Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Good going, Dave!

Here is the new home...

Nice snag, Dave!
That '72 makes me drool!

Hmm... "GREED"? Indeed.

Besides, anyone with basic skills can put together a pickup that looks exactly like that for a fraction of the price...

rickcrazy wrote:Hmm... "GREED"? Indeed.

Besides, anyone with basic skills can put together a pickup that looks exactly like that for a fraction of the price...

+1

Get a Sergio pickup instead of overpaying for a beat up 35 year old pickup.

dswp wrote:Here is the new home...

that is just beautiful! Congrats.

Hey Dave, I sure hope changing the bridge pup didn't change the tone - that bass had a monster sound! Huge and solid.

rickcrazy wrote:...anyone with basic skills can put together a pickup that looks exactly like that for a fraction of the price...

OK, Serg. You're on. Let's see you do it.

Hi Mark. Well, for obvious reasons I won't build an exact replica of the high-gain at issue. However, a few months back I did build a less accurate yet better performing rendition thereof for one of the forumites. Bob, are you there?

Sergio makes good single coil pickups that will fit in a Ric bass and sound good.

Thanks, Jeff But I still would like to hear from Bob (Young) hehe.

Greed!?

I based my price on scarcity, and on what a '69 bass would sell for...does $7 to $10 K sound right?

I think that when you consider this, $500.00 for the real McCoy is reasonable.

The re-issue horseshoe pickup sell for $500.00. What do you think a real '60s HS pu would sell for?

If my reasoning here is out of line, I'd like to know. All opinions are welcomed.

Tony

PS I paid $300+ for this pu 2 years ago...and I think that prices of vintage Ric basses have gone up just a little bit since then.

rickcrazy wrote: Well, for obvious reasons I won't build an exact replica of the high-gain at issue. However, a few months back I did build a less accurate yet better performing rendition thereof for one of the forumites.

What "obvious reasons?" No one is asking you to turn around and sell your home-made pickup (thus infringing upon RIC's patent) even if you COULD make an exact replica. Sounds like you're dodging the challenge, my friend! Making a close facsimile with non-matching performance specs does not qualify your original claim that "anyone with basic skills can put together a pickup that looks exactly like that for a fraction of the price." Sure, a similar looking replica would be an adequate alternative to a true sounding vintage Rick part and be much cheaper, but which would you want in your 21-fretter? If it makes no difference to you, put in one of your "less accurate and better performing" replicas, and sell me your old over-valued '71 pickup for what it cost to build yours!

jwr2 wrote:Sergio makes good single coil pickups that will fit in a Ric bass and sound good.

So do Seymour Duncan & Bartolini; so do lots of folks. But if you want your bass to sound like a true stock Rick, you use real Rick parts. This detail is not something that you and Serg are concerned with - that's fine. But there is a strong majority that value the significance of authenticity and originality when it comes to vintage guitars, hence the lucrative market. If everyone shared your "a pickup is a pickup is a pickup" mentality, there would be no demand for "old over-priced pickups."

"Greed" has nothing to do with how much a rare vintage part can sell for. Do you know how much Tony paid for that '69 pickup to get it in the first place? No; you don't. So why assume that his profit margin was through the roof? He could have sold it without a BIN and let it ride to the end, and I'll bet it would have gone higher than $500. The way I see it, he cut Dave a pretty reasonable deal.

I think it's in bad form to be tossing around labels at people, especially when you don't know all the facts. If Tony is "greedy" for selling a rare pickup for $500, then what does that make Dave for buying it?

I thought it was a fair price. I was going to hit the BIN when I noticed a certain person already HAD! Im glad Tony & Dave both got what they wanted. Congrats guys!

dswp wrote:Here is the new home...

Sweet Dave! Can't wait to show you how it should be played! .......as if!!