Please Comment On Your "C Series" Instrument

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 2:37 pm

I you have received a Rickenbacker "C Series" guitar or bass please let us know all about it.

aladams · Post by **aladams** » Thu Nov 15, 2001 5:35 pm

Only 12 (twelve) units EXIST??? I believe you better get the lead out, J.H. Why wait??? This item is going to be a BIG SELLER....Why not build up your stock NOW....Thanks, AL A.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Nov 16, 2001 6:51 am

A question for John Hall: Since the C-series is generating such a great interest among guitar enthusiasts, would a 'showcase' of detailed j-pegs on the instruments within the company website be a possibility? It could turn out to be a great selling tool, especially for those who don't have access to a higer-line music store.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Nov 16, 2001 7:27 am

All in good time.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Nov 16, 2001 9:15 am

Thanks, John. Patience is a virtue.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Tue Dec 18, 2001 7:29 pm

Eleven months is enough good time John! My patience is running out! I want my basses! If I took eleven months to fill orders I would be out of business and panhandling outside a certain Santa Ana business. Of course I'm being tongue in cheek, but it is a drag paying for something and waiting 11 months...and counting.

Merry Christmas!

aladams · Post by **aladams** » Wed Dec 19, 2001 4:11 pm

I wouldn't pay to wait 11 months! This is CUSTOMER SERVICE? This is meeting the needs of musicians? This is P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N! I wonder if Mr. Hall is just fishing to see what kind of interest the music playing public has in his ideas...while he sits on your money and collects interest. (only my opinion) AL

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Dec 19, 2001 4:53 pm

Al: My sense is that RIC wants these instruments to be done as close to perfect as possible. While waiting is the downside, the upside is that you will have a fine guitar. When one is talking about producing an instrument of this quality, surely it is worth the wait. RIC has done its marketing and has a real good idea of the interest out there. When you pick it up and play it for the first time please post a message and let us all know how you feel about your new C Series guitar.

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Wed Dec 19, 2001 6:07 pm

RIC isn't collecting interest on anyone's money... unless there's a new policy of buying "factory direct."

aladams · Post by **aladams** » Wed Dec 19, 2001 6:17 pm

Good point Peter: I do admit the Rickenbackers are the most beautiful and well designed guitars in the world. It's just that with the size of the factory, and the number of employees working; the proficiency of the workers and their experience at building Ric guitars would surely warrant a larger quantity of that product within a demonstrated time frame. I know that RIC builds a large variety of their product, but there's a W O R L D out there that WANTS the 325c58!!! Namely ME...Thanks for keeping me humble...AL A. (my apologies, Mr. Hall!!!)

joe_hardman · Post by **joe_hardman** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 5:24 am

As a member of the 325C58 advisory committee, a.k.a. the C Team, I suspect most people will never truly comprehend or appreciate the magnitude of the C serieis. The 325C58 is the only model that I can comment on with some degree of authority and that alone, along with the other C serieis models, required an enormous amount of research and development. For example, all vintage Grover Sta-tite tuning keys are alike, right? Wrong! I recall photographing original examples that I had on hand, so John could post them on the C World discussion board for the group to scrutinize. Once the correct key was selected, John then had to find a firm to produce it properly. That is just one little nit picking detail out of literally hundreds that had to be addressed from both an R&D and production / supply standpoint. I can only imagine the complexity and expense of the production process, but suspect it is immense. Like other RIC enthusiasts, I am anxious to see and play a new 325C58, as well as compare it to my original '58 325, but I also realize that John is doing everything within his power to make the C series as accurate as humanly possible, using twenty first century technology. I believe the wait will be worth it.

Joe Hardman

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 6:49 am

Concerning the 360/12C63, was George's actual guitar used as the template for this particular re-issue? It just seems like it would be the logical step to take; judging from the pics I have seen, it looks really great.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 7:30 am

I don't think anyone is questioning the painstaking research and development that has gone into these guitars. I think the question is, if this was already done in development why does production take so long? Do you have to continue researching the product as each guitar is ordered. I'm not as angry as I sound. I'm just curious how you can introduce a product line and then not deliver it within a year?

aladams · Post by **aladams** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 4:07 pm

Legitimate concern, Brian. I agree with you also. The minute details are painstaking, indeed, however, when you think about the fact that Rickenbacker has been building the 320/325 series guitar for more than 40 years, there can't possibly be a logical reason for the whole system to be totally "revamped". The instrument shape dyes, cutting tools, pinbit routers and assembly don't have to be replaced!!!??? What do you think is keeping the production at a snails pace? AL A.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 4:34 pm

I believe the 660s were introduced at the Jan. '98 NAMM show. They didn't start shipping until late '98. And this is for a guitar that they had made a run of 1000 earlier. The 325C58 is going to be the first C Series released. Yes, its taken a long time, but it hasn't been RIC's fault. John Hall is making sure that all the bases are covered. When the 325C58s are shipped, they will be right.