Chickenbacker 370/12 REVIEW and guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- Time to talk about Chickenbackers folks. Let's listen in to this thing and see if it's a replica or an instrument. And if it isn't a proper player, what could be done to sort it out.
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The pickguard should really have Roger McGuinn’s signature in Chinese.
LOL 😆
You would not want a real Roger McGuinn Ric. The built in compressor is underneath the pickguard. Every time you need to change the battery, one must unscrew the pickguard. Pain in the butt! Just buy a good external compressor stomp box. More pickups do not make for a better guitar. One or two pickups are enough. Also, for finger pickers, the middle pickup gets in the way of your finger picks.
@thomaspick4123 That is what I'm saying. No one talks about pickup height interference on picking. Such a forgotten aspect. The subtle ramp and rounded top are why I use soapbars.
Also, good call on the compressor! I hadn't even thought of that.
Signature's don't change with language
Nice job on the review!
I am in the camp that agrees that Rick could and should offer a reasonably priced 2nd brand line, ala Epi, Squier, etc.
I have both cheap and expensive rigs, and some of my favorites are the cheepies!
Just remember: you are personally responsible for quality control...so go to the shop and road test multiple examples...if you try 6 or 10 anythings, you will find some dogs, some real movie stars, and everything in between....or buy in confidence from Sweetwater, etc.....
"You are the quality control"
Exactly. That's what it is. Great guitars can play poorly and cheaps can slay. It's all about looking for the good ones and being able to finesse them into great with a bit of work. ✊️
Checkered binding on the back? It wasn't strung like a Rick. 12 saddle bridge is a must!
Yeaa. There's def room for improvement on these. But nothing out of reach. :)
As much as it sucks for players, as a business, they have a situation where they know they can move every instrument they make to retailers who can sell them all to dentists to hang on walls. Guitarists can purchase them though and sell them again later for the same or sometimes more - but only if there are no screws obviously turned, no permanent modifications or fixed quirks- then you can own it and trade up to get your money out. Sadly it's priced to be something that should be available as exactly what I want. Because they don't make one with each of the options on one guitar and I would modify 1 or 3 things I have to really want it to keep. On the sell pages player grade is a dirty word, kind of rubs me funny. I also noticed above a certain age checked finish and buckle rash, board wear aren't price killers but looking for a 2nd hand one you get the feeling the market is a completely different kettle of fish. I may just make my dream guitar out of 2 chickenbackers and a kit guitar. I'm only half joking. I will raid the parts bin, buy a couple parts and end up with 2 franken guitars if I do. Deciding if I can get a serviceable body and fretboard.
Excellent review! Thanks B!
Thanks for watching Ramiro!
Subscribed. What a great, honest review. And I appreciate your personal perspective as a surfboard manufacturer who got caught up "in the wave" of foreign copy cat competition that flooded that market. Insightful video as well for I did not realize that this Rickenbacker clone industry from China is going hot and heavy.
Thank you Michael! I appreciate that much! This is indeed a rapidly changing market. A time without precedent. Cheers for tuning in and have an excellent rest of the weekend!
Thank you, Breilly! And you as well, have a great one!@@breilly66
Great review, man!
Thanks a lot!
You're very welcome!
Thank you, great job.
Thanks Kenny!
Love the video variety too.
Greatly appreciated 😊🙏
really useful, thanks
Great Video.
Cheers Gary! 🙏
I have to admit that they make better and better guitars. I found more minor workmanship defects in the original Epi from Indonesia than in the ricken from China.
Agreed. The consistency has been improving rapidly.
From what I remember, Fender lost a trademark type of lawsuit on people replicating their guitars. How did Rickenbacker win?
I do own two Rickenbacker 360/12’s in Fireglo and Jetglo.
Very nice guitars. One is a 2002 with a thicker neck down low and the gloss fretboard. The other is a 2021 with a no finish board.
I got the 2021 second and it was way easier to play. Guess what? Rickenbacker changed the string spacing ever so slightly. I bought the newer string nut and put it on the 2002. Way better. I also bought the Rickey Sounds wide and close nut in brass to try out. Even more room for open chords with my big fingers.
If I remember correctly It's not that Rick won and fender lost as much as Fender saw that there would always be people emulating the design so they licensed out. Rick as I understand was staunchly opposed.
@@breilly66 It’s like fighting a never ending battle.
@@mrbigg7255 Totally.
Rickenbacker uses black rubber grommets between the two pickguards, not springs.
True. But in the past I've spotted a few. It was a spur of the moment decision.
Very impressed with your site. BTW, not trying to be nit-picking, but the correct pronunciation of the name is Ricken-BACK-er. Short A in Backer as opposed to long A as in AH. It's my understanding that Grandpa Rickenbacker changed the pronunciation of the family name before, or at, the time of the founding of the family business. Thanks for a great vlog.
Yeaaa. I've got an accent that shows up at inopportune times. Lol. Thanks for tuning in!
Cool video. Ive been looking at this model. What pickup did you put in the Bridge?
Thank you Rick 🙏. I found a Rickenbacker High Gain from a 2015 330 on Ebay. Bit costly but it really woke up. Like, surprising gains in output, balance and the mids. I still need to switch the tuners but it's a whole new guitar already.
Great overview. Was wondering which tuners/source you used to replace the ones it came with? Also any suggestions on reasonably priced better toaster pickups for an authentic sound?
Thanks Sandy! The good thing about these is that they use a kluson type just like the proper ones! So as long as it isn't a short shaft, you're good.
The pickups are trickier. Rick is all over ebay and reverb so anyone selling a direct repro will get hit.
However, I haven't tried this but have been looking into it.
A kind of budget minded quarter pounder but for Ricks. Should be a decent and economically sane alternative to a high gain. Perhaps?
www.ebay.com/itm/124226733328?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=XpeLvQ9BS1C&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=NwzdqWGyRD-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
@@breilly66. Thanks for the info. I’m really enjoying your channel!
@@sandywinfield9406 Yessir!
Hey buddy, what fuzz pedal are u using? Cheers and great video
It's a Donahue Fuzz made in Brooklyn. But last I heard he wasn't really open for orders. Closest thing to it, zvex fuzz factory or moreso even a fuzz face. Cheers and have a lovely day!
Excellent review and evenhanded too. Would greatly appreciate knowing who you purchased guitar from as I'm interested in getting one. Thanks!
Greatly appreciated! 😊🙏
310998947 NO.2 Store
a.aliexpress.com/_mORG4Mq
@@breilly66 Thank you for the link!
@@archimark5060 Yessir! Happy to help.
@@breilly66 Some specification questions please.....what is width across lower bout? What is nut width? Is body all maple or ? Thanks.
I stay with my opinion. My Hagström DLX 12 may not look like a Rickenbacker, but it serves its Byrds-inspired sound more than well. The jangle is there (not different from the Rickenbacker version at all), the vintage look can justify for more than reasonable for a Rickenbacker sixties replacement, the H expander trussrod does its job for neck stability very, very well and the resinator wood fretboard should give more guitar brands food for thought to give eco-friendly materials more of a factor in producing their models. I didn't have to replace any pickups or other pieces, the sound is very good out of the box already. And most important of all, the price is more than half of a Rickenbacker. The awful sound and its ongoing manufacturing problems did not even make me get a Chickenbacker in my mind. And the Gretsch Electromatic 12 string g and the Guild starfire 12 string are also way more affordable Rickenbacker alternatives with prominent sound and playability qualities .....with the same jangle
Surprised you did not address the reversed strings where Rickenbacker puts the main string first and the octave after which also contributes to the unique sound. I own a 360/12 from the 90s and it is a fantastic guitar, but I would feel more comfortable leaving that at home and gigging with a guitar like yours.
I did totally miss that! I gotta be honest.... some Chickenbackers are close to playable right away. While this one had an excellent neck joint and a stable platform to build on.... the rest was pretty choppy.
Admittedly.... I was kind of still absorbing the madness. Lol.
Gigging with a 360 12..... glorious. But dear God, if I bumped a door jamb going up.... noooo...
I have a theory. The string reversal from the norm i.e.(high string before low string) was done so you would play the higher string last thus giving the characteristic Ricko sound. Also on all up picks you get the higher string first which when combined with the down pick, it creates the jangle that it is famous for. The problem with this guitar, your review and the "chickenbacker" versions is that they don't have the musical and historic background to comprehend jangle or the Ricko sound. Ask the people that invented it; the Rickenbacker designers. Ask Roger McGuinn, George Harrison, Tom Petty et. al. etc. , you have a fabulous channel. I enjoyed it. If I might make a suggestion it would be when dealing with classic things, one needs to do a lot of research and study to present the subject with some gravity and importance. Without that you will have what is out on TH-cam now. Cheers and best of luck.
To be honest.... I'm a very big fan of the Byrds and Harrison both. But in a review like this one (versus my long form deep dives) quicker is better and I believe that most viewers aren't here for a long throw about the genius of "Pre-flyte"
Can't make everyone happy I guess. Last review I talked about the artists responsible for the genesis of a model guitar, a handful said I talked too much. Cest la vie.
Either way.... glad you enjoyed. :)
its not how much. its what's in what you talk about! Thanks for getting back to me Cheers@@breilly66
Amen to that. And you're right. There's a part of me that feels like.... sod it. Some artists deserve the discussion regardless. The Byrds and George, absolutely.
We owe em that much just for the first records. :)
I have a question about your chicken backer. What type of truss rod does it have? The Rice has a duel trussed system. Thanks@@breilly66
It's a single.
I would prefer the plain tailpiece without the odd shapped "R" on it. My thoughts.
Agreed! Swapped it for a nickel plated 330 12 tail a few months ago. Way less goofy.
Out of curiosity, where did you buy this from?
Got it on Ali Express
I don’t suppose you’d share a link to the place you bought this. It seems better than most.
Oddly enough, the vendors on AliExpress are all on the same block. Most sharing materials and workers. The vendors are more like the apt doors in Help. They are all coming from that one manufacturer prefecture.
I suggest specifying much with them. It'll keep them from sending a dusty shelf ornament. The fella who I worked with to get it has already moved shops. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
Thanks for the review.
How about the Harley Benton RB-612CS Classic Series from Thomann in Germany for just $233?!
A review of that guitar would be an interesting comparison.
Oh I'm going to look into that one now! I didn't see that one come across my feed. Interesting
@@breilly66I would add the Hagström DLX12, the Gretsch Electromatic 12 string and the Guild starfire 12 string to that comparison. They are worth it.
@arno-luyendijk4798 Absolutely. The electromatic 5122 is a personal favorite
Would play Day Tripper and Ticket To Ride if I had one of these
I can't stop myself from playing those!
do you think the build quality might’ve improved since you bought yours? i want a new one but im worried its gonna be hot garbage like another one i had before
like they had to have improved something.. some of the new chickenbackers i see have things that others didn’t have before. i saw one that looked freakishly similar to a real 325c64, wayyy different than my other 325 copy that i bought about a year earlier
I have seen them buttoning up some obvious bits like the tailpiece. Haven't had a close look tho lately!
I wish you could have played it clean and no distortion, 12 string electric are known for sounding beautiful clean.
Admittedly, I wanted to. But the bridge pickup was so thin it barely registered. It was near dead and the replacement hadn't come in. The chicken part of the guitar I guess. :(
Oh yeah i am still thinking about buying a chinese Rick 325 c 64 replica...
The 325s have a much more stable neck joint than the 330 as well. More real estate for everything to bond up.
Ali Express has a half dozen or more "stores" that assemble these guitars. Each one is different. The trick is to find the best store...
Yuuup. All about the store feedback.
Thanks for the great video.
"For this particular one ....". And therein lies the problem! You don't really know what you are going to get.
A real Rickenbacker is not just a musical instrument. It is a work of art. You aren't just paying for the brand. You are paying for the artistic element. This is why RICs resale values hold up over time. And this is why Rickenbacker hasn't produced lower cost models.
Imho, the WORST think that Rickenbacker would do is to produce a lower cost 12 string electric. Any cheaper model that captured the classic RIC 12 sound would basically scavenge sales from the more expensive models. It would also have a great impact on the used instrument market as well. Churning out large numbers of cheaper instruments will eventually lead to poorer quality overall. And any decent "custom shop" models will become evern more expensive. So you end up with a situation where a new "custom shop" 330 or 360 model will be more expensive than the standard ones you can buy today which would be of equivalent quality.
At the end of the day, people want Rickenbacker guitars for that unique Rickenbacker tone - especially the 12 string ones. The price of entry is quite high. But like you say .. "You get what you pay for."
As for the Business side of things. Rickenbacker doesn't need to be making huge profits to continue to produce quality instruments. And in the unlikely event Rickenbacker did go bust ... there are plenty of quality used instruments available for anyone who wants a Rickenbacker fix. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Completely agree. From a bottom line standpoint RIC is on a surviving path where others have been forced to make market accommodation concessions in quality.
Admittedly, my business perspective here in the video is biased from the perspective of a shortsighted consumer. In the long game business model sense, you nailed it.
And yes, these are art from birth. The artisans building these have always been very up front about the finesse of these and also their structural "faults" that make them such a unicorn for many.
Now if only I could get a 66 330/12, I'd be a happy camper. Cheers for the excellent counterpoint KS! Greatly appreciated 🙏 😌
You're right. The copy had everything but the unique Ric tone.
Absolutely!
Nice review, thank you. As for that particular guitar, I'm unclear on two things. You refer to it as a "hollowbody". I have never seen an Ali Ric of any style that was truly hollow - they always just hollow out the cavity beneath the F-hole or slash and the rest is solid. Please clarify if you would. Also, virtually all Ali Ric 12's have neck tenons that only go to the back of the neck pup cavity and thus, they give way after a short time. If I missed this I'm sorry, but could you please tell the length of this one. Lastly, Rickenbacker can go #^%#^* itself. Their only creed is greed, they only want to sell $3000 guitars, not $300 ones. Gibson has their Asian line Epiphone - no problem. Fender has their Asian line Squier, no problem. Hofner has their Asian line Ignition, no problem. None of those companies has been diminished or 'watered down' by an entry level line, Rickenbacker wouldn't be either - they're just dicks.
Agreed! And yes, I misspoke. It's a semi-hollow in the same sense as a 335 or a thinline. The tenon on this does indeed just reach the pickup cavity underside.
You're correct tho. And thanks for watching 603!
@@breilly66 Very welcome and thanks for the clarifications.
I see both sides. Yes, I would like to have a less expensive but still decent quality Rickenbacker 12 string. But I don't own one. If I did, and had paid $2500-$3000 for it, I wouldn't like the idea of the market being flooded with much less expensive copies that looked just like mine to most people. I own a 1971 Strat. I bought it in 1977, in pretty much new condition. I also own a fairly new Squier, which I bought to have something that I didn't have to worry about, and to let others use. But it seriously annoys me when someone can't tell the difference between my several thousand $$$ Strat and the 300 $$$ Squier. The Squier is perfectly playable, but has little $$$, and no intrinsic value. A $300 fake Rolex still works fine, but it is not the real thing. Would Rolls Royce make a $100,000 version of their $450,000 Phantom, that looked the same? I seriously doubt it. On the other hand, if Rickenbacker came up with a less expensive 12 string that did not look like any of their existing models, but was still playable, that might not be a bad idea. It's a catch 22 situation. A less expensive model might increase their sales volume, but reduce the sales of their much more expensive models, and possibly reduce the value of already existing used models. A Rickenbacker 12 string is a legend, an icon, something very special, that has value beyond it's worth as a musical instrument, due in large part to the legendary musicians who have played one.
@@geraldscott4302Completely agree and very well.put towards the end.
Agreed.
Rickenbacker may not be swimming in cash, but they have enough back orders that the waiting list direct from RIC is about a year long.
18 months waiting list for 4003's, or so I'm told.
@garycharland3018 Good lord. 18 months?!
Never owned a wreck but knowing if people who have that told me that the neck pickup in a real one is usually the louder one
*never owned Rick, but played a few
The toasters are a bit more even handed but the high gain it get hot with barely any drive. Really lively pickups. Used to put them in jazzmasters years ago.
That guitar is not strung properly. On the Ric, the octave strings are supposed to be under the standard strings, not over them like all the other manufacturers do. Ric is unique in this setup. Might the MFGs of the Chickenbacker not noticed this, or do they not care?
Yea... they don't seem concerned with the finer print. These really are rough projects more than guitars alot of the time.
The R on the Chicken tail piece face the wrong direction.
Also Rics are full hollow but the Chickens are not full hollow. It's about 70% solid, only 30% hollow. Under the sound hole it is hollow but not as much as it should be and under the controls there is a route but that's it. A real Ric that side of the guitar would be 90% hollow. Because of this it doesn't sound right. You won't sound like The Byrds, The Smiths or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
I have a Chicken and I know what you mean about the pickguard. I went to Home Depot and bought some washers/grommets to raise the pickguard. I also bought a Made in USA sticker like on Ric pickguards and put it on. Looks real now.
Pickups look real but totally wrong construction.
Mine is a copy of a Ric 381. It's flame maple and beautiful.
Mine is six string, not twelve string. I have a 1970s Japanese 12 string Orlando so I just bought a six string in the Chicken.
I'm gonna sell it. It's beautiful but it's not really to my liking. I don't own any real Rics but I'll stick to my vintage and reissue Gretsches.
I fairly certain most Rick's were semi hollow.
@@breilly66 Look at an x-ray of a real Ric. It's a lot more hollow than the Chickens. It's about 90% hollow. I'd say that's really hollow but with bracing. I'm a Rad Tech. If I had a Ric I'd x-ray it. I have seen on the net XRays of Rics and they are mostly hollow.
The Chickens are routed. The Rics are pieces of wood put together like real hollow bodies because they are but some bracing similar to a Gretsch 6119 Tennessean. Actually maybe they are routed top and bottoms but they are 90% routed and that makes them hollow. Maybe they aren't quite like Tennesseans which are probably not routed but have bracing but the amount of hollow may be like Tennesseans.
Maybe with real Ric pickups they can sound like the solid body Rics but never the real Rics that are hollow. Now Chickens come in the Ric sold body variety and they sound good, almost like real solid body Rics. I forget the Ric model number so I just say solid body.
The 12 string Chickens sound good because, well 12 string guitars always sound good.
Shitenbackers. The tailpiece and the tuners look like something you might get in a Christmas cracker. Not for me, although, I admit I am lucky enough to own a real one. Well, not lucky, because it cost me an arm and a leg lol . Nice video, enjoyed, and have subscribed. edit: Just noticed it has the bottom 4 pairs of strings reversed (ie thinest first). Sloppy or deliberate?
Well the last 2 are equal gauge so in theory its all matching. I string it in reverse as it creates a more tangible feedback to my picking hand. But that's just my preference.
Yea, it'll never be the art of a proper 360/12 370/12, but it works for sessions and shows. Thank you for the support YAWA!
And yes, the tuners are garbage! Already replaced the tailpiece with nickel one from a 330 but the original tuners Man! Total crap!
If you want that rick sound on a budget get a gretsch 12 string for around 1000. The Gretsch has more dynamic range then rick.
Seriously. The Gretsch hollow body stuff is insanely underpriced. The 5622 will only sweeten with age as the neck rounds off.
If they ever built nitro versions, I would have multiple going.
Danelectro 12s are fantastic value for money
The Eastwood Classic 12 is also an amazingly good value that looks and sounds beautiful.
@glennhecker4422 Very true. Underpriced for certain.
Those pickups are hilarious. Not a single thing jn common with the pickups they only cosmetically resemble.
Im surprised that thing stays in tune
It does. But full disclosure, only after a quick setup and a few light changes.
Ric is death on anything that remotely resembles their product. I recall the 1997 Musician's Friend catalog with their Rogue branded Ric copies. Gone in seconds.
I remember that. Yup. They don't joke!
Good review! Just a suggestion: do not use distortion on a 12 string. Use a clean setting on your amp with compression and reverb/delay. Let it jangle and chime!
Usually I would! But the stock bridge pickup was so underwound it literally sounded broken. Lol, these things need a bit before a show.
I'm not a fan of the Fuzz Factory and even more so after hearing it with a 12-string. Yuck! Thanks for the thorough and informative review.
You know what? I really dug the zvex for a while. When set right, it can do great things.
The problem is, using it in a rehearsal or live would be absolutely impossible.
This thing is a "controlled environment" ancillary. Great in idea, uncontrollable in the wild.
Your test drive didn't sound like any Ricky 12 string I've heard (I've owned two) - I don't know if that's the shortcoming of this fake Rickenbacker or the way you set the tone controls on the guitar and amp, but that "jangle" sound, which is the signature sound of the Ricky 12, was entirely absent. We all have our own opinions, but I understand and agree with Rickenbacker's decision to make only higher end, aspirational guitars. When a high end brand ventures into entry market models, they can cheapen the brand. Saw that with TEAC tape decks years ago, and I've sensed it with Mercedes Benz with their low end models. There are used market Rickenbackers that can be had for $1,500 - 2,000, which isn't outrageous. Rickenbacker is a boutique builder and doesn't choose to chase quantity over quality (not sure of your source for the information that Rickenbacker hasn't seen "green" since the Beatles - the company continues to operate as a family-held business 60 years since the British invasion, and to my understanding doesn't share their financials, so I'm not sure how you'd know that it wasn't doing well). I don't get the whole "If I can't buy a cheap Rickenbacker, I'll buy an Asian knock-off." Why? As you've commented, the so-called Chickenbacker may look like a Ricky, but it's quality and sound aren't Rickenbacker. IF you can find one of these copies that has a straight neck, etc and you spend $260 or whatever for it and then change the tuners and change the pickups and change the tailpiece, now you are putting more $$$ in (for parts, plus your time), and you end up with money into the guitar that's getting closer in cost to a used Rickenbacker. But resale on the heavily modded Chickenbacker will be squat. If someone wants a decent quality, inexpensive electric guitar, there are tons out there to buy and play. They just won't be Rickenbackers.
Yup. And thats alright. When it all shakes out, people have wide varying priorital lists. To me, having something that almost constantly needs work is acceptable. Preferable really as it appeals to my propensity toward refinishing guitars already altered. To others, they need a workhorse.
It will never be a proper Ricky, but it's still a guitar and to some, that's enough.
As far as my sources considering Rickenbackers market share, Rick is the first to admit that they will never have such a market ready endorsement as the Beatles. They are also the first people to discuss the impossibility of replicating that period as far as fiduciary prosperity. This was also articulated in Keith Williams 5 watt world in his Rick series vids. And honestly, his research is unequaled among the YT stooges like meself.
Regardless of my "shortcomings" I appreciate you tuning in and bringing stimulating conversation. :)
I do thoroughly agree with your Mercedes metaphor btw. The C class did damage to the aspirational nature of the brand.
Which is ironic, since it is the most reliable of the lineup (due to the withholding of relatively complex engineering in tech) for higher models.
Odd tho that because the BMW business model had built itself around the e30 3 series, the same target demographic didn't hurt their optics.
For them, it was the 1 series.
I guess because, it is changing world. And those unwilling to move forward or adapt in business, will find in their future, an eventuality.
The creating youth of the future won't be buying houses with union jobs.
They are side hustling and a "real" Rickenbacker won't be the difference between success or survival.
My perspective isn't rooted in sentiment. Mine is as the pragmatist who knows that Rick could roll off a 330 for 1299 without being injured.
But as long as international commerce becomes more interdependent, Rick will only drift further from the shore. Right along with domestic manufacturing and workers rights.
There is no perfect answer in a place where any action only brings a weakening of our own gdp.
And in a world increasingly hinged on revolution, aspirational brands distance themselves from establishment norms as the public turns on the system blamed for the degradation.
Rickenbacker is Mercedes is New Balance. None found in the gritty real of a damaged venue with 20 year olds playing for the love of it with brilliant writing.
Even Weller has stepped away from Ricks.
Fixtures of a conflicted age gap in a socio-economic time in which the working class are taught to blame each other.
Did you know, that both Mercedes and BMW now openly offer to debadge vehicles when new?
Customers found the cars were vandalized less when debadged. Also, this started a trend with black wheels again.
Because right now, being an aspirational brand isn't always a good thing.
Gibson put out solid Melody Makers. Great units. Where is Rick?
Sorry to hear that it is junk, but from my experience anything cheap from China is going to be junk. There are simply no exceptions. I have never owned or even tried to play a 12 string. Over the past several years I have gotten very interested in them, in large part due to Roger McGuinn. But have been unable to find anything with a reasonable price, which I consider important, because, well, it might not work out. While someone with a lot of experience playing a 12 string could buy something like this, make some modifications, and maybe do fairly well with it, because they already know what it needs, someone who is new to a 12 string does not have that advantage. And quite frankly, it would be somewhat embarrassing to take something like this to a professional and ask them to modify it. Most probably wouldn't touch it. So I will pass on this thing. I do appreciate all the information you provided on it.
As for the legal and ethical issues involved, the Chinese copy literally EVERYTHING. I doubt there is anything they have not copied. I am by profession a motorcycle mechanic, and I have seen over a dozen mostly Japanese engines copied by the Chinese. They copy the basic design, but the materials and specs aren't even close. Parts from the real thing and the cheap Chinese copy may look the same, but they are not interchangeable. The difference here is, as far as motorcycle engines go, they mostly copy old designs that are no longer in production, and in many cases the patents have expired on. This is different. Rickenbacker still makes these, and their design has value. Flooding the market with cheap, practically worthless copies of something that has value because of its design can either damage the value of the real thing, or actually increase it. Anybody who wants a Rickenbacker, and can afford it, is going to get one. Anybody who buys one of these things either wants to just to play with, or to try and fool someone with. Nobody who knows anything about guitars is going to be fooled for one minute by something like this, and someone who doesn't know anything about guitars wouldn't likely even know what the real thing is. So if you think you are going to impress someone into thinking you have a $2500 guitar with one of these, well, probably not.
All of this I agree with. And appreciate your insight. And also your skill. I was once an ase cert mechanic. Back in college. And you are absolutely correct. Right down to the milling of the screws, you could tell its point of origin. The craziest stuff was from the early 1950s. Cylinder flat black machine screws that were German zinc nickel plated and so well turned you could hang it in a museum.
More and more it seems, that sort of detail takes a back seat.
Regarding the mod/maintenance of a 12 string.
There's a lot going here. And over there. And back there.
Prepare for the most "wrong tuner" moments of your life. The setup requires a doctorate in both geometry and physics. And if you play it live, the stress will shorten your life and your therapist will need therapy.
They play so nice tho when they aren't trying to end your career.
All joking aside tho, these things start as a means to an end (art/creation) but along the way as they get beat up and life wears into them, they'll likely fall through the hands of players with some mods or fixes. Eventually, like us, improving or degrading. Growing or shrinking. After a while, someone's gonna say "gotta have it" and mean it.
Or so one hopes I suppose? I have been an optimist of late.
great review…but, Roger pronounced his name McGwinn, not McGinn…
Yea... I've a funny accent. I drop letters like they're heavy and every once in a while it really juts out. You should hear me say schedule!
Then there's always that shame you feel when you have to say "no, it's not a real one". Here's the solution; save up and buy a real one. Yes, the initial outlay is expensive but you'll always get your money back, if not more, when you sell it. Effectively they cost you nothing to own. Plus the pride in ownership, the cred and having people ask about it at every gig is priceless. China should concentrate on producing their own original designs instead of churning out counterfeits, they are missing a trick.
In many facets of what you say, I agree.
But allow me to expand...
Firstly, I'm B. Pleasure to meet ya.
Not many know this, but once upon a time, I was quite good at making surfboards. To the point where I actually caught a bit of grief for it. They were great. :) Stuff to be proud of.
3 years later the industry collapsed and was devastated. By then we were a company. Many people. Selling boards from TJ to Malibu.
Long to short, a sudden flood of pop out Taiwanese epoxy boards hit Costco and everyone went under.
It was my dream. And it was working. One of my boards, was mistaken for a "master build."
And then it was gone. All of it.
And I wandered.
So trust that I don't trivialize the rights of creative holders. I know full well the impact of domestic manufacturing losing to imports. And Rick is bleeding a bit.
But I don't feel shame when I play this guitar. I feel that we (musicians) are responding to some pretty serious socio-economic changes in this country. We see it every where. Tiny homes. Van life. Mini guitars. Ukes.
The very thresholds of adulthood are drastically changing.
One thing thank God though, that those conditions catalyze the inspired minds. So kids write rock. And they buy what's cheap and looks good in low light. And there they begin. So they take the fake badge off and spray paint it. We did the same with the ones from Motsumoku.
Eventually commerce regulations will catch up and China will negotiate with Fender and Gibson to make an inclusive update to the hierarchy of the Eastern build structure and its corresponding sales demographics.
That aside, I get the pride thing. My first proper Fender never left my side. I carried it like a rifle. It was a proper Fender. A white Strat.
But I feel those days are behind us for now. As long as international political tensions continue to rise, commerce negotiations to legitimize and brand adjustments won't happen. And we'll have these Grey market messes all saying Gibson.
If anyone buys one, they should immediately consider it a project.
Anyhow, just now off for a meal. But, in summation, people should indeed save up.
But for some right now, they're just grabbing any audio weaponry they can lay hands on and wading into dive bars to shout to whoever will listen.
And there's no shame in that.
I don't care if they're playing a cigar box.
They are making something or going somewhere.
Anyway, have a good night. I appreciate you sharing your perspective. 🙏
After China conquers America, they will love picking up these old Chinese guitars. They're going to be worth a lot.
Conquering is so 20th century. When the time comes, we'll be bought. Something increasingly possible with the level of high income tax cuts being courted by both parties. Which then empowers the lobby.
Why are even reviewing this guitar?? Too many great brands and ethical venders to waste the space.
Because people are buying them and objective reviews are helpful. Especially as the market trends are fluid and societal acceptance of gray area products evolves.
Thanks for watching 👍
@@breilly66 I see that you have a logical point. However, the harm that these companies do to the vendors that innovate and support our passion is simply greater than the benefit you stated.
@@jjkitters4468 I can get behind that. However (just playing devils advocate) one could argue that this design is a well worn path and that these low budget jobs are simply filling a market share that exists in a blind spot in RICs business model. Like corporate "leakage."
That said... yes, the capital being diverted away from American manufacturing would definitely be better used if allocated to stateside R and D.
One problem is that many corporations in America have made a habit of directing gains into stock buybacks and high level management misappropriations. Especially as the Powell memorandum has been heavily implemented since the mid 1970s. The statistical data supporting a quantifiable decline in the reinvestment of American industry (by American industries) has shown a meteoric drop in reciprocal industrial function. Jobs pay less, products cost more.
Whenever working class people see that, it becomes more difficult to convince the buyers that they should purchase ethically strictly from a business ethics standpoint and a rift of US loyalist consumers are now confronting a new emerging culture in which legality holds little sway with the player.
Not saying they're right. Just saying it aloud.
It isn't that guitars are more expensive. It's that we all make less and Rickenbacker has yet to adjust it's business practices to facilitate this socio-economic development.
Gibson filed in with some entry models and they were good! I can't help but feel that RIC should follow suit.
Once again (raises hands) totally agree. I just wish we as a country could get back in the saddle regarding our exports.
Please learn how to pronounce Rickenbacker properly. 😃
Please learn that people have accents when they come from different places. ;)
And don't forget to get over yourself when you can!