Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I remember a story from twenty years ago or so...a college kid in Florida who happened to be blind had such perfect pitch that he could whistle the tones of any phone number into his dorm pay phone and make free calls home for all his fellow residents. When he finally got busted, the Judge was able to work out a deal that got him a job with the Phone Company.

I don't know what made me think of that story...

Essentially that's the kind of deal I tried to broker for Mike with Rosetti some time ago but he simply didn't want to follow the rules. He's continued to do it his own way, to the aggravation of many British dealers which now makes it very difficult to get the parties to cooperate.

Thank you all for your comments. He has a 425V63 in Burgandyglo that quite frankly I haven't been able to find elsewhere. That is the reason I am looking his way. I have been purchasing all my new RIC's from Gary @ NCM. The price seems to be a bit high with the shipping, but thats what I get for waiting. I will probably pull the trigger and purchase the guitar. I don't always understand the politics of dealerships, but my concern is getting the guitar. If he is the only one with this model for sale, then I'll probably go with him.

Thanks again!

Well, if he's gonna be a pirate, he's gonna have to go through life with one leg and an eye patch...

No one can say you didn't try, JH...

I don't recall UK stores ever having a great stock of Rickenbackers even before Mike came on the scene. You were lucky to find the odd 330 or 360. I've used Rics R Us on a number of occasions and have nothing but praise for the service that I've received. Where else could I have got a discontinued, mint condition 1997SPC in the UK ?(safely, without going through the eBay jungle). On a recent occasion when I was after a stock 4003 bass he put me in touch with an authorised dealer that had stock. Good all round service!

Rics "Aaaaaarrrrrhhhhhh" Us!!!

I don't agree with the term "politics" being used in such a situation, as in using it we imply that there is influence being bought or sold...it seems to me that (from John's description), RIC has attempted to act in good faith to bring Mr. Smith into the dealer fold, but he won't comply.

That's not "politics"--it's "business practices". You don't spend time, effort, and dollars to establish a dealership organization, then see one person working against that, and let that person dictate his own terms.

Unless you're in the music, publishing, or movie biz, that is, where bad faith is the norm.

Brian, who are NCM? - excuse my ignorance. Are they in the UK? Sorry I'm assuming you're in the UK as well?

And good faith is the norm........uh, where, exactly?

If you do what you can to deal with someone and let it go when you find you can't, it's "business practices"...if you drop the 82nd Airborne down on their a**, it's "politics"...

I'm guessing North Coast Music in the US, Graham.

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All of this talk reminds me of my past dealings with a RIC dealer in the USA. I won't name him but his business operated under the initials 'TME'. He specialized in Beatle gear, and provided excellent service and advice. He had a standing offer to buy back any instrument that he might sell to you. A very nice guy to deal with. As I understand it, he didn't comply with RIC business practices and got dropped.

As long as the 82nd Airborne didn't get 'dropped'...

I think that if you came to the UK to buy a Ric, then you would understand why Mike is so important to us Ric enthusiasts & why so many UK members speak so highly of him. If you want a 330, 360 or 4003, then you are in with a shout of finding a few if you scour the country...anything else...not a chance! Without Rics R Us, I would never have had my 1997, 5002, 360V64.....

He might not be an authorised dealer, but he gets my custom because of his passion, hard work & wonderful guitars.

as long as the distribution in the UK remains as weak as it is, Mike's excellent service will continue to be more than appreciated by honest, rickenbacker loving brits. The negative comments seem to be all coming from the west side of the atlantic where it's somewhat easier to get the awesome rickenbackers that we all love so much.