Is This Allowed

brianb · Post by **brianb** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:00 am

Selling TRC's on ebay doesn't sound right. Is it?

brianb · Post by **brianb** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:04 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3708414230&category=4713

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:47 am

Morally or legally? There's a good reason that Ric stopped selling them outright.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:03 pm

Legally, unless it's a fake, I don't think it can be stopped.

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 1:09 pm

Yeah, it's pretty much a done deal, and in some cases it helps out someone that needs it, but it can be abused easily.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 1:36 pm

If it's a genuine part, then there's no reason why it shouldn't be sold, either legally or reasonably. The whole point of us not selling plates without a trade was to get them off of cheap copies that dilute the brand name for us and RIC owners alike. They're simply too valuable to have on a copy guitar now that there's a constrained free trade market for them.

A counterfeit plate, on the other hand, goes beyond simple infringement and is a criminal matter in many jurisdictions. There's no reason to suspect this plate is not genuine.

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 1:53 pm

I agree, but it burns me every time I see a clone with a real TRC, being sold as the real deal. Did you guys finally stop the guy in Canada that was selling the logo decals?

silagyi · Post by **silagyi** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 3:30 pm

I just got a 4004-C missing the TRC. What the heck am I supposed to do to get another?

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 3:35 pm

Gregg, it's counterfeiters that have made it bad for the honest person that needs a needs a TRC and doesn't have one to trade for a new one.

silagyi · Post by **silagyi** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 3:45 pm

True, but even Fender will sell you decals, etc if you can properly document the bass. There should be some way for honest people to get parts from the factory if they are available still. There are ways for Ric to protect their interests in this day and age. There will always be crooked people and companies. Seriously, you can make something maybe look like a Ric but never play sound and feel like one.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 3:56 pm

I agree that if you can honestly prove that you bought the bass without the TRC, you should be able to purchase one. Maybe if you produce the ad or merchant sales receipt (depending on the seller), like some of the ones from ebay that state that there isn't a TRC on the Rick.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 9:22 pm

"... you can make something maybe look like a Ric but never play sound and feel like one"

And why not? is there a secret?

silagyi · Post by **silagyi** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 7:20 am

I see that Pickguard Heaven makes replacement Truss Rod Covers. Does the 4004 have a special shape to it?

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 7:22 am

Gregg, you won't get a TRC from Pickguard Heaven that says Rickenbacker on it, just the shape of the material you pick...but it's better than no TRC. I don't think the 4004 TRC has a special shape.

silagyi · Post by **silagyi** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 7:42 am

I'm OK with just getting a blank cover for it. I tried fitting the cover of my BlackStar on it and it was a perfect fit so I'll order either:

70 Black Single Layer “Thick” .090

or

55 *Black Plexiglas 1/8" thick