Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thanks Ben.

I don't feel so stupid now for buying the two NOS 700's. I paid list price and the freight from Japan. $$$$$$$$$$$$$

I also have a 700/12 MB on order at the POTR. For sure my fingers are crossed for that one..

I'll admit that I don't know very much about running a business like RIC, but my fist thought would be to start another factory devoted strictly to acoustic production. It could be located in the USA where acoustic luthiers would be willing to work.

Gibson has their acoustics made in Bozeman, Montana but their electrics are made in Nashville,Tennesse.

Have a small factory just big enough to meet the demand.

Charles, I know as much as you about running a guitar business. However, the mobilizing and start up cost of a new factory must be astronomical.

It's very easy to talk about starting up a factory in another, lower-overhead part of the USA. Don't think that it hasn't been thoroughly investigated.

As many people (including Keith Richards) have said, "Talk is Cheap". It would be perhaps better to say, "Speculation is free".

If the economics made sense, it would have been done long ago.

I was thinking more on the line of a 6 person shop than a full blown factory. I guess that the bottom line is that the demand is probably not there for the effort involved.

That's what I get for thinking out loud again!

Err, Dave wouyld you wan to sell either one at list?

A 6-person shop producing 400-500 instruments/year in a place like Kansas would have a difficult time returning dollar one on investment in today's economy at a dealer price of about $1200 per guitar. Rickenbacker has never come close to producing that number of acoustics in any calendar year.

You'd need a factory and a product line of a couple of dozen different instruments in several price points. You'd need some high price point instruments with some substantial markups (read: Fender Custom Shop) in order to carry the debt loading of your startup costs, unless you chose to fund them out of pocket. But why take that risk?

RIC is a unique corporation. Their way of doing business is a unique anomaly in the guitar trade, made largely possible by their superb liquidity, which we can credit to the fiscally conservative policies of FC and John Hall. Most of us are fortunate to be able to own our instruments because of this.

Folks, our guitars SHOULD cost $5-7K! And that's what RIC acoustics should cost, too. The fact is, they require more skilled labor to produce than the electrics, and everytime John gets somebody trained to run the captive department, somebody grabs 'em.

Paul, hear, hear!
And thats a very quiet "hear hear".

It is a great blessing that the best, most beautiful guitars & basses are also the most affordable pro quality instruments.
The waiting for new ones & the scarcity in general are part of what make them so special.

Respect, tradition, & a fine reputation are more important than a fast buck. It's too bad others can't see things in proper perspective.

"Err, Dave wouyld you wan to sell either one at list? "

In all seriousness, one was sitting in this forum's "for sale" section, with almost on interest, for some time now. It was for sale for what I paid for it. After reading Mr. Hall's comments...It's no longer for sale.

Dave, I was tempted to get in touch with you for that one just to have it (since I don't play guitar very well). Quite purdy! I agree with you.....now that they are unavailable I'd hold onto it. Everyone had their chance (me included).

Maybe if RIC opened up a Custom Shop to do not only Acoustics, but work on electrics as well. I know I would sure love to see options like checked binding and color of my choice rather than just choosing between the staple colors that are offered now. I think you'd have a ton of requests... I had a Rosewood Telecaster on order from Fender's custom shop for sometime now, it has just recently come in. Now, that hasn't been on their catalog for a long, long time. Same for Gibson, you can order any color or configuration you want and they wil do it.
I know I'd sure love to own some of those 50s and early 60s RIC models....

The only other thing I can think of is that RIC's clientele is so small that if they open up a larger facility, it wouldn't work out for them.

Wow....this is an interesting and surprising thread. I certainly hope that RIC does not discountinue its acoustic line, as they are beautiful and incredible guitars....and now more than ever I am thankful for my Comstock, although I hope to someday own a 12-string one as well.