Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

AH, but at a production run of 300 basses, the number become a factory cost of only $2850 or so, and at a sales price of over $4000, this becomes quite a lucrative product for RIC.

As far as production resources, recent long delays in filling orders indicates that production capacity has been long overdue for an increase, whatever it takes. Don't fix that as the limiting factor for opportunity cost. If California VOC limits a manufacturer, get past the limits by doing some production outside California, particularly on one dedicated line tooled up for only one or two products at a time, to improve dedicated setup-process efficiency...

The issue is all in rolling the dice to see what interest could be generated. If you followed the ancient guitar industry practice and convinced dealers to pre-order one each, offering them a promotional cost of $3000 on the first one but no returns, you could do well on a bass targeted at a SRP of $4500. With such increased margin, dealers would be doing discount deals with customers to move their initial allocation, so it is a win-win with customers.

I think the initial run would sell more like 300 to 600 across a two to five year cycle, not 15. The truth lies somewhere between those two extremes. It is always a gamble.

Success is always in how you market the item with jargon and generated image - calling it faithful down to the last detail, exactly like the 1967 with all the bells and whistles, an "instant collectors item" and a "custom shop" item without the long wait until delivery....

Again, just my 450,000 cents worth

"I can't help of think of the International Scout. That 4 X 4 was so far ahead of it's time, they just missed the SUV craze by a few years. If anyone of you have owned of them, you know what I'm talking about.... I wonder how they would sell in today's market of $50K 4 X 4's..."

By a couple of decades at least. Not an SUV by any definition, just a trucklike competitor for the much better built Jeep (and that in itself is not saying much!). No dealer network, poor service support, and guaranteed to rust before the last payment was made--usually halfway up the doors.

No cargo carrying capacity, ride like a buckboard...I guess I'll stop here...WHOOPS! The brakes locked up again.

It was a '40s vehicle built for the '60s. Sorry, Tony...

Not a problem Paul, they weren't for everyone.

I LOVED mine, it went through and OVER ANYTHING. I was comparing it to the HUMMER. I once (by accident) ran over a full size refrigerator (it was white and covered with snow, I thought it was a GREAT snow drift....OOPS) and it just kept going! The thing pulled out tree stumps, EVERY OTHER 4X4 out of the mud, and NEVER EVER gave me a problem (other than the rust, that is)!

I'd take another one in a SECOND. I put 359K on it without a major problem.

OOPS, double post, how did I do that?

359K? That's a lot Tony!

I always get a kick out of Toyota truck owners(And I agree, they're very good cars/trucks). Every one of them tells me: "Oh it'll go 250,000 miles, EASY."

And then every one of them sold it when it got to 100,000!

There's only 18 who piped up because John said it isn't happening. Imagine the response if he said the opposite...

So, it ran like a truck, hey, Tony?

I remember a family friend who worked for IH, in R & D, got one to do some engineering fitment or other. When the project was over, he purchased it as "damaged goods" or some such thing--for $100.00 plus license fees. This would have been in '64.

He used it at his summer cottage for pulling out stumps, too. It has long since dissolved into various oxide powders.

Elys - I think a run of 300 is very optimistic with such an expensive piece. Keep in mind that Rickenbacker doesn't sell direct to the public, and should not start with this, so now someone else has to get paid.

Now it looks like a retail around 6K is in order for what you suggest.

LOL, Paul, it SURE did!

Yeah Jeff, I had it for quite a while, my kids called it the "old girl truck".

Man, it was UGLY, but it ran like nothing else I've ever owned. My wife HATED it because, how can I word this, OMG, ummm, it made here boobs sore. LOL! She's going to KILL me......

I gave it to a farmer in upstate NY to use on his farm after I bought a NEW Suburban. The motor blew at 89K on the Chevy. Last I heard, the Scout was STILL RUNNING long after my Suburban was traded in for a Caddy!

How's the Caddy at pulling stumps?

I always get a kick out of Toyota truck owners(And I agree, they're very good cars/trucks). Every one of them tells me: "Oh it'll go 250,000 miles, EASY."

Jeff, I just bought a new car (no, not a Toyota). And the salesman said it will last "300,000 to half-a-million miles."
That's the first time I ever heard that one.
We shall see. It will take me fifty years (at my current pace) to reach that number.

As far as a 4005 re-issue goes, as I've said before, 4k is way out of my domestic tranquillity zone.
I wouldn't (couldn't) spend that much if Jack Casady himself offered me his original modified Guild Starfire. (Well, actually maybe I would.)

I wonder how many gallons of gas a Scout would burn up over the course of 359K miles?

My Chevy Silverado has just over 195K on it in just under 10 years.

"How's the Caddy at pulling stumps?"

LOL, ah Paul, we all grow up EVENTUALLY...

Now, I call the landscaper and let him worry about it!

The older I grew, the more COMFORT I wanted...quite boring but a lot more comfortable...

The Scout was a LOT more "fuel friendly" than my 66 Toronado....8 MPG highway, 5 MPG around town...WHAT A BOAT....I sure do miss her....

Ok, back to your currently programmed thread....

Would it be a possibility where Paul makes individual 4005's under agreement with RIC, as with the current acoustic set up?