Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I suppose you guys have made a good case for a worn-in instrument, from a practical standpoint.

But I, for one, don't believe that this why most people buy overpriced "relics" and Fender's marketing hype belies this, too. If it were true that everyone bought these for that "old shoe" feeling, then Jeff Beck's "old shoe" would cost $2500, not $15000.

Anyway, what's a bolt-together guitar with a lot of hacking done on it worth, intrinsically? Probably less than $500.00. But the hype has pushed collectibility and acceptance of this nasty stuff beyond the bounds of common sense.

I see what you're saying Paul.

I played a nice relic P-bass at GC a few months back. I think it was a '57 RI in tobacco sunburst. Neat guitar, but it had a price tag of $3300.00 or so.

I liked it but I didn't think it was worth well over twice what I'd pay for a new 4003, or over a grand more than a C64S.

At best, a well done relic feels like a well worn pair of jeans and looks natural not contrived in terms of the aging....at worst it's a hack job as a belt sander and an awl does not make one an artist...Bill Nash is the guy if you want a well done Fender style www.nashguitars.com

The bad thing about Fenders and the good thing about Rickenbackers, is that while it is VERY easy to cobble together a Fender from parts and pass it off, to the untrained eye, as an "Original", while a Rickenbacker with a neck thru construction is much harder to do so, though it CAN be done. Personally I don't buy into the whole "vintage" concept but I can why it appeals to some.

Besides, I already have a vintage '74 Precision and my almost favorite, '75 4001, so why do I need more?

I've played a couple at the local GC, and they felt way higher in quality than the standards.
If I could buy one and have it reconditioned...

This goes back to some of my first posts on this Forum...

Bolt-together guitars should sell at bolt-together prices. There is neither risk nor craftsmanship required to build them.

Set neck guitars--especially made in USA, hand-finished ones (like Ricks, of course!) are risky to build and require a dedicated and skilled staff to build them, day after day with acceptable consistency.

They should have handcrafted prices...but, ironically, in the case of Rickenbackers, they don't!

That's why I maintain--and will tell anyone who will listen--that Rickenbackers are among the best bargains in guitars and basses today.

But then, we knew that already, didn't we?

"... Bill Nash is the guy if you want a well done Fender style"

George: Bill Nash worked for the Fender Custom Shop and did the first years of the "Relic" treatment before setting up his own shop.

"... Bolt-together guitars should sell at bolt-together prices."

Hmmm... what was the MSRP for the 4080?

"Rickenbackers are among the best bargains in guitars and basses today"

I agree.

Not to mention the 480 and 481, the 430, etc.

A goodly percentage less than their set-neck range-mates, Ilan.

The only ones to hold their values have been the 400 and 4000 series, the 400s until very recently were comparatively cheap, I believe because of the bolt neck construction.

My 430 (still cheap and likely to stay so) cost me $375.00 a year ago.

I just recently played a Custom Shop Relic Jazz and it's the best Jazz bass I've ever played (and yes, I've played some of the original vintage ones, including a '62 stack knob). In fact I don't generally like Jazz basses much at all, but I love this one. And it's used, and not too expensive (about the same price as a 4003 over here). I'm actually trying to shift a Ric to buy it, and if the worst comes to the worst and it's still available I may even sell my CS to get it (which has received the genuine relic treatment!).

I think Rics and Fenders are completely different animals. Rics look and feel great new (although they also look and feel great "mojo-d"), but I just don't like the look or feel of a new Fender all that much. I don't know why that should be; just a personal thing I guess.

As much as I might get flak for saying this here on this forum, my FAVORITE bass I have is my '54 reissue blue flower single coil Precision bass, the ones with the true non split coil pickup. Very punchy. NExt would be my frankenstein Frickenbird, largely because of the superb 4004 HB1's. Next would be the '75 4001. I'm 60/40 a Fender guy, but the Ricks are indeed IMO the best value out there.

This 4005 looks very nice, wish I could own one!

Ah well, just been on the phone and the Jazz has gone. Another one that got away....

Dave, I played one of those reissues in a shop a while back and I must say I really liked it. Never used one in a band setting but I'd like to.

There's no arguing with the value of a Ric. Even over here in the UK they're good value, and that's saying something.