Building ric copies

humbucker75 · Post by **humbucker75** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 11:37 am

Hi Mark,
I have always wanted to know:
How is it that Jazz, P Bass , Strats and Les Pauls
style instruments are being built all the time by big name builders ie. Sadowski,Lull etc..yet why isn't anybody making High $ Rick style basses( with multi laminated bodys, exotic woods).

There is only one builder that has the "Ric" style body(crest wave) and that is Marleaux out of Germany. I can remember in the late 70's and early 80's there where lots of cheap knock-offs-Hondo-Sigma-Robelli, just to name a few..

Is it a legal issue or the percentage of design that must be changed in order to produce a Ric style body -too much trouble?

jR

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 12:48 pm

Is it a legal issue or the percentage of design that must be changed in order to produce a Ric style body -too much trouble?

You basically hit it on the head. Go to the Rickenbacker website and there is a notice there somewhere about this very thing you mention.
'Nuff said!!

justonwo · Post by **justonwo** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 1:09 pm

It's a legal issue. Rickenbacker has to police its trademarks in order to keep their trademarks. Because Fender and Gibson did not police their tradmark guitar designs properly in the past, they are no longer able to enforce them. That's why Rickenbacker is so insistent about ending ebay auctions for RIC copies.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 3:40 pm

I think if you made yourself a guitar , and it sort of looked like a Rick and it was a one off ...well I don't see where there could be a legal case ,it would not be worth it .

BUT !!! to sit down and start making 'copies' and selling them and advertising them is another matter.

Chandler was making a guitar that had qualities of Rickenbackers and they pay a fee to do this .
It was sort of a 325 with Firebird pickups .

Even though it is not really a Rick , it is close.

So , Fender (CBS at the time ) and Gibson (Norlin at that time ) botched the handling of their trademarks .Schecter,Boogie Bodies,Charvel and others jumped on the 'Custom' bandwagon back in the 1970's .
At that time , NO one made Rick stuff except ....

Stars Guitars -a couple of after market bridges
Schecter- Brass and chrome 4001 guards

That was about it ....but they are gone .

THe last stuff that was after market Rick stuff was out of Texas /Asian and I don't think that is still available .

Good for them .

I wish everyone would STOP with the Strat cloning .I am bored to tears with it .

How many Strats does the world need?

Get some new ideas gang!

rkbsound · Post by **rkbsound** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 4:26 pm

I wonder if you took a 2002 stock American Fender Strat, stock Gibson Les Paul, and a stock Rick, which would appreciate the fastest and how much? I don't follow the market for these things like some of you do, but I would guess that the Rick would come out on top in say, 15-30 years.

jayfbv · Post by **jayfbv** » Tue Mar 26, 2002 5:56 pm

Fender's headstocks are protected, but not the body shapes. Look at those boo-teek guitars and basses. If they have a clone Strat, Tele, P/J-bass headstock, they are licensing that from Fender. Warmoth does that in fact.

I believe Gibson successfully regained control of the single cutaway Les Paul, SG, and Firebird body shapes along with their headstock crest, but not the ES, Flying V or Explorer body shapes.