Fake TRC?

[k43rover]

I could show you production RIC TRCs from the mid-'70s, on which the lettering literally touches the edge of the plastic!

I think it was the same in the '60's too. I recall seeing a genuine trc where it had been trimmed right into the edge of one of the letters. I can't remember now which model, but may well have been an early 12 string given the way they played around with some of those before they became a more standardised shape.

[k43rover]

I still think is a faker. The c58's TRC is thicker and this one is "skinny". the "Rickenbacker" name is way down. isn't that suppose to be in the middle?

Hi Nelson, in general I think you are wise to question the authenticity of any trc these days as so many are faked.

It seems to be an increasing problem and I'd say the quality of the fakes is improving (a trend I've seen over recent years in most areas of higher end collectibles where I have more than a passing interest). It's particularly unfortunate that something like a trc can be faked quite convincingly and to a high standard without too much effort/investment. With used ones often selling for $200 to $300 it's very easy to see why the fakers would be interested.

Personally, whenever I see a trc listed for sale which I might want to buy I start from the simple premise that it will be a fake and then work backwards from that assumption to find clear evidence to justify to myself that it is a real one! One of the key ways that I would convince myself to buy one off eBay is by asking the opinion of people on this board whose views I respect. That is why it's so deeply ironic that this particular thread was prompted by an eBay listing made by Collin.

Collin is one of the handful of people worldwide who I would go to for a view on whether an item is genuine - if he said it were genuine, then that would be good enough for me to purchase; so, it goes without saying that anything he lists personally for sale (even it were sight unseen) is something I'd be happy to buy (assuming, of course, that the price was right ).

Nelson, you've got to make your own mind up on who you want to trust. However, I'd encourage you to go back in the archives of this forum and take a look at the helpful and extremely knowledgable contibutions that Collin has made over the years; if you do that, you may well decide to take a different view...

[Casiraghi22]

I'm so sorry Mr. Collin for misjuding you. I hope u can forgive me

[collin]

I'm so sorry Mr. Collin for misjuding you. I hope u can forgive me

Hey, no worries Nelson, some good discussion here anyways.


Btw, all--TRC is sold, thanks.

[aerome]

I'm no expert but to my untrained eye, the R is lower on the part than the other pics I compared it to and the whole name seems to not have enough curve. I'll defer to the Made In USA thing. There may have been variations on the TRC's but they should somewhere be catalogued.

Given the seller is a forum member I would give him the benefit of the doubt and consult with the factory.

And guys, if the Chinese can knock off Rolex watches so well that experts need real time to study them, realize that anyone can knock off a piece of plastic, even your local trophy store. Buy from those who have earned your trust.

[sasquatchgeoff]

Along the line of this discussion, I present to you a "genuine" made in Korea 325:

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo14 ... 49_319.jpg

and the "serial"

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo14 ... 12_432.jpg

I stumbled upon this gem in a luthier shop I patronize somewhat frequently. The TRC is gold, very similar to the OP. The proprietor, not experienced in the ways of Ric assumed that Ric had started sourcing an off-shore maker for some of its more popular models. I told him I severely doubted that. Please don't tell me what he said is true Mr. Hall.

[johnallg]

Won't happen while JH and Ben are alive.

[sasquatchgeoff]

Won't happen while JH and Ben are alive.

I was hoping you would say that

[kiramdear]

Yep, that's a bunch of bunk. RIC doesn't outsource to foreign countries and never will while the Halls run it.

[LenMinNJ]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-go ... 1c24c93999

Ask how old the TRC is. Check it against others of that age in the Rick Registry. If they don't know where it came from or how old it is, pass on it - it's likely a counterfeit.

If the seller is known to be reliable and they can give you its history, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

As someone who just bought a gold TRC and has been shopping for one for the last five or six months, my take on this TRC is that it's questionable because the logo is so far off-center. If it's represented as a modern TRC, in my opinion it's definitely not something that current Rickenbacker QA would allow to hit the streets.

Also, look at the uneven line under the first few letters.

And note that the sides are painted.

I bought one gold TRC that did not have a reliable provenance via Craigslist for $160. It looked *exactly* like this one. I sent it back.

Modern 660/6 logos would have "Made In USA".

Here's a 325c58 TRC:



Here's a 660/6 TRC:



Here's one from a 1961 Capri:

[collin]

my take on this TRC is that it's questionable because the logo is so far off-center. If it's represented as a modern TRC, in my opinion it's definitely not something that current Rickenbacker QA would allow to hit the streets.

Also, look at the uneven line under the first few letters.

Well, you can question all you want, feel free to waste your time.

It is worth noting that this TRC came from somebody local who worked at RIC 5-6 years ago, so it may well have not passed QC, and is how it was made available. It came with other authentic parts too.

However, that doesn't mean it's not a real legitimate Ric C58 TRC and I think i've done my part explaining that and picturing it clearly.

Anyways, it's real, it's sold, moving on...

[LenMinNJ]

Collin makes a good point.

A TRC can be genuine Rickenbacker, but it could be a genuine Rickenbacker quality control department reject.

Buyer beware!

[electrofaro]

The backpainted plexi TRC, although not gold, on my former 480 was not perfect either. But then I would ask anyone to try and make one and get it perfect all the time - just impossible, imo

Collin I can do two things for you................change the title of the thread to something far more friendly or delete it entirely.

Thanks for the offer Brian, but no need --- I'd rather let it sit to plead with others to be more tactful when posting a thread that makes basically makes a broad accusation without any substantial evidence.

Did I miss something? Was something deleted from this thread? Just the title, a question, "Fake TRC?" surely is no "broad accusation without any substantial evidence"?

[r-gordon-7]

What about this one, which has what appears to be a bit of an "hourglass waist"..."
http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-style-p ... 4123698055

[kiramdear]

12 string nameplates are always scooped like that so that they clear the slots in the peghead. This example is typical, although I can't swear to its authenticity. It could be OK but it's hard for me to judge by pics alone. That's why I'd always buy from a trusted source.