Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thanks Jon I think this is a MAYA as it looks just like yours and yes the fretboard is unlacquered.

P.S Yes I will be removing the TRC as the bass is up for sale and I would not pass it off as a real Rickenbacker.

all the best Dave Carr

David - unfortunately the Maya in the pics isn't mine. It belongs to a guy who posts on another forum to which I contribute.

Do be careful if you intend to sell yours - this is becoming something of a minefield.

J.

Here's a question, Jon.
I saw a fake 4001 JG in a pawn shop back in 1992 in Halifax, it said "ElectricBass" on the TRC in RIC script.
Any idea who produced that one?
It was a real dog, BTW.

Grecos often have "Grecoguitar" in Rick font on the TRC, so it might be connected - although they're generally decent quality.

"Electricbass" does ring a bell, but I can't place where I've seen it...

J.

Has there ever been a faker that was better than a real Ric - at least in some people's opinion? Like a Sadowsky?

Sure. Read virtually any Ebay ad for a faker, bass or guitar.

It'll say so somewhere in the exaggerated and desperate copy.

No.

I used to own an Ibanez bass that had a Rickenbacker style body, but had soapbar pickups with P and J bass polepieces. It was a nice sounding bass. It came with a killer hardshell case too. I wound up trading it for a Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe with those awful, awful Lace Sensor pickups. I swapped those out for a set of EMG's, but I wound up getting rid of that bass too.

Thanks, Jon.
I can't vouch for the original quality of the bass, but it was firmly in the POS realm when I noticed it.

First I noticed the shape & had to check it out, then was disappointed it was a copy, then picked it up & was further dismayed to see the high action, played two notes almost totally lacking sustain & immediately moved on.

I didn't want to plug it in, and never even asked the price.

"Electricbass" does ring a bell, but I can't place where I've seen it...

a lot of the Maya P & J basses had "Electric Bass" on the headstock...

the 1976 El Maya Catalog has one of their Maya fakers on the front cover. The catalog also states that they had dual truss rods, and the highest priced faker they did had the USA Wavy Grovers on it as well.... all of the fakers in that catalog were the deluxe fakers with triangle inlays.

"Has there ever been a faker that was better than a real Ric - at least in some people's opinion? Like a Sadowsky?"

Realistically no - no matter how well-made many of the 70s Japanese copies might have been (and I'd love to get a look at one of the El Mayas Mick Horstman mentions), they were still mass-produced, built to a budget & priced down to sell. Remember these things only existed in the first place because Japanese manufacturers realised there was a massive potential market of people who couldn't afford the originals.

As far as Rick-derived designs by luthiers & high-end builders is concerned, while they may rip off the styling & aesthetic, they're not trying to "be" Ricks, and I don't know if they fit the bill as copies, regardless of how exclusive, expensive & beautifully built many must be.

J.

Mick - is that the El Maya catalogue on VintAxe? That headstock has those horrible generic 70s Japanese mini-tuners fitted - the bane of many an otherwise decent JapCrap bass!

J.

Jon,

yes, on vintaxe.

Hi guys, sorry to dig up this old thread!

I've got this on its way from Japan as we speak (I also have a ric 360, so its ok, I have proper business here!!)



I know its neck through, has grover usa tuners, chequered binding, supposedly bubinga fret board, stereo output..

Its a heerby RB-800.. Believe its from 77-79 or there abouts..

Anyone tell me anything about them.. Am I in for a good or bad surprise?!!

Hmm. Interesting thread. I have a friend with a fake rickenbacker bass, mapleglow as well. It is single truss rod, checkered bindings etc and it also has a "rick-o-sound" jack output with mono/stereo out. The TRC has been cut in half by someone and a small string tensioner thingy put in place. Its a thru-neck bass, which was surprising to me, i did not realise that fakes were made like this too.

There is no serial number on the jack sockets and i cant see any other obvious signs of a make or serial number on it.

All in all its actually a very good fake, it plays "ok". I`ll try to get some pics the next time i jam with him (its his "house bass" at his studio).

It sound like it could be one of these fakes. Any idea if there were thru-neck fakes made by the same people?