Badge of Honor or what?

21frets · Post by **21frets** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:26 pm

Can anyone explain why so many Ric owners seen to like kaving that little made in USA sticker on the pickguard, well it seems that way anyhow. I peel mine off and stick em in the manual. Just too ugly to leave on there.
What's the story with these stickeys??

brian · Post by **brian** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:57 pm

I leave them on, don't see any reason to rip them off. I guess I don't see them as looking ugly. I got one new instrument on which it wasn't there and I always wonder why it was not, although the instrument was received very soon after ship date from Ric to the dealer and I have no reason to believe it was anything but a new instrument. As I have/had instruments with them there and not I guess it is not really a big deal. I don't have an obsession either way about it.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:21 pm

How many things can you afford to buy that are handbuilt in the USA? The American tradition of handcraft is all but dead. It is something to be proud of.

But there's some other deep, dark stuff going on here, too. It's like when you peel it off, your guitar ain't new or something. I had mine off my two Ricks when I redid the pickguards. Looked naked somehow, so I carefully peeled 'em off with tweezers and restuck them on the new 'guards. I even took a digital photo of each, pre-peel so I could get them in exactly the same place.

Yeah, I know. Nuts. Anal. Whatever.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:36 pm

I was thinking along similar lines, Paul.

'Handbuilt', 'USA', 'tradition', 'proud' are words that immediately popped into my head.

Of course over here, the fact that RICs are USA built gives them a extra bit of mystique. I'll never take mine off!!

Cheers

frankabq · Post by **frankabq** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:43 pm

I think it was a marketing decission made due to the war in Iraq in hopes of selling more for being patriotic. Being a Viet Nam Vet, I'm not too happy with some of the political decissions that's been made in the last 5-25 years so I don't care to be too patriotic at this time. I don't think peeling the sticker off matters as far as resale. I like to keep my guitars all stock so I'll leave the sticker on. If you like it, keep it. If not, peel it off.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:07 pm

We peel the "Made in China" stickers off of the "Made in USA" labels before we put them on the guitars.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:35 pm

Hah!! Best statement (ironic division) of the state of the world economy I've seen!

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:49 pm

Where else in the WORLD can we hear the CEO/owner of a company chime in with such a funny whimsicle statement?

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:53 pm

I took my 1992 660/12 serial# F4 7181 upper pick guard with the USA sticker off and replaced it with a gold one that I made so I could preserve it.

21frets · Post by **21frets** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:52 am

Thanks again for all the info/comments! I will keep mine peeled off and preserved on the inside cover of the manual, being it is stuck on with what seems to be rubber cement, it is very easy to reapply for resale later, as far as position on the pickguard I don't think this matters as long as your in the approximate area of the original location, I see many new Rics with slightly different locations. Also I know the sticker will not be mared or damaged in any way from playing the Ric daily. Just my 2 cents!
Thanks again!

joepee · Post by **joepee** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:02 am

I've got a buddy who peels the sticker off tomatoes at the store that say "large size", sticks it on a box of condoms, then picks the most innocent looking young lady cashier to purchase them from.

How about a sticker that says, "Women love men with small Rics!"

21frets · Post by **21frets** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:12 am

And I thought I was the only one who did that!!!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:07 pm

Funny stuff, Joe - I like it!!

Mine's lifting in one corner 'cause I keep hitting it with the pick (whatever happened to plectrum??). Does that mean that the sticker didn't stick properly in the first place or my strummin' sucks??

Cheers

monte_carlo03 · Post by **monte_carlo03** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:07 pm

I appreciate the fact that the guitar is built in America, but leaving the sticker on there is like leaving the tags on your clothes after you buy them. Are you planning on returning it? You aren't showing true ownership of your guitar until you are able to come to terms with pulling that tacky $.02 sticker off the pickguard.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:20 pm

Larry, it's really interesting this. The first thing I do is peel the sticker off any Ric that I get. I really don't know why, but I hate using a guitar with the sticker on. It's almost got to the stage where it's a real 'issue' for me, like it's not MY guitar with the sticker on it. It has to be removed before I play a single note. Odd, but this thread made me actually think about it!