Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

>Rick in particular seems to sometimes come up with some nasty scores here, mostly it seems by a combination of grudges.

It could also be that some people have very legitimate gripes, and that they weren't delt with well by the company, for whatever reason. That doesn't take away the obvious attention JH and crew give their instruments, but they are human, and will fail from time to time.

I don't see any reason to shield Rickenbacker from honest criticism, or bring up points that could be addressed, especially if dealing directly with the company doesn't solve a real problem. Stating that Ric is perfect in every way and can never make a mistake or produce a bad instrument doesn't do anyone any good. It is easy to laud praise when the instrument you got was perfect, but it is how Ric deals with the normal problems that can arise from a (mostly) hand made production that determines what kind of reputation they really deserve.

Who's shielding a company which can obviously take care of themselves?

It's the cases where I've seen grudges exposed to which I'm referring; maybe I wasn't clear enough in my post. It seems that some folks come into the Rick camp with an unfortunate combination of immutable preconceptions and bad attitude (which in this case I would characterize as a feeling of entitlement and stubbornness). When their needs aren't met in a way that only they deem unsatisfactory, they go off on Rick, JH, and cast aspersions and draw sweeping conclusions that are largely unjustified in light of the situation.

JH stands his ground, and this way of dealing with personality problems is reflected in the way some of his employees deal with the public. Those who deal like adults with the company are treated in a like manner.

Those who act like crybabies, in some cases actually getting litigious, cause an increase to Rick's cost of doing business, which could contribute to retail price increases, but at least cut into Rick's profit margins. Not good for anybody. What comes to mind immediately is the case of the dissatisfied customer who wanted some extra free screws from the parts department and who took it to his attroney when they stood their ground. Then he proceeded to attack Rick in every forum he could find, including Harmony. I also recall another case (maybe it was the same one?) in which someone bashed Rick for not backing their warranty, when in fact he had purchased his guitar from a non-authorized reseller who repped the guitar as new, causing the purchaser to expect new-guitar warranty service on it.

Perfection? Nobody's perfect, I agree. I am absolutely happy with my own instruments. Two out of two. Both took some nurturing to get them as I ike them, in terms of playability. I do not mean to imply that all Rickenbacker guitars are perfect, or that they've never built a dog. My rant was directed at those who expect too much or who don't give Rick the chance to make good on their warranty.

Jeff, I don't know if you've ever been in a small company manufacturing a boutique item, but I have and perhaps as a result, am hypersensitive to the critical issue of public forums and PR. This would tend to make me more sympathetic to Rick's problems in this regard than the man on the street.

Sorry for not being clearer, and I will admit that I had a point to make and did not intend to ruffle any feathers over what I regarded as being a "no brainer". You will find some of my own posts levelling some of my own "honest criticism", but it is tempered by my own experiences in the business end of things.

Well said, Paul.

My point was that not everyone who has a complaint with the QC is just a whiner, which is how many of the posts here come off.

Also, I do appreciate JH's presence here, and know that the CEOs of other companies wouldn't be bothered talking to the customers, especially on a public forum that they don't control (some may not even know they own a guitar company!).

While I'm at it, I might as well object to the generalized comments about the (lack of) quality of instruments from other manufacturers, which simply isn't true. I own and have played enough guitars from a variety of builders to have a pretty good idea of the quality levels, and I haven't had any more problems with Fender or Gibson than I have had with Rickenbacker - which isn't many in the grand scheme of things.

You're preaching to the choir, Jeff. I agree 100% with everything you say in the above post.

I think that posts in Forums (no matter which forum) addressing QC issues, need to be edited very carefully by the poster for both tone and content, or the poster risks being viewed as a whiner. Most of us are far better musicians than writers, so often people seem whiney when in fact they are just trying to get a point across and solicit some feedback and/or help.

It is, of course, very bad form, to air a complaint about a company, its products, or its treatment of customers, without allowing the company to first exhaust its own resources to address the customer's issues.

It is a razor edge that a CEO walks when he is present in a forum devoted almost exclusively to the products of his company. It is a risk / benefit thing, and JH pulls it off amirably, IMO.

I agree on the "generalized comments about the lack of quality in other instrument brands" thing too. I do not, however, see it as a black and white issue. If a poster wishes to draw comparisons about Rick vs. "Brand B", then he / she should be able to post, knowing full well that a hearty discussion will usually ensue, since many of us are multi-brand players and not just collectors or players of Ricks alone to the exclusion of all others.

Your personal experiece is that you haven't had any more problems with Gibson or Fender than with Rick, and not many in toto. But to me, the issue is not so much problems as--dare I say it--mystique? Rick has it and I could go on for a few hundred words trying to nail it in words (I've edited this post twice already). I thank my lucky stars that Rick is still around and wears its history on its company's sleeve.

I've had Strats and Teles (there are over 3,000 of them on eBay right now!) and though competent musical appliances, they just don't have "it" for me, and I'm sure that other readers of this forum agree for similar reasons.

OTOH, Paul...

I've got a 4-hour gig tonight, and I'm leaving the Ricks at home and taking only the Tele. Why? Because it's a better tool for the job.

That's not to cast aspersions on either my Ricks or Ricks in general. They are fine, fine guitars, and I'm glad that I own several. I have played them out (as recently as last weekend) and will continue to do so. But for tonight, I've got another guitar that is better suited to the task at hand.

As for "mystique", a double-bound Tele is a damn cool guitar in its own right. I certainly don't feel that I lose any style points by playing it. Even more to the point, if I were to play a Rick tonight just to impress the two people who might actually notice and care - when I know I have a "better" guitar available - that would pretty much make me a poseur, wouldn't it?

If you play ANY guitar that somebody notices, you're a "poseur" by your definition, Adam. Including a (by your definition) "cool" double-bound Tele.

Or does a person become a "poseur" only when he / she picks up a Rick in a situation with one other human present?

Is anyone who drives a Rolls-Royce a "Poseur" or does it depend on paint color? Or, maybe being a poseur is more about feeling like a poseur and depends upon one's own self-consciousness or guilt about having / playing one of the best when there are thousands of starving Squier players out there?

Seems to me that "poseur" is a label and perhaps a bit too convenient for what's trying to be expressed here. And I think it's more about personal satisfaction than about impressing others.
Having said that, Rick bumper stickers always get a smile from me, 'cuz I've got one on my own poseur car.

Hit a nerve, did I?

Paul Wilczinski opines: "If you play ANY guitar that somebody notices, you're a "poseur" by your definition, Adam. Including a (by your definition) "cool" double-bound Tele."

Not at all - you either completely misunderstand, you're deliberately distorting my words, or you're overly sensitive. If your primary criterion in guitar selection is to get noticed for your look (rather than your playing), you're a poseur. If you're playing the guitar that is best suited to the job you're playing, and it happens to get noticed, those are serendipitous bonus points. It's quite a marked difference between the two situations, and there should be no confusion.

I do agree that "it's more about personal satisfaction than about impressing others." I get my personal satisfaction from playing well - and I'm fairly confident that I'll play better tonight with the Tele than I would with the Rick. It's that simple.

Point taken. Thank you for clarifying.

Will you be driving the 225 or the Riviera to your gig tonight?

While I am a writer, I'm obviously being unclear (which is why I have an editor!). It is my impression that many of the people here view those who complain as whiners, when in fact they may have legitimate gripes.

Of the problems I have had with various manufacturers, the biggest issue I have with Ric is that the problems are not easily solved without going to the company itself, principly due to a lack of available instruments. The one Ric that I did have major issues with, and which Ric couldn't/wouldn't solve to my satisfaction, would have simply been replaced by the store if it were any other brand.

Another problem resulting from the long order times is that many of the Rics I have ordered have been out of production for months by the time I get mine, meaning that if there are flaws that can't be repaired, I either have to buy a substandard instrument or do without, neither of which makes for a happy customer.

Lack of store stock (which is understandable for most of the models I'd be interested in) also means that the guitars can't be examined in person before buying/ordering. Most of my collection of other brands was seen/played before deciding to buy.

Neither - both have bias ply tires and we just got multiple inches of snow and there are unplowed roads between me and the gig. I don't need that much excitement in my life.

Jeff--all excellent and valid points. I wish, as do many of us, that there were multiple Ricks at multiple locations convenient to me! I can't deal with waiting many months for anything I order. but that's my own problem. I've been lucky so far; two for two bought sight unseen.

Adam: It's not the bias plies, it's the snow and large, unwieldy mastodons that vintage Buicks are! I owned a '65 Riv that was one of the best oldsters I ever had. But I was in SoCal back then...(sigh)

Paul,
my new Ric is scheduled to be delivered today. How long must I "wait" before I take it out of the box/case? Do I take it out of the box, and leave it in the case? Or leave the whole package intact for several days ? The case will probably act as an insulator and contain the cold for a while.

A -

Andy, I'm surprised that you would ask me, as there are many members of this Forum who could also easily answer your question. But here goes:

I've had two new Ricks shipped to me in the last 3 weeks. One solid body from northern Wisconsin and one semi-solid from central Colorado. The solid body arrived with warning stickers to not open for 24 hours, etc. I pulled the molded plastic case from the box, waited 24 hours and opened the case. The guitar was COLD (I touched the tailpiece to gauge temperature). I gently closed the case and left it in my office for another day. By then it had warmed to room temp.

The hollow body saw the dealer delay shipping one day because of a cold snap in Colorado. Then I did a tracking search and found it was spending the night in Billings, Montana en route to SF. YIKES! I checked weather for Billings and it was actually warmer than SF that day!

The guitar arrived the next day already at room temp. I was able to set it up and play it immediately.

If a guitar is going through extreme temp changes, I would deal with acclimatization in 24 hour increments. Depending upon temp difference, you'll be OK by the second day max, I think.

Solid bodied guitars are slower to gain and lose heat; semis and hollow bodies adjust rapidly. Either will suffer finish checking with severe thermal shock, so--go easy.

Anybody have something to add? Please jump in here and give Andy a hand...

...I'm sorry. Wrong Paul......I am no stranger to Rics, but I was told to wait a few days to let the guitar acclimate itself since it is the cold season.....