Pictures of Ibanez faker

[Mr.Mow]

I'll also add the Heerby's price in 1979 was 80,000yen.. which is about $870US.. One of the guys on HC told me a Ric in 79 was about $450.. weird..

[s4001]

You could still get used Rics in LA thru the early 90's for $450.

Boy have times changed....

[bassassin]

Its a heerby RB-800.. Believe its from 77-79 or there abouts..

Anyone tell me anything about them.. Am I in for a good or bad surprise?!!

Heerby was Kasuga's home market brand - your bass is the neck-through version of my Kasuga EB-750:



I've never had my hands on the neckthrough variant, but mine is a beautifully put together & finished instrument & I'd expect yours to be similar. I think the fingerboard's maple rather than bubinga - this was a pretty common variation on lots of Jap instruments from this era - & Kasuga Rick copies sometimes even turn up with black inlays.

There's an old Japanese Heerby catalogue here:

http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-an ... index.html

And I'll be interested to see what tuners your has - the RB800 in the catalogue is fitted with wavy Grovers - the real thing, not the copies used by Matsumoku.

Do post some more pics when it arrives.

Jon.

[antipodean]

I'll also add the Heerby's price in 1979 was 80,000yen.. which is about $870US.. One of the guys on HC told me a Ric in 79 was about $450.. weird..

Note that in 1979, there were 220 yen to the dollar, so that yen price translates to around US$ 360.

[Mr.Mow]

I'll also add the Heerby's price in 1979 was 80,000yen.. which is about $870US.. One of the guys on HC told me a Ric in 79 was about $450.. weird..

Note that in 1979, there were 220 yen to the dollar, so that yen price translates to around US$ 360.

How do you people know these things?!!! he he.. FREAKS!

Still, quite expensive for a copy.. I guess if you lived in Japan though a real Ric would be bloody rare back then..

And thanks Bassassin, it should be here Thursday or Friday, stupidly I didn't save the photos from the website and they took it down as soon as I bought it. I'm really curious to see if the hardware is a dead knock off of Ric stuff, I'd love to be able to put shiny new hardware on it, clean it up a bit (I'm not one for keeping vintage gear 'dirty'!

[bassassin]

The hardware is pretty close - particularly the toaster. I won't spoil the surprise, though! The bridge/tailpiece is pretty close too, interchangeable with the real thing as far as size & screwholes are concerned. And mine has very authentic tail lift... The chrome saddles are the main visual difference. My tuners are full-size, closed-back cloverleaf types, not Grovers like the catalogue pic.

I'll admit to having (reversibly) modded mine since that pic was taken, in the name of playability & ostentatiousness:



Basically Hipshot, home-made Pickguardian-type surround & pearl plate. There's also A DIY trc with an appropriate logo, to replace the highly inapproriate one it had when I got it:



That says "Rickenbugger" underneath, for that's what it is...

J.

[antipodean]

How do you people know these things?!!! he he.. FREAKS!

Still, quite expensive for a copy.. I guess if you lived in Japan though a real Ric would be bloody rare back then..

I'm not as young as some and I knew from experience that the yen pretty much doubled in value over course of the '80s - but I got the exact number by doing a Google search!

On the price, remember that a real Ric would have traded at a very hefty premium in Tokyo to the US retail price - possible double or more. Domestic Japanese sales were the big driver for "high quality" copies.

The Japanese still make high-end copies of Fenders and Gibsons, and they're not cheap - ESP/Navigator and VanZandt spring to mind (RRP around US$ 2K and higher). All aimed at the domestic market - word of mouth is that they are very good.

There's a thriving market in Oz for Japanese Rickenfakers, mainly Grecos. They seem to be selling for around AU$1000 - AU$1,500 which is getting a touch rich....

[Mr.Mow]

The hardware is pretty close - particularly the toaster. I won't spoil the surprise, though! The bridge/tailpiece is pretty close too, interchangeable with the real thing as far as size & screwholes are concerned. And mine has very authentic tail lift... The chrome saddles are the main visual difference. My tuners are full-size, closed-back cloverleaf types, not Grovers like the catalogue pic.

I'll admit to having (reversibly) modded mine since that pic was taken, in the name of playability & ostentatiousness:



Basically Hipshot, home-made Pickguardian-type surround & pearl plate. There's also A DIY trc with an appropriate logo, to replace the highly inapproriate one it had when I got it:



That says "Rickenbugger" underneath, for that's what it is...

J.

Hey cool!!
Yeah, a Hipshot was what I was going to put on it as well, along with a gold guard and I'd like a gold truss cover, but apparently pickguardian can't even do a blank TRC.. so not sure what I'll do.
Did you screen print you TRC, vinyl sticker? Looks very very good, I have no intention of putting Ric on mine, probably keep the Heerby name, just want it gold (gold on maple with the check binding.. so sweet..)

Hmm, curious about the pickups now.. what are you telling me?!

Oh and from memory, mine has these closed back Grover tuners like in the catalogue, again I'm kicking myself I didn't save all the pics.. Here are some more I did think to save..



And Anti, yeah, I've seen some of the Grecos, they do seem to sell for big money, I have a friend who works for a shop that had a few, I tried to buy one, his response 'You're a mate, I wouldn't sell you this POS.. seriously, its junk'..!!

[cassius987]

I think it's funny that they always have white switch covers. You think they'd get that right after copying everything else so meticulously!

[jdogric12]

Why would you spend your money on this?

[Mr.Mow]

Why would you spend your money on this?

why not? Its something a little different.. Its a certain part of history.. and if I don't like it, it goes on ebay and theres no great loss.. Its costs less than a Mexican Fender..

[johnhall]

... and if I don't like it, it goes on ebay and theres no great loss..

We're looking forward to that!

[rickenbrother]

This forum is for RICKENBACKER basses. These are not!

[tallpat1]

I recall a local music shop in the Bronx NY where I grew up in the early 70's. I played a Univox copy in MG exactly like the one on this thread. Were these neck thru contruction? I don't remember, all I remember about it was it played nicely and 1/2 the price of a Ric back then which was w/hsc $400 the Univox copy was $200 w/hsc The Ric however felt better and sounded much better to my ears back then and now as well

Just re-read that thread it is heck thru !

[Mr.Mow]

... and if I don't like it, it goes on ebay and theres no great loss..

We're looking forward to that!

C'mon John, you must be a little flattered that some guys in Japan in the 70's went to so much trouble to copy your products.. and credit to them for doing a good job of it too (not like these tragic chinese things floating around now).

I kinda like some of these japanese oddities, I think the 70's was an interesting time for a lot of this lawsuit sort of stuff, like I said, its a little piece of history (and I'm a 70's child and this was made around the same time as me!).

I know its not a substitute for the real thing! (I've got a 360 too and its beautiful.. as soon as we have an Australian importer again I'll happily pick up a new 4001)