Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Burntweenie??? SOMEBODY is a Zappa fan.............

Burntweenie wrote:More US jobs, more sales, more product to meet the demand. I appreciate that this is an over simplification, but the economic basics appear to be there..

Well, yes and no. The current company is at capacity, and to expand, they would have to either move to a larger facility or add a second facility elsewhere. Moving presents huge obstacles, and expanding the current facility is out of the question; they are near downtown Santa Ana and there's no room to expand. Setting up another shop in addition and hiring (and training) more folks is a huge expense that may take many years to recoup. I think that the demand for the product is fairly steady and they are gradually catching up with the backlog of orders to eventually create some sort of equilibrium. I don't think you'll be seeing much of anything "new" (or re-newed) until demand drops off and warrants some changes. Not likely to happen any time soon. If they were to reintroduce a 4005 or a 4002 or some other limited-interest model, something would have to give; they might have to drop some other model for an extended period just to make space in scheduling. And with the current line selling so well, why would they want to do that?

And then there's that other problem that always seems to crop up when companies grow and expand, loss of quality. For some reason, it seems like it's easier to keep the quality up in a small operation whereas larger organizations seem to let quality slip...

Ok! If no one seems to be willing to pony up for an early 70's 4005 on the bay at $5400,
then it can only be assumed that no one would be willing to pony up the likely $5500-$6000 for a new
one.
Back in the '90s, a dealer/collector friend asked John Hall about doing a 4005. At that time, John Hall said
they would have to sell them for $4500. I do not recall if that was list, or cost.
My above guess at an MSRP is based on the price of a current 381/12v69 and then some…..

To say that other companies are making them has no bearing as they are all built at a certain price point.
That being <$1000.
The MIK Guild is a little above that.

Note that the USA made Guild Starfire basses were $3500, and they still can't get rid of them.
Based on that, were I John Hall, I would shudder at the idea of producing something I might be sitting on
when Ben's grandkids are in college.