Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

drumbob wrote: Have you tried negotiating a better price at your local store?

I did that once. Needed a case for an Epi acoustic. My Ma and Pa store had the beautiful and sturdy one below:



At the time those were going for about $150. Hard to find, but my local Ma and Pa shop had one. Negotiated a price (easily...and I soon found out why) to just 85 bucks. Got the case home and noticed a big B written on the box. Darn guitar case was B stock! Never told. Case has a scuff mark on the front.

So much for negotiating a nice price with ma and pa.

I thought Pick of the Rics was out of business? Not sure though?

Anyhow, the 2 best places for best Quality & Customer Service is Sweetwater & Wildwood.. Of those two the best Price will be Sweetwater.. Both list Pictures, Serial numbers & weight of their Guitars so you can see the actual Guitar you’re buying….

Sweetwater has always beat Wildwood when it comes to Price.. I’ve purchased several Guitars from them.. They are tops in QC of their Guitars & their Customer Service…

Kingbreaker wrote:

jdogric12 wrote:

maxwell wrote: AND (surprisingly) their price — when did RIC start allowing that?

Those are just list prices. I would hope no one is paying list price!

I sent an email to Babiuk's and they are. And given the limited supply, it feels justified.

I’ve tried to buy from Babiuk but he doesn’t want to deal… So I bought elsewhere…

larsongs wrote:I thought Pick of the Rics was out of business? Not sure though?

Anyhow, the 2 best places for best Quality & Customer Service is Sweetwater & Wildwood.. Of those two the best Price will be Sweetwater.. Both list Pictures, Serial numbers & weight of their Guitars so you can see the actual Guitar you’re buying….

Sweetwater has always beat Wildwood when it comes to Price.. I’ve purchased several Guitars from them.. They are tops in QC of their Guitars & their Customer Service…

POTR no longer sells ricks. They do sell rick-geared string sets and so forth. Shame, too - I got a 4004cii that was a NAMM display piece from Chris.

Kingbreaker wrote:

larsongs wrote:I got a 4004cii that was a NAMM display piece from Chris.

The 2012 NAMM Show Ruby 4004L I had was purchased through POTR.

I can’t really see how it makes a difference where you buy a new Rickenbacker unless there is a good discount and you know it is coming set up well. It does seem that the more you buy from Sweetwater, the better the deals get from them over the longer haul. Definitely “chat” with them or call and just ask for a deal. They seem to have redefined online gear purchasing.

IIRC, the last thing I bought from Sweetwater was my Universal Audio La.610 Mk II over ten years ago.

rkbsound wrote:I can’t really see how it makes a difference where you buy a new Rickenbacker unless there is a good discount and you know it is coming set up well. It does seem that the more you buy from Sweetwater, the better the deals get from them over the longer haul. Definitely “chat” with them or call and just ask for a deal. They seem to have redefined online gear purchasing.

High volume Retailers get more Guitars to choose from.. Companies like Sweetwater & Wildwood post Pics of each Guitar, Serial number & weight. They also do thorough inspections & pretty decent Setups… Sweetwater adds an additional 2 year Warranty at no cost. Not sure if Wildwood does.. Customer Service is excellent…

Unlike Stores like GC for one.. GC’s, for the most part, for many years have had poor inventory’s, mostly budget Guitars & their Sales staff are unknowledgeable wannabe Rock Stars with attitudes to match…. Oh, and they love to lay games.. When it comes time to negotiate they act like it’s the first time you ever bought a Guitar.. If you do find a Guitar you might want to buy it will most likely have some scratches, dings or missing Parts… No thanks…

Tommy wrote:I used Pick Of The Ricks, but as stated above, they are no longer in the guitar selling business. So...

One time Pick Of The Ricks did not have in stock what I was looking for (a Miami 325), so I (don't throw tomatoes at me) went to one of the two big internet musical gear sellers (Sweetwater). The price they gave me (20% off list) and the service they afforded me were both top shelf. Yes, those big internet sites can actually make customers very happy.

I've had good experiences with Sweetwater. My wife has gotten a couple of (non-Rick) guitars for me from there.