Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Grey wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:How about those L.A. Kings!! WooHoo!!

Excuse me, but you're interrupting our pointless arguing.

Oh, don't excuse me!

There is no excuse for you Joey!

cjj wrote:There is no excuse for you Joey!

That right! I don't need one!

It's nice to see a company with such focus on quality production instead of gimmick choices and novelty bells and whistles.It's quite refreshing to know that if you want to buy a Rickenbacker it's actually easier to decide because there aren't a hundred different finish and accessory options.Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the Combo 800 and 4005 make a triumphant return,and I'm sure when and if they do,they will be made with the same rigorous attention to detail as the current product line.

nukebass wrote:

collin wrote:Mark---RIC didn't ship their manufacturing jobs overseas, including to third world countries. That ALONE puts them on a higher pedestal than Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc. ...

In my opinion, this doesn't put them on a higher pedastal than anyone. This is a business decision RIC has made and since it isn't in the low end market. . . .

You're actually making collin's point for him. He's not getting into a global economy debate -- all that discussion may be missing the point. He's just saying RIC chose not to make entry-level (high-volume, low-quality) products. They only make high-end, professional-grade instruments.

When a company introduces a budget line, it does dilute the brand, like it or not. The PRS example is a really good one - the SE models diluted their brand, and now many folks are shying away from them as a result.

Rickissippi wrote:You're actually making collin's point for him. He's not getting into a global economy debate -- all that discussion may be missing the point. He's just saying RIC chose not to make entry-level (high-volume, low-quality) products. They only make high-end, professional-grade instruments.

When a company introduces a budget line, it does dilute the brand, like it or not. The PRS example is a really good one - the SE models diluted their brand, and now many folks are shying away from them as a result.

Perhaps, but with that attitude you have to concede to understanding why people view Rickenbacker players as elitist.

Grey wrote:
Perhaps, but with that attitude you have to concede to understanding why people view Rickenbacker players as elitist.

And that's a bad thing?
JimK

manta wrote:I've been buying and using RIC products for nearly 50 years now because of the quality, consistency and beauty of the instruments. It is hard to maintain such standards over that period of time and longer so my hat goes off to this company. They're doing something right.

I think it's quite evident the different paths taken by: RIC ( consistency, high end, quality, non-diluted versions of their own instruments, tenacious pursuit of copyright.. ) .. and the < others > who try and cover every price point.

I'd like to say for example I just love RIC and as such will only buy them.. but.. this isn't a refrigerator I'm buying.. I'm not ONLY looking for high quality and consistency.. there's tone goin' on here.

and a F Strat or Tele... or a G LP w/HB or P90.. or an LP JR.. or SG.. or 335.. or PRS etc etc.. all have different tone .. and if one of those has tone that floats your boat.. that's a good thing.

Is it bad one has to dig thru maze of product to get there ? .. or maybe: it's not so bad to have such selection.... It does place more of a burden on the buyer to know what the heck they're looking for. and to assess quality/price ratio.

I think Kurt Cobain did pretty well with an obscure inexpensive F product... ( I realize a reference to Cobain could make me a target for rotten tomato throwing.. a Heroin addict who unfortunately committed suicide.. but you hopefully know what I mean: he made his music.. with a less than a high end guitar... )

Let F deal with the logistics.. ( enter: computers to the rescue ).

I'm not disagreeing with anyone that RIC has taken a narrow<er> approach to making less SKU's. ... has not rushed production and makes a consistent high quality < higher priced > instrument. Viva Rickenbacker.. If you want to consider that elitist.. and that's part of what you're looking for.. grand !

There are Ferrari's... and there is Ford. they're... different.... and each has it's own use

jimk wrote:

Grey wrote:
Perhaps, but with that attitude you have to concede to understanding why people view Rickenbacker players as elitist.

And that's a bad thing?
JimK

+1

Ricks are elite instruments so it naturally follows that the people who play them are elitists.

Ric_MEL wrote: I think Kurt Cobain did pretty well with an obscure inexpensive F product... ( I realize a reference to Cobain could make me a target for rotten tomato throwing.. a Heroin addict who unfortunately committed suicide.. but you hopefully know what I mean: he made his music.. with a less than a high end guitar... )

Interesting reference!

I've heard this said before....and yes, Kurt had said a number of times that his favorite guitar in the whole world was the Fender Mustang - a budget instrument. And yes, he is most often associated with the Mustang (Teen Spirit video, In Utero live tour...), the two instruments that he used the most and recorded with the most (including Nevermind and In Utero - Nirvana's only two major label studo albums), was the Fender Jaguar and the Fender Stratocaster.

What was Fender's most expensive guitar in 1966? Yes, the Jaguar. The strat was for people that couldn't afford the Jaguar (but were beyond student level).

Let's not forget that Rickenbacker made the 400 series for decades. These were less-expensive student instruments, with their own styling (ie...not a cheaper style 330)...but these were produced in a different era where manufacturing a student-level guitar in the USA was a profitable possibility.

jimk wrote:And that's a bad thing?
JimK

Yes, it is. Rather than turning up our noses at people who are not fortunate enough to have disposeable income to spend on thousand dollar guitars and saying anything else would dilute the brand, we should try to find solutions that will enable more players to purchase Rickenbacker instruments. Gibson manages to produce 7-800$ guitars that are still built in the USA.

The problem is RIC's "fear" of making any changes to their guitars, lest they anger the fanbase.

Are bassists who play instruments made by F-Bass, Fodera, Marleaux, Ritter, Sukop, Surine and Zon, just to name a few, also considered elitists?

rickenbrother wrote:Are bassists who play instruments made by F-Bass, Fodera, Marleaux, Ritter, Sukop, Surine and Zon, just to name a few, also considered elitists?

They usually just are.

sloop_john_b wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:Are bassists who play instruments made by F-Bass, Fodera, Marleaux, Ritter, Sukop, Surine and Zon, just to name a few, also considered elitists?

They usually just are.

Well then, that must include me!

jps wrote:

sloop_john_b wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:Are bassists who play instruments made by F-Bass, Fodera, Marleaux, Ritter, Sukop, Surine and Zon, just to name a few, also considered elitists?

They usually just are.

Well then, that must include me!

Actually, I quite liked when I used to be called a Rickensnob here, even more!