Enough with the knock-offs!

[doctorwho]

... Baby eating Dingos are a touchy subject here...

Shouldn't that be, "... Baby eating dingos is a touchy subject ..."?

Or is it, "... Baby-eating dingos are ..."?

[Benjamin]

... Baby eating Dingos are a touchy subject here...

Shouldn't that be, "... Baby eating dingos is a touchy subject ..."?

Or is it, "... Baby-eating dingos are ..."?

These pretzels...

[Colonel Sanders]

... Baby eating Dingos are a touchy subject here...

Shouldn't that be, "... Baby eating dingos is a touchy subject ..."?

Or is it, "... Baby-eating dingos are ..."?

"Baby eating Dingos are a touchy subject" or "Baby eating Dingo is a touchy subject"? I do not know, you tell me. I am a French Canadian living in Australia. My english is limited.

[johna]

Both are correct depending on context.

Personally I'd be more worried about the man eating koala bears, or nasty redback spiders, or the venomous snakes - and then there are the sharks. Hell, get me out Australia!

[vax2002]

The Chinese are now even using fake pictures of Real ricks to sell the fakes.
http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/Custo ... 73044.html

I do hope that any imported get stopped at customs.

[bassduke49]

I'd be wary of the man eating koala bears, too. You'd think he could find something a little less iconic to nosh on.

[Colonel Sanders]

Both are correct depending on context.

Personally I'd be more worried about the man eating koala bears, or nasty redback spiders, or the venomous snakes - and then there are the sharks. Hell, get me out Australia!

When we arrived we were very stressed about all the "deadly critters". Now we see a redback and we squash it and move on. One of my colleague was killed by a shark though. Now I make sure there are a couple of slow moving guys in front of me when I go to the beach...

[DriftSpace]

In defense of Chinese craftsmanship, from the website:

"China's handcraft are very famous,cheaper,work fine,so get more trust from all over world.so on't worry about our guitar , their's handcraft very excellent,sounds good,high .you must pride with you buying the guitar from china."

Lay off, dude; as it says: "sounds good, high."
'Work fine"



I just wonder if you have to supply your own "high" for it to sound good, or if the fumes from the paint will do the trick as soon as you open the case.

[jps]

The Chinese are now even using fake pictures of Real ricks to sell the fakes.

Are you sure they aren't real pictures of fake instruments?

[petersland]

I remember a recent trip to Bali where knock offs of everything are rife! Shirts, perfume, shoes, etc.
One stall had a sign "100% original copy". Points for the truth I suppose.

[johna]

I really like Koala bears - I just couldn't eat a whole one.

[Colonel Sanders]

I really like Koala bears - I just couldn't eat a whole one.

They taste like throat lozenges...

[Baker69]

I figure you all won't mind me saying this here, rather than over at Ric forum. It's a little rant, but worth it. If it needs to be moved to another place, by all means remove it.

When is Rickenbacker International Corp going to be able to stamp out once and for all the HORRIBLE GHASTLY HORRIBLE Rockinbetter and Rebelrocker "copies" and end the Chinese practice of "imitate-rather-poorly"?!?!

A local music store, who I was loyal to, have been selling these knockoff guitars and now basses for over 12 months. I try not to shop there now out of principle. I know the owner, haven't yet decided whether or not to ask him WHY?!? Sad that I feel they have sold out. I mean, sell some budget instruments for sure. But sell instruments that are clearly the most blatantly flagrant of copyright law ever seen? Most, if not all other copies these days are licensed right!

So I happened to be travelling for work, a couple of hours from home. Needed strings for my acoustic guitar, so I popped into another shop. GASP... MORE BAD COPIES of guitars and basses. Lack of greeting/acknowledgement of my presence in the shop aside, I walked out without buying said strings. I took a look at the black bass and was shocked.

We all remember the original knock-offs. We will all admit that a small number were reasonable instruments. I have to say, the worst vintage Ric copy I have ever seen is nothing compared to these Chinese abominations.

It is sad to also think that part of the reason for the influx is a lack of official Rickenbacker presence in Australia. I am not having a go at Ric, I understand the situation. But if someone can enlighten me, if Ric were officially in Australia, couldn't they then represent their IP in Australia and go after the trademarks, protecting their products?

PLEASE GOD (yes I am a legitimate praying man, so no blasphemy here!) - Let there be a way for Rickenbacker to claim what is rightfully theirs and rid the world of terrible copies!

The bad man in me wants to buy one of these copies and commit many many many bad acts against it while a video camera is rolling, then publish it worldwide...

I can't comment on the vast amount of chinese Ric copies that are going around but in all fairness the Tokai Rockinbetter isn't that bad a bass! I have one in addition to my Ric 4003 and bought it when I couldn't find a lefty Ric for love nor money, and I upgraded it with genuine Ric pickups, wiring loom, control knobs, pickguard, and even a vintage tone switch! (Anyone who goes on Talkbass may have seen pics of it on there).

It is very well made (IMHO) and plays very well. Through-neck construction and a very nice finish. I believe the bodies are basswood with a maple veneer - mine has a very nice quilted maple effect. Sounds very Ric-esque in sound with all the Ric hardware I've put on there but doesn't quite nail the Ric tone 100%

They're still a blatant copright infringement though, but most other basses and guitars have been copied at some stage or other. I still gig with it now and then, I get some very good comments about its look and sound, glad though that I eventually managed to get a lefty 4003