Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Grey wrote:Ugh, guys like this really get on my nerves, do they honestly think that people arn't going to instantly spot this and call them on their BS? Using Rickenbacker parts and copying the 4005 Bass shape curve-for-curve, and he's gonna sit there with a straight face and say "yeah I totally came up with this on my own, Rickenbacker who? Do they make inflatable pools or something?". It's times like this that i'm actaully grateful RIC is as agressive as it is in protecting it's patents because I can rest with the comfort and knowledge that this junk will never be allowed to hit the market.

The guy probably did this ugly thing in his basement and, thanks to the proud popa syndrom, posted this on a hobbyist forum. Blissfully ignorant that he would attract the anger of Rickenbacker fans.

I would be very surprised for him to be in a position to flood the market... Unless you define the market as his immediate familly.

Guys, "don't sweat the small stuff" and play your Ricks.

At the very least, I would give credit to this poor bugger to make a new 4005!

Well, if you are far sighted and look at it from a mile without your glasses...

Colonel Sanders wrote: The guy probably did this ugly thing in his basement and, thanks to the proud popa syndrom, posted this on a hobbyist forum. Blissfully ignorant that he would attract the anger of Rickenbacker fans.

I would be very surprised for him to be in a position to flood the market... Unless you define the market as his immediate familly.

Guys, "don't sweat the small stuff" and play your Ricks.

Just so we're clear, you're saying it's perfectly fine for him to imply that he created the design and pass it off as his original creation just because the people in his hobby group arn't aware of the source material? Even going so far as to say, when directly questioned, that he "had never seen a Rickenbacker headstock before" despite the body shape, headstock, trussrod cover and trussrod font being a duplicate of Rickenbacker trade dress?

If you're going to copy something at least have the self-respect to be honest about where the design came from.

At the bottom of the first page in that discussion used to be this photo:
I happened to be searching Google for images of Alembic headstocks and then looked for Rick headstocks just to see what was there. I saw my photo and went to the link, which is how I discovered this thread and the NC Woodworker website (strange that there were no images of mine linked to the RRF ). I can assure you that Jeff Mills, the builder of the infringing instrument, probably has a full set of photos of my bass and most likely many others so he was not so good at coming up with this design in his sleep, so to speak.

Yeah, that's messed up no matter how small a circle it's shared in.

Grey wrote:
Just so we're clear, you're saying it's perfectly fine for him to imply that he created the design and pass it off as his original creation just because the people in his hobby group arn't aware of the source material? Even going so far as to say, when directly questioned, that he "had never seen a Rickenbacker headstock before" despite the body shape, headstock, trussrod cover and trussrod font being a duplicate of Rickenbacker trade dress?

If you're going to copy something at least have the self-respect to be honest about where the design came from.

What I am suggesting is not sweating the small stuff.

A post from an obscur hobbyist, on an obsur wood worker forum, to me, fall in the "small stuff" category.

Of course, "small stuff" can be expected to become "big stuff" on another forum.

Heck of a chance the World Wide Web was not "invented" when I built a BC Rich Eagle clone with my father!!! Ironically enough, I did use a fingerboard from a Mann copy of a Rickenbacker 4001. The Mann had developped a nasty wing/neck separation and the action was about 1 inch high. After doing a "Pete Towshend" on the Mann, I recycled the fingerboard. It was actually a pretty cool father and son project. But the bass was a turd. Apologies in advance to whoever it may offend.

And as if his story isn't convoluted enough already - not only are these RIC tuners, but aren't they the new ones that actually have "Rickenbacker" stamped across the top of each one? The photo is blurry, but I'd swear that's what we're looking at.

Those are Hipshot HB-5 tuners.

Aaah. I thought I saw writing at the top.

Another clue is the worm gear shaft passes through square blocks on the Hipshots as opposed to curved stamped hold-downs on the RIC tuners.