fake horseshoe pickups?

[radapaw]

anyone seen these yet? I thought they protected that one pretty seriously.

https://reverb.com/item/35025017-alnico ... 003-models

[ch willie]

I don't know if Rickenbacker can control the after market on pickups. Think of the Strat--how many companies have used and still use Strat based pups in their guitars?

I might be wrong, but I think that's the way it is.

[Dirk]

Wow $170 shipped for a fake, thanks I'll spend $200 for a real one.
If you're going to make a fake, at least make it cheap.

It reminds me of people selling lawsuit era Ricks at close to what you can get an almost new real one for.
I guess I don't understand it, but then again it wouldn't interest me in the least.

Dirk

[radapaw]

I think RIC has some control over 'horseshoe' like designs, as the are so closely related to the company. There was some legal mumbojumbo with Lollar over this...

Can't say I was jumping to spend money on it either.

[ch willie]

I bought some Ric vintage reissue pups a few years ago for my 78 4001, and I don't remember them being outrageously priced. Each to his own: I wouldn't mind have non-Fender single coils in my Strat, but I wouldn't put anything but Ric pups on my 4001 and 330.

[scott_s]

I'm not morally opposed to aftermarket parts. Sometimes they fill a need that the OEM won't or can't fulfill. But my turnoff here is that there is absolutely no info on who made the part. I like a brand, the name of a dedicated guy or gal who wants to make something available, a story on what this part does better, or heck, where it was made. Seems like a lot of stuff is made by faceless interchangeable factories anymore...

[clasbas]

I'm not morally opposed to aftermarket parts. Sometimes they fill a need that the OEM won't or can't fulfill. But my turnoff here is that there is absolutely no info on who made the part. I like a brand, the name of a dedicated guy or gal who wants to make something available, a story on what this part does better, or heck, where it was made. Seems like a lot of stuff is made by faceless interchangeable factories anymore...

+1

[teeder]

I'm not morally opposed to aftermarket parts. Sometimes they fill a need that the OEM won't or can't fulfill. But my turnoff here is that there is absolutely no info on who made the part. I like a brand, the name of a dedicated guy or gal who wants to make something available, a story on what this part does better, or heck, where it was made. Seems like a lot of stuff is made by faceless interchangeable factories anymore...

I agree with most of what you're saying here, however, I doubt this is being made in a faceless factory. More like by some dude in his garage.

[jdogric12]

This guy's stuff is subpar. I've been burned by him once. RIC can and does protect trademarks and tradedress on their pickups, especially the horseshoe and toaster. Just google or search here for Lollar, etc. I hope they shut this joker down, ban him, etc.

[prowla]

I don't think RIC's pickups are trademarked.
(And I wonder whether they are in Argentina.)
Some people are driven to use fakes by RIC not selling the parts.

[aceonbass]

RIC Toasters and Horseshoe pickups are indeed trademarked.

[soundmasterg]

RIC Toasters and Horseshoe pickups are indeed trademarked.

But with the Horseshoe at least there is some legal grey area there since that design was patented in the 30's and you can't trademark a design that was patented. I believe RIC and Lollar settled out of court and Lollar can still make his horseshoe pickups too, so I think he was likely on his way to winning when it was settled. Who knows though...all that stuff ends up staying behind closed doors usually.

Greg

[iiipopes]

RIC Toasters and Horseshoe pickups are indeed trademarked.

But with the Horseshoe at least there is some legal grey area there since that design was patented in the 30's and you can't trademark a design that was patented. I believe RIC and Lollar settled out of court and Lollar can still make his horseshoe pickups too, so I think he was likely on his way to winning when it was settled. Who knows though...all that stuff ends up staying behind closed doors usually.

Greg

Indeed. The Strat, on the other hand, was ruled to have not been protected properly and was declared as having passed into the public domain, except for the headstock, IIRC.