Badge of Honor or what?

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:10 pm

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

So are the actual stickers made in China?

Talk about paradox

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 4:54 pm

Illinois, actually. But to extreme West Coasters like us, that may as well be China.

bluespckr · Post by **bluespckr** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:18 pm

Maybe that's China, Maine, which, again, is a half a world away isn't it?

circles · Post by **circles** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:29 pm

the first thing i think when i see that sticker is that the owner thinks he is going to turn around and sell it one day for a profit because he kept it "as new".
i play mine hard. taking that sticker off is the first step to personalizing my rick with all the scratches and dings i aquire by letting it live and breathe.

circles · Post by **circles** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:30 pm

btw: excellent sense of humor mr hall! i nearly fell off the chair.

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:39 pm

Although I removed my sticker, I think they are an elegant design, and always placed carefully on the instrument. Aesthetically, they couldn't be any nicer or in a better position on the guitar. It is always neat to see a used Ric with the sticker still on, too. It almost gives an indication that the guitar was well cared for. I don't think they detract at all, and I think they are a classy touch before the instrument leaves the factory.

Coming from a US citizen, we are proud to see things like this in today's world, as we've lost so much to production overseas.

circles · Post by **circles** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:58 pm

lets not forget, since rick does an ace job of keeping people from copying their guitars... each one is a "made in the usa" badge of honor!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:15 pm

I think that Andrew and Daniel pretty much sum it up for me.

It bugs me when somebody buys a new bit of electronics or camera and leaves all the obvious stickers on--you know, "THIS IS A LENS" on a lens, or "6000 WATTS SCREAMING RMS AT 20% THD!" on a boombox.

Although I like things clean and usually unadorned, I just can't bring myself to part with those stickers. When I remade my pickguards, the guitars looked naked without those li'l bits of colorful foil. So I switched them over--only temporarily, I told myself. Must be a primate / aluminum foil thing or sumthin'. Of course, they'll remain for awhile.

I am glad to know that they are made in Illinois, not China. Sorta keeps it in the family.

21frets · Post by **21frets** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 1:41 am

Well you guys convinced me so I will carry the "badge of honor"

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 4:05 am

Andrew, et al.

I appreciate the sentiments. 'Made in the USA' should be as important to you as 'Made in Australia' is to us. 'Designed, manufactured, sold, serviced and exported' is even better!!

It's after midnight now and my patriotism is beginning to show (as are my bloodshot eyes!).

Not wanting to get mushy here but IMO, lots of people forget about what they have to be proud of, be it family, race, country of origin or religion.

I'm a proud and patriotic Australian and will always be so. Whatever foibles your/my administration may be guilty of, the fact remains - we were born where we were born.

If RIC was an Hungarian, Welsh, Chilean, Nepalese, Mongolian or Greek corporation, the sticker would stay!

Cheers!!

21frets · Post by **21frets** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 6:40 pm

A very good point and well taken!
Cheers!!

bluespckr · Post by **bluespckr** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:06 am

I'm of the peeled off frame of mind. I know where and how mine was made that's one reason why I bought a Ric -- and it even says "Made in the USA" on the name plate. The little sticker just looks, well, tacky left on a working guitar. Just my opinion.

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 5:15 am

I thought the people that left the stickers on were just big Minnie Pearl fans!

Myself, I take it off! It's like a ritual, I know it's mine once the sticker comes off.

To me leaving the sticker on is like leaving that sheet that is attached to the window on a new car on the car after you bring it home.

Not that there's anythig wrong with that...

oreca · Post by **oreca** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 6:36 am

We're boarding a Korean guy in our house and he has had a laptop for like 5 months and the little protecting plastic sticker is still on the LCD panel...
I feel like taking it off every time I see it, but I've already mentionned it to him that you can remove that, whatever floats his boat I guess.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:02 am

Exactly my observation...this does seem to be a cultural thing in a way. My brother-in-law is a doctor (radiologist) in Brasil.He makes less $$$ than my friend here in SF who lays carpet for a living.

He cannot afford a nice component stereo system (nobody sells them except in Sao Paulo anyway, and that's 2000 miles away by two lane road as there are no freeways!) so he makes do with one of those things made by some company you never heard of, like "TOBY" or something. It looks like a Japanese Gundam Robot cartoon. It is plastered with gaudy stickers that cover most of the front real estate, saying things like "2000 WATTS" and "PLAYS CDS". It is five years old. The stickers are still on it. He waxes it once a week. It still sounds awful.

THOSE stickers should come off. Immediately. The tiny one on the Rick--to each his (her) own.