless to say, I bought it. It was perfectly set up and ready to play, and I have been using it on almost every gig since!
Good for you, getting a real Ric. Nothing beats the real thing, and that ringing treble punch that cuts through a mix
@@jasondorsey7110 well then you should try my 70's neck thru 4003 copy, it has all of the things, it has the bridge pickup capacitor thing, a ric-o-sound circuit and a 1.5 mm action with no fret buzz or dead notes.
I've been on the fence about buying a Rick for years....almost bought a Harley Benton copy (It's been getting good reviews).....After watching your video, I realized I'd never be satisfied with a copy, no matter how good. I went to Reverb and found a nice 2015 4003, with the right mods, and a good deal! Thanks for making this video, it was a great help for 'Getting off the fence....pulling the plug'!!
Fantastic news, well done you. The Harley Benton ones have the same dreadful bridge as on the chickenhacker, you dodged a bullet there. Congratulations.
Nice one mate. I really hope you're enjoying it. I've only got the Harley Benton 'copy' RB-414. It's not really a copy, the neck is more PB, the pickups are more Gibson, the body has shorter horns and the headstock is completely different. The only thing they have in common was that pig ugly useless bridge. I've modded the hell out of my RB and it'll never sound like a Ric, I don't want it to sound like a Ric and if I wanted a guitar that sounded like a Ric I'd have bought a Ric - except I can't buy a Ric and convince my better half or myself that it was money well spent. The RB is great fun though, but yeah in a world where cash is infinite, I'd buy a Ric🤣
@@fanbladeinstruments He might have dodged a bullet with the HB bridge but the guitar only costs $200 new. You can't actually say a 2014/15 Ric bridge is any better as these were the bridges the clones copied. There's plenty of unhappy Ric owners on the forums that'll tell you the bridge is pants with mucho taillift. But I'd rather have paid $200 than $2000 on an instrument and still have to shell out another $300 for a bridge on a premium priced guitar that's supposed to be the pinnacle of guitar making. But different strokes for different folks I s'pose.😉
Thumbs up, for all you do and did to your Chickenhacker you toke what wasn't yours and made it your own, I hope that came out right you trully pit alit of work into your bass. Kudos
I live in the Tampa Florida area of the USA and I've always had a fascination for the Rickenbacker's but they always seemed out of reach because of price and availability. Also, having worked on Ric's for friends over the years I can say the old bridge is a nightmare to work with which really cemented my opinion towards not owning one myself.
I've been a fan of Fender P's for 35 years, American, Mexican, and Japan made. They're just perfect for what I do, readily available, and so easily customizable.
A little over a year ago the opportunity arose for me to purchase a 2020 Mapleglo 4003 brand new so I pulled the trigger and added it to my arsenal. I figured I'd just put it in rotation with the rest of my collection, but it backfired, in a good way, sort of...
Once I started playing it I realized what the fuss was all about, they're pretty fantastic instruments. The balance, feel, and sound, are spot on, and it immediately became my main axe. First to go was the pickup cover, replaced with the aftermarket trim bezel, and honestly I've done nothing else but replace the strings and set it up to my liking. Speaking of setup, they redesigned the bridge a few years back and they are now very easy to adjust, very much like any conventional bridge. If you asked me five years ago I would have said I had no interest in the Ric's, I'll keep my Precision's, but the last year with my 4003 has changed my mind completely.
No they're not cheap or readily available but I say don't knock it till you try it... you might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.
Any thoughts on the dreaded double truss rod though? I hear it's a pain regardless of Ric's sounding great though.
@@IAmInfinitus208 it is more the maple necks rather than the truss rods. I am curious how bad warping would be on a single truss rod.
Mostly has to do with your playing style.
The early horse shoe pickups were mettle. It was found that they don't actually help the sound at all so the started making removable plastic covers.
I loved the intro!
A long video yes but a good and helpful video thanks
I had a ibanez Rickenbacker in the early 80s, strung it left handed and it was tremendous!
The Hipshot Ric replacement bridge is a nice component.
I'm a fan of Bloodwood being utilized in guitars and basses, but as part of a multi-laminate neck, or a thin layer between the body and the book matched top or back, not an entire body.
Yeah, the Hipshot Ric bridge is the dogs. I've just fitted one to an RB-414, cost more than the guitar but sounds sublime. That'll sort out your bridge tail lift Mr Fanblade. You can only use them on pre-2020 Rics though but that's no problem in your case.
Imagine a $1000-$1500 Fujigen-made Rickenbacker line, maybe with set-neck construction, a single truss rod, mono only, polyurethane finished and with third party-made hardware (Gotoh, maybe) and pickups (dunkan designed or similar).
If they're afraid it'll "cheapen the brand" then put another name on the headstock like Gibson and Fender does it.
Other than that, I'd love for them to increase their capacity and have some permanent signature models in their line-up (Lemmy Kilmister, Cliff Burton and Roger Glover would be appreciated candidates by most, I'd imagine)
I don't think japanese could produce the guitar you describe for this amount of money nowadays. Korea perhaps.
@@ant1sokolow you don't? The best guitar I've ever played is a Japanese Ibanez RG and I've never heard a bad word about the stuff coming out of the Fujigen plant.
@@wilhelmtheconquerer6214 You didn't understand me: I don't say japanese can't build high quality guitar. They can: High end MIJ Ibanez are superb as well as the MIJ Gretsch. I also own a Fuji Gen made late 70' LP copy wich is great.
I'm just saying that the guitar you described and hope to be made would be much more expensive than that 1000-1500$ bracket if made in Japan. Wages and other costs are too high. That's why i suggest Korea.
One of those Ibanez basses was for sale at the shop I took guitar lessons in in the late 70s. I would play it often waiting for my lesson. (I have had a few Rickenbacker guitars since then, currently have a 660/12.)
What did you pay for each bass? How much did you have to invest to get them playable?
Love the patina and the yellowing on the Ric.
Actually a good video regarding the differences. Something to keep in mind with the Japanese copy-era ones, though - the specs could vary quite a bit. While many of the earlier ones had bolt-on necks and pickups that varied from the Maxon's to Gibson-like mud buckers, I've had a '78 Ibanez for over 20 years, and it's equipped with their version of the "high gain" pickups, stereo wiring/jacks, and is neck-thru. And the body is only a four-piece, lol. But it's very nice maple. I've A/B'd it to several Rics over the years, and if it's not quite as strong as a good Ric, it did end up trouncing a couple of lesser examples. Exceptionally tough to find (you're more likely to find the Greco version), but a cool artifact from the era if you can.
thats a beautiful amber fireglow!! classy!
Awesome rundown! My understanding is that those Maxon pickups aren't humbuckers. Despite the two rows of screw heads it's only a single coil inside, with two bar magnets underneath and two plates passing through the coil. The adjustable screw pole things sit either side of the coil. I guess it's kind of more like a P90 style with the magnets at the bottom, but different in other ways. If anyone knows more about them I'd be keen to hear it because I'm trying to repair one at the moment.
This bass looks cool, and this is it.
My old Ric, a mid 80's, had a metal PU cover. My 2nd, made in 2002, has a plastic one.
I have one of those Maxon pickups that came apart. They are really weird- they have 2 rows of polepieces so you think it is a humbucker, but they are in fact single coils (look at the bottom, the blades in the center are the center of the single coil). I also have a Ventura SG from that time period, with the same type of body construction. Seems like a lot of work, but it was actually inspired by Gibson. They started building guitars like that after they had a fire destroy most of their lumber stock. They pieced strips together in what is generally referred to the "pancake" body so they could be more efficient in their use of what lumber they could get a hold of. Incidentally, one of the pickups in that Ventura came apart just like that Chinese one and had massive microphonic feedback.
Oh, and I recently came across a new Ric 4005 (their hollow body bass), here in the west coast of the United States, literally up the freeway from the factory it was made, for over $5,000 US. I played it, I loved it, but I can buy a halfway decent car for that money (well, I could before Covid). That style bass from China is $438. Just sayin'
Thanks. More videos please.
Yep, that stereo wiring is complex. I bought my 1974 Rick 4001 for AU$2000 10 years ago and it was wired like a Jazz Bass but with individual tone controls and no stereo jack. I had to order one of those fancy sockets from the UK and rerwire it myself, but it was well worth it. Interesting what you mentioned about the tailpiece lifting up as I had thought that was the way they were meant to be.
Great video, learned a lot, if I want to buy a Chinese Chickenbacher, which company would you recommend?
Nice vid - thanks!
I do like your drummin', btw...
Weird but through my high quality PC speakers & Studio headphones, the Chinese made one sounds the best IMO. It has the best growl and the mids & treble frequencies are really tight.
I liked the Chickenhacker, thought it was the best of the rest. Also using good headphones, Sennheiser HD650's. But there was a lot of work went into the Chinese, more work than I'd ever want to do even if anyone could get one these days. But Ric have firmly shut the door with C&D on anyone on the planet who were making similar designs. So I'll never have one because I'm not prepared to shell out that kind of money for a guitar that still has a serious amount of flaws. Maybe if they'd have paid their lawers less protecting their design and spent their money on concentrating on QC and improving their product instead they'd have sold hundreds and thousand more. Queer business model, but who am I to question corporate decisions. They're the experts not me.
What are you smoking? Nope! Ric was much better.
I found a a 70's era Ibanez clone for 69 euros and I absolutely love it.
That's a great deal and a half
A friend of mine had a real 4001 and a no name (for backup).
This was in the late '70's. The no name (made in Japan) had one truss rod the real one had two.
The fake was more stable for gigging, the real one, the action would change depending on where we were in the country! ended up using the fake more often than the real one.
@@kcuhc84 Even the weird Teisco stuff that mimics but isn't quite like most of their original counterparts were pretty decent guitars on their own. I am pretty sure Egmond went out of business because they couldn't improve their quality over japanese import stuff. Egmond was at one point one of the biggest manufacturers in the world but nobody talks about them because they made mostly mediocre trash that couldn't out-perform the japanese stuff. The biggest market for many brands is still the beginners market I think, and they don't tend to want to blow all their money on a guitar (unless you're in the US where having a guitar was/is also a status symbol and if you don't have a Gibson or a Fender you don't count).
My friend lent his 4003 to me for two weeks back in 2005. His was made in late 70's, 78 I think...Black. I always thought "wow this thing is so... ugly that it's beautiful!" I like the way it looks a lot. When I got back home it went on strap immediately, balance was good, controls were where I'd want them to be, all nice. Sound was quite different than anything I was used to but it didn't take a lot time to get used to it, I kind of liked it. No problems with any of the pickups, maybe they were a bit on the quiet side but not a problem for me. Weight was ok. Headstock shape beautiful, all great. Frets too thin and soft, and they seemed to be like that back in 78, I wondered how anyone could play on those plus there was transparent finish over some of them. Holding tune, no problem. BUT...
The pickup cover was in the way. I called my friend if I could remove it. "Sure man, dismantle entire bass if you want, check everything, explore, but put it back the same way it was, you break - you pay!" What a cool dude my friend is. So... I went in.
Removing that cover was more work than expected, but ok. Bridge dismantled on its own when I removed the strings, "ok, it's supposed to do that", removed the pickguard, "what an ugly routing job they did, no paint, fuzzy ends...blah". Removed the truss rod cover, "wow, there are two of them! cool!" Time to reassemble.
OH LORD. A lot more time and fiddling than necessary. Put the strings back and it wouldn't play, strong backbow. "ok, I shouldn't mess with the truss rod, just leave it for a day, it will come back." It didn't. Shit. Brass nuts, I better get the proper tools for this, my metric stuff doesn't fit, if I strip them inside or outside I can kill myself on spot. "hey man, do you have any tools for truss rod adjustment? You do? Can I have them? Cool, thanks! Nooo, everything is ok". This was 2005 so no youtube videos for help, the forums were useless as usual.
Two days of fighting that thing in that tight space in the headstock... I don't wish that to anyone. But I made it work. Played it, liked it, with time I realized I don't love it, the sound was not my cup of tea, I mean I get it, but it doesn't get me, you understand what I'm talking about. Plus when I looked at it without that cover it was .... Ugly. Sacrilegious butchery. That gap was bugging me. Anyway, I successfully brought it back to it's original state and returned it.
Conclusion: it is overpriced piece of crap that charmed me with it's unusual yet appealing look with an ok sound that one either likes or dislikes. I am thankful to my friend for this experience, it saved me a lot of time, money and nerves that would be wasted on getting one of them just so I could be disappointed in it.
Rickenbacker did one thing well - every time before I put one of my Fenders back in case I give them that loving gaze, smile, kiss them and say softly "Thank you."
Thanks so much this was very informative. I have a Chinese 660 TP 12 that's actually pretty good. I replaced all the electronics and pick ups which helped immensely of course. Gemini pick ups which are amazing, a small shop in New York City. Changed the Chinese electronics to a custom-made set almost doubled the sound output and really cleaned it up. Put in a real Rickenbacker 12 string bridge and nut. One thing I'm confused about you mentioned about the real ones being hard to get. I just looked at reverb there are 240 of them on there. So it seems to me to be the opposite, there are plenty of them out there. I quite agree that having someone like fender Japan make a $1000 Rickenbacker 4003 would be a good idea. I currently play a Steinberger bass which I just love, the tonal range of the pick ups is fun. I wish It had a shorter neck. Thanks again
I am in New Zealand, we are lucky if there is one single Rickenbacker for sale. We can go many months between finding one for sale and it invariably goes for stupid money. As for the ones on reverb, well, that's stupid money plus exorbitant shipping. I cannot stress enough how lucky I was to get one, and at a fair price.
My dream instrument is the rickenbacker 4001 in blue, such a nice bass.
The Rickenbacker guitars come with two jacks a mono and a stereo and they come with a splitter as well
I do like the spalted maple. Nice figuring....
Lovely video, thse 330 KO pots were for lower costs. I think previous Rics used both 250 and 500 values together, so 330 is kind of "same" and lower the cost of manufacture.
I have had my 1978 4003 for over 20 years .I found it in a pawnshop
It's AWESOME..
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Ibanez Flying Vee copy, and on their latest "boutique" bass, the Affirma. I recently bought an Affirma AFR5 in Black Walnut, and it's the most enjoyable bass guitar I've played in fifty years. Way back, I used to own a Rickenbacker 4001 in Fireglo, and I loved it but lost it in a nasty divorce.
OMFG! I own a lawsuit era Rickenbacker with THOSE EXACT PICKUPS!
They're RIDICULOUS and impossible to emulate. I wish I could find new ones 😢
I have a Rickenbacker 4003 from 2017 I bought new. The pickup cover on the rear pickup is plastic but the 60’s 4001 were metal and had an effect on the electric field around the pickup, I read about anyway.. I also have a 2015 Fender Jazz bass but like the Ricky a lot better for feel and sound.
The Ibanez Ricky was a beloved favorite of some punk bands. One friend said he liked it better than the real one he got later.
Great video as allways!!!!
Back in the 70's Sharfsbury made an affordable one that wasn't bad.
... and Cimar also ...
Difficult to get in Aussie land too cuz. Got mine from Japan. A big store in Melbourne used to take orders but they would never get fulfilled. And the ones they had in stock didn't sell because they're too expensive. Ric could probably sell a years production run in Tokyo and California alone
I had a 1975 4001 RIC and I loved it, except it weighed too much for me when I was gigging 6 nights a week. I absolutely wore it out. I had taken to the factory in Santa Ana to have the frets replaced which I wore down to the neck after 20 years, and he told me I would be better off and cheaper, to just buy a new one. Well, I decided to make a change and bought a Shector Diamond Elite model, which was half the price of a RIC a has the "through body" neck like a RIC and also a little lighter. This bass plays just like a Ricky and the neck is so similar to a Ricky, I actually like it better than the Ric. It also gets a little warmer sound but with the "ricky" high end. The neck on the Shector is also a tad bit thinner than the RIC.
OK, Rick was the best, I have to admit that - as a huge fan of Chris Squire I'm in search of this sound. My suggestion is to check out Greco Rick bass - am going to buy one myself. Thanks for the video)
The Gurgling Devil, хорошее видео! 👍
whhaaaaaa - -I just started this - THANK YOU !!!
Supposedly I have a 1974 Greco RB650, The back neck plate only says "Made in Japan". The binding is checkered. The word 'Greco' is alone, small and more centered in the truss cover. Neck pup is toaster-style. I am happy to own it, but looking to ID the year.
post 1990's Rickenbacker finishes are many times "sticky" and checking is common. The pickup magnets are flexible rubber. Maybe that's what gives them the signature tone?
I have been kicking myself every day for the last 45 years for selling my beautiful and incredible Ricky 4003 back then. What a young dickhead I was. It was "da shit", complete with the legendary "Rick-o-Sound" dual outputs, which I ran through a power and preamp stereo set-up, with a beastly sound emanating forth from the two "W" bins which had two 15's in each one, and two 4x10 cabs. My bass amplifier set-up completely filled a roadie van, and the roadies hated me, probably rightfully. Hey, it was the 70's, okay? Excess was the order of the day, and a big sound was never big enough! But that Ricky, oh what an idjit I were!
Bought my Rick, from 1981, several years ago from a dealer in US. Found him on a portal, of sort, for various instrument dealers and it turned out to be a very good deal.
Here in Sweden the cheapest that I ever saw, shortly after I got mine, is 17.000 SEK. And that was without a case.....
After customs and everything I paid about 14.000 SEK. And mine is in Burgundy Glow which was the reason for jumping on the offer. Burgundy is just... (sigh)...
Today it would bring my at least 25.000 SEK, and that would be very good price for the buyer. But they'd have to pick it from my dead cold hand...
I liked the sound of that Chinese one the Ricky sounded a bit more buzzier at places maybe you play hard why it sounds like that but awesome video I take it you must be from ChCh I'm down the way in Dunnerz keep up the good work I have a Jap copy bought in late 80s cheap from a closing down sale I put Seymour Duncan pickups in it as all my bases have them they sound great to me like your Ricky sounds great to you and that's all that matters
Let's be honest, all 3 sounded really really nice, but when the real Ric went into Chris Squire mode it did stand out on high notes
I read a story about top quality gear and New Zealand.
Apparently groups would conclude their world tours there and then wouldn't have the money to get their gear home. Accordingly Christchurch harbour was said to be full of Voxes, Marshalls, Ampegs and no doubt guitars too.
Then there's the story of Gerry Marsden's Rickenbacker 360/12 that he sold or gave away in New Zealand after it was damaged. Eventually oubtained by Alistair Parker of Bailterspace, he used it as a six string and it can be seen in their Splat video. In the 90's it was said to be worth $90,000.
That probably did happen occasionally, but a lot of bands didn't bother bringing their amps as the cost to ship them here was (and is) very high. Most bands just rented the few we had here, and the local musicians just used locally made amps. We've actually got quite a history of making very reliable and good sounding amps but nobody could ever compete with the prestige of the big name brands.
There's a great story about The Byrds insisting that they be allowed to use their own amps, plugging their American amps into our NZ 240v power supply and frying them all. I don't know how true it is as they would've had to change the plugs to fit our wall outlets and if they knew how to do that then surely they would've known about the voltage difference. Cheers.
Pup covers have always been plastic, except of course the original horseshoe pups. Bought mine new in ‘75 and still use it to this day.
Mate! you got a link to the people who make the Chicken Hacker???
I remember seeing a Ricky Bass at CJ's in the 90's. It was real nice but I had no idea it was such a rare thing.
Was that a Midnight blue one? I remember that, Steve who worked there bought it. Someone traded it in and I don't think they ever had another one. I think they also had a left handed one for a few days but it sold pretty quickly. Music Planet have managed to get a few of them from a supplier in Japan but the middle men all get their cut and the end user pays handsomly. I'd be very surprised if I saw another one second hand any time soon. Cheers.
My first bass was a Ganson, 400* copy from late 70's or early 80's. With a bolt on neck that was broken and never could stay straight. Looked a lot more like the original RB than the Ibanez. Due to it's neck it was utterly unplayable, but I wish I hade kept it anyway....
I really enjoyed your video. Just wish you would have turned the bass up on the sound demo. Especially since you are doing a video about the bass. Don't really need to hear the bass trying to compete with drums and keys for the spotlight.
Wow. That Chinese bass is a real Frankenbass. I guess they made it at the same factory where they make tanks.
I owned a Japanese Rick copy in the early 80s. It was my first bass, in fact. It weighed less than a real Rick (the dimensions were in line with your smaller copy dimensions), and was louder and even more trebly. For playing early 80s style music it was actually a good instrument. There were times lugging around my real Rick that I missed that bass.
I didn't think I'd sit throught 43 minutes of this without skipping bits, but it was really good.Especially interesting to see how these compare to my rick copy. Its a Rockinbetter which is a brand that has been applied to a variety of instruments, some are apparently good, research tells me mine is one of the less good Chinese variants although thats not to say its bad. As a comparison it weighs 4.8Kg with a scale length of 850, Headstock 110, nut 40. By the way I thought heavy bodies and hardware were supposed to give benefits in sound, sustain etc?
Thanks, and yes more weight generally means more sustain only because heavier materials are more ridgid, it's actually more accurate to say that rigidity and stiffness give you more sustain. At a certain point though, too much weight becomes it's own problem and the whole instrument becomes cumbersome and painful to play, and that's no good. The Chinese bridges on these basses add a lot of weight but take away vital aspects of adjustability, they're just no good. Thanks again.
Did you play the Bloodwood bass through an amplifier before you relieved it of all of that weight? And if you did, what was, if any, difference in sound and timbre, sustain and richness of bottom end? I'd be interested to know. Also, honestly, if you were blindfolded, and the elephantine weight of the weighty fella wasn't an issue, could you honestly say you would be able to tell which was the real deal? Hmm? What vintage is the actual Ricky, because the one I had, the pickup cover thing that goes above the strings was metal, not plastic. I just chose to remove it, I found it got in the way too much.
I believe Rick still uses nitro cellulose laquer. So if you can get a guitar buffer with dry buffing compound I’d wet sand it using a 500 grit and dewalt orbital sander, from there put the sander away and go up to 800 grit, then 1000 grit and 1500 grit. Always inspecting your work so you don’t sand through. Finally 45 minutes on a big wheel guitar buffer never use a shop steel buffer you’ll instantly destroy the guitar, but you can get that looking brand new no cracks, you shouldent need to re clear coat it.
I like the pickup cover. I rest my palm/thumb on it
Great video! I had a lawsuit Ric bass like that in the 80s and a lawsuit Les Paul Custom. Not because I wanted a Rickenbacker or a Gibson, but because I wanted an Ibanez and their copy guitars were worthless second hand so a teenager could afford one 😀. I maimed the Ric by filing the frets flat (wanted a fretless) then it got stolen 😞
My mate had a Shaftesbury Rickenbacker bass which was a very good copy eventually he managed to afford a genuine model. Recently I saw a Rickenbacker bass copy called a Rockin Better
LOL My very first bass was a Shaftesbury in 1973 it wasn't a Rick copy it was a Telebass. It was also 3/4 scale. Thanks for the memory @TheFairway8
Rickysounds UK for all parts Rickenbacker mate. Including brand new basses. Not cheap but they will ship.🇬🇧
I play six string primarily, but I dabble with bass as well. Why does the Ibanez have a thumb rest installed on the treble side? Maybe I can learn something here, but it just seems counterintuitive.
it's a tug bar that leo fender put on the early fender basses and was intended for you to hook your fingers under while you plucked the strings with your thumb. but as it turned out that wasn't the optimal way to play the bass.
This was a great presentation. To be honest I love Ricenbacker, but they were designed for two styles of playing Fingering and Pick.... When it comes to Slapping they just don't have that modern kick. Now you can slap a Rick and it sounds good but the options are not there. That's why many of todays players choose other basses, but like you said if they were to have a cheaper brand giving us the chance to experience the Rick because they are $..... BUT a ROLLS ROYCE never go on sale.
I slapped a rick once it slapped me back 😆
Just a thought. Wouldn't a Jazz bridge cover look better on the Chickenhacker ? It would fill the empty space at the rear of the body.
I had 70s Japanese bolt on copy in burgundy, sounded just like real thing it had stereo wiring and pickups looked like rickenbacker ones , unfortunately neck was knackered and would bend and creak as you tuned it up
My first bass was a 1975 Carlo Robelli copy, made in Japan by Matsumoku. It was terrific and I've regretted, ever since, trading it in for what turned out to be the WORST bass I've ever owned, a new Guild B-302. As for John Hall, you may respect his business model but opinion is a bit lower. He seems to have little better to do than scour eBay and getting them to take down listings for these vintage Japanese-made copies. Since he IS Rickenbacker, eBay does not question his rights when in reality, he has no right to have these listings taken down. There was nothing illegal about making them in the 70s and certainly nothing illegal about selling them, then or now. The only "lawsuit" regarding copies was for the Gibson open-book headstock and that suit was only threatened. It never led to a verdict. Manufacturers simply read the writing on the wall and stopped making their copies so exact.
Even my Hondo's got the stereo jack...🤷🏻♂️ hardly use it, but it looks cool...😅
it is probably worth having a separate video just with the isolated bass tracks.
Indeed, if the demand is there then I can do a comprehensive sound test video. In deciding how to approach this video I decided to take it as read that nothing sounds like a Rick except a Rick, and focus on the other aspects of each bass.
this video is very good though, very thorough comparison (but what are the nut materials??). the central strip of the chickenhacker might be red ironwood.
Can still get any of the copies or kits now?
My Ibanez Rick is neck through ...1978, swapped the bridge for a bad ass, filled the cavity underneath with lignostone. And it had a metal PU cover