Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The irony in this thread is almost too rich. "Rickenbacker" is a German name that was altered slightly after WW2 from "Rickenbacher", supposedly to lessen the Germanic overtones. And let's not forget that the classic bodystylings that the overwhelming majority of us Ric owners LOVE were conceived by Roger Rossmeisl. Yep, you guessed it: a German national. Of course, Rickenbackers are made here in the U.S., but there's no getting around that German connection.

Landon, in light of these facts, do you now plan to retire or sell your Rics? Listen, I understand your feelings concerning recent events and I'm even sympathetic up to a point. But you don't seem to have completely thought through your newfound conviction. If you now choose to boycott anything that's manufactured in Germany & France (or any other country that is so outspokenly against our current Iraq policy), then go for it. Even though I don't choose to do that for myself (at least not at this time), I can understand your position and certainly support your freedom to do. What we're doing now in Iraq really should've been done when we were over there 12 years ago. But that's strictly my opinion and I know not everyone will agree with it.

The one country whose products I would like to boycott TOTALLY is Japan. If one reads the history of the incredibly inhumane atrocities the Japanese military committed in China in the late 1930s, and then later in the Phillipines and the Pacific Theater against American soldiers in WW2, then you'd never want to buy anything from Japan ever again. If anyone here doesn't believe just how bad it was, then go to the library and read it for yourself. The final outrage is that, even now, it's impossible to get the average Japanese person on the street to believe that those atrocities really did happen. That national bloc of willful denial is infuriating and incomprehensible. But I digress................

Landon, passionately held beliefs about politics & religion will earn a person equally passionate enemies quicker than any other subject I know. My humble opinion, for what it's worth, is that you should've calmly announced your intentions with your Warwick, rationally stated your reason, GENTLY encourage others to do the same, and then let it go. My sympathies are *pretty much* in your corner and I extend my hand to you and join in your support of our troops in Iraq. However, I don't think this is the proper forum for discussion in that arena.

Adolf Rickenbacker was Swiss, not German, and his family was proudly Swiss back to the time of Martin Luther.

As you know, the Swiss are decidely neutral.

Also, since the largest part of Warwick products are produced just outside of Shanghai these days, it might be a moot point.

Mr. Hall-- Thank you for the correction. However, the point is minor and doesn't negate the fact that "Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker" is still of German origin.

As for Switzerland's "neutrality", I'm no longer convinced of that. Ask any of the Swiss banks that secretly did business with the Nazis during WW2 (with the Swiss government's silent approval) about the millions of dollars worth of gold that were extracted out of the mouths of Jews and held in those Swiss banks for safe keeping til after the Third Reich's supposed victory at the end of the war. This has only come out into the open relatively recently. And my oh my, it really is something to hear those Swiss banks squeal like stuck hogs just because the Jewish descendants want back what never belonged to those Swiss banks to begin with. What price would any Swiss citizen put on the embarrassment of the rest of the world finding out about the nature his country's so-called "neutrality"?

Warwick instruments perhaps are being manufactured just outside of Shanghai, but the company is still German owned & operated (at least the last I heard) and the money from the sales of those instruments still goes to Germany.

Though I'm half Filipino and I know full well about what my family went through during WWII, I could comment on some things mentioned, but I won't. However, I would like to mention that I like a lot of Japanese rock bands, work for a Japanese owned company that deals in importing goods from Japan, and have Japanese friends as well as friends from various ethnicities. But let's get back to bass-ics! (pun intended)

Warwicks are dandy to a lot of people. I myself never bothered to try any, since I can't get past how ugly I think they look, but I hear they've got a great sound. Maybe someday when I'm browsing music stores I'll give one a try. Though it may sound stupid, I think the look and feel of the instrument is nearly as important as the tonal range, and I can't picture myself looking good with a Thumb or any other Warwick.

Love the Ric though. Tone, feel, and look (in that order of importance) is just plain sweet.

politics aside ... Warwicks sound good but they are ugly ... Rics sound good and they look cool

Hear! Hear!

Wasn't the name actually "Reichenbacher"?

Mmmm, Jeffrey, you're partly right, but one of the two owners of Warwick is French. Then again I don't know where she keeps her money, but surely not Markneukirchen!

In this country, you really can't infer much in the way of ethnicity from names as the vast majority of us came from somewhere else anyway, somewhere back in our ancestry.

My Hofner Club Bass STAYS no matter what.

Garry