Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well - it's now got a soapbar pickup at the bridge & a J-type an the neck, and a couple of random-looking bits of plastic stuck on the body, but otherwise it's unchanged. The body shape is identical to the earlier version, as is the headstock. Agreed those particular colour choices do bellow "Rick ...

A lot of forum members take a very dim view regarding Rick copies, even vintage Japanese ones like yours. Because of the nature of US trademark law, their existence - or at least their visibility - does pose a genuine threat to RIC's ownership of their trademarks. I'm not sure it's illegal to sell ...

I've never seen one of these before - and I've seen a few Fakers. I agree with Paul - it's probably Eastern European in origin - there's a precedent for this - the Jolana D bass, from Czechoslovakia:

JolanaD.jpg

These were made around 1985 and are still quite common in the Czech Republic. It's ...

I expect this was a commission for a customer who wanted a 4002 lookalike.

Jon.

Nick Beggs is a fantastic bassist, and by all accounts a thoroughly nice bloke too. His bass part on Too Shy was the first thing that ever made me want to slap a bass.

Nice to see him wielding a 4003 - but he's right about the kilt!

Jon.

Personally i'd worry about those fakes that are almost unrecognizable from the original ... i'm still scared by some japan copies i saw here and there on the web.
Fortunately the accurate Japanese copies were all made 30+ years ago, so there aren't too many around any more. For what it's worth ...

Ric, Fender and Gibson designed the only basses that matter. everything else is a copy of those three

There was a fellow called Paul Tutmarc who might take issue with that, if he were still alive, having designed & marketed the first 4-string fretted bass guitar in 1933.



J.


Who?

Paul ...

If you took that Schecter & got a rasp & filed the sharp edges off the horn ends, it wouldn't share a single common contour or design detail with a Rickenbacker:



Still quite like it but it looks sort of - bland.

J.

Ric, Fender and Gibson designed the only basses that matter. everything else is a copy of those three

There was a fellow called Paul Tutmarc who might take issue with that, if he were still alive, having designed & marketed the first 4-string fretted bass guitar in 1933.

And then there's that ...

I think Ibanez might want a word:

http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1983-84b/06.jpg

J.

Benjamin wrote:Ah yes Lemmy!

Don't think you can beat the Kill Master!

Jon.

cjj wrote:But there are others who send notification to ebay

Yep - RIC don't have to do it themselves.

J.

jingle_jangle wrote:Jon comes through, yet again!

Cheers Paul - but I really need to learn some new tricks!

J.

1970s Matsumoku copy - Aria, Aria Pro II, Univox, some Grecos, some Electras & many others - all the same bass.

These were absolutely as accurate as Japanese copies got - but there are still plenty of differences to tell them from the real thing - hex truss adjusters, wrong-shaped trussrod route ...

I do like these - another bass going for a Rick feel without being a rip off. There's a version with maple board & black blocks that I find strangely attractive...

http://media.zzounds.com/layout/zzounds/wikicontent/nammblog/Schecter004Bass.jpg

Not quite so blatantly influenced, either. 8)

Jon.