Your Rickenbacker modifications?

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:33 am

I can barely get my pencil to work so I can't see that I'd have an easy time copying a hologram.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:26 am

Mr. Hall, I used to have a geniune plate, but I sold it on my '73. I considered keeping it and just using it on my copy, but figured it would be better if it was kept with the original bass. I've refused to make copies for anyone else already several times, and won't change my mind on that issue no matter how much persuasion someone sends my way. I'm not a good enough luthier to make something for anyone else yet anyway. The copy I made looks good in the pics, but has several mistakes on it that I wouldn't want to have on an instrument I would sell to someone. As I said before, if I make anything to sell, it will be my own design or nothing. I'm much more into making my own amps these days anyway and thats why the other guitar projects I have in progress have been sitting for so long. (none of them look anything like anyone else's guitars or basses)

Regarding the TRC, I copied the older style one that RIC used in the 60's and early 70's, and not the newer style. I wouldn't even know how to make a newer style one with the raised lettering...I would think it would be harder to do.

I like the "Rickenbastard" idea....would you have a problem if I made up a TRC with that on it and put it on my bass instead of what is on there currently, or is it too close to "Rickenbacker" for you? I have a Strat I put together from Stew-Mac parts and called it a "******* Stratocaster" so the ******* bit would fit with my theme I've already established I guess.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:34 am

Also, Mr. Hall, a question? You said that the issue is the creation of the counterfeit plate right? Well what do the people who have an older RIC bass from the 60's or early 70's with the old style TRC do if their TRC breaks or is broken or when they buy the instrument? RIC doesn't make that old-style plate as far as I know, so they are left with putting a new-style TRC on that is not vintage correct, or apparently illegally making their own copy of the old-style one. I would think it would be pretty easy for RIC to make a TRC like the older ones and offer it for replacement within your existing restrictions for TRC replacement that are currently in place?

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Wed May 31, 2006 9:51 am

Greg, are you referring to the Basto-Caster?

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:07 am

Greg: Sometimes as items age, the best you can do is get a reasonable facsimile. While putting a newer style part on an older instrument may not suit the purest, it may have to do.

In the case of the TRC, this becomes a more complicated issue as it allows some to pass off a copy as a genuine Rickenbacker. To begin, it is obviously not practical for Rickenbacker to continue to make nameplates that suit all models over 75 years. Moreover, RIC has a right to protect its interests.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:34 am

Put "Not A Rick" on the TRC. No confusion there.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:37 am

Not bad, Steve, but I have to vote for 'Stratobastard'...

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:39 am

Steve, I've never heard of the Basto-Caster. I just made myself a Strat from parts in 2000 and put a vinyl label on it that says "******* Stratocaster."

Peter, I understand what you're saying, and fully agree that RIC should protect their interests, which is why if it is a problem, as it appears to be that I have the copy Rickenbacker TRC on my bass, I'll gladly remove it if that is what Mr. Hall would like. I'd like something on there that looks similar from a distance though, which is why the Rickenbastard appeals to me. If Mr. Hall is ok with that, then I'll get a label made and change it out.

I would think that having another product that they could sell in a vintage style TRC would appeal to RIC since it is one more way to make money and also to make their customers who want something vintage correct happy. They could make it the same way I made mine instead of screening the name on there and it would be easier to make and rather cheap for them too. But I'm sure Mr. Hall would have his own ideas about that, which is why I posed the question.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed May 31, 2006 10:43 am

I think a lot of the difficulty lies in us getting our own opinions and personal agendas confused with the true state of affairs, which, like it or not, is circumscribed by law.

RIC sought, and has been granted, protection of their intellectual property and trade dress (classified as an asset, just like a piece of machinery or real estate). This entitles them to proceed against violators at their option and to their satisfaction.

I've been on RIC's end of a couple of actions, where my own protected designs were knocked off. Let me tell you, it is a pleasure to be able to turn an entire cargo ship around and send it back to China still loaded with the offending goods.

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:36 pm

Paul, you sent a ship back to China?!?!?!

Come on! I wanna know the rest of the story!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:57 pm

It happened over 20 years ago. We got word that the toy on which I held patents, which was a huge seller at the time, had been copied very cheaply by a Chinese firm and marketed under the same name to an American company, as a turn-key, letter-of credit product.

The toy company which sold my original toy, joined forces with me and my agent. We split costs and got an injunction to keep product from landing in Oakland. The ship it was on was turned away. The competing company never got its product and had to delete it from their price lists.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:24 am

I carry a "Refused Entry" stamp with me everyday!

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:52 am

I put toasters, a gold pickguards, a gold TRC and vintage style knobs on my JetGlo 620.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 4:02 am

I have an '83 320 with toasters on it. I suspect they're a mod but it came with them on it. It's also been refinned MID.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:13 am

Ah, a thread resurrected!

MB 660/12: self-made guards, stove knobs, self-made TRC; same to my MB 381V69; 1982 Ruby 360WB: Accent vibrato; 1999 RM 1997 reissue: Accent vibrato and third toaster; 1981 320 converted to '59 325 lookalike with brown burst and Kaufmann; '75 430 with Bigsby B-5 added; latest acquisition FG 730L/12 just had a Lloyd Baggs Dual Element pickup system added (the sound is fabulous, especially through a solid-state amp!). The remainder of my Ricks are bone stock.