Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Tuck: It is no secret that a fair number of Rickenbackers make their way to Japan.

Due to the language barrier, it is difficult for us to understand how Rickenbackers are seen by people in Japan and to assess their popularity there.

Can you tell us what you know about Japanese Collectors or professional Japanese musicians that use Rickenbackers?

We have 98 Rickenbacker in our Register from Japan. Surely there must be a few more.

The 2004 none-more-black Ric I recently sold to Harry Bridge was also from Japan.

There's a nice 6 string double bound 4005 for sale there at the moment! BIG money though!

There are a growing number of Beatles tribute bands in Japan. Some of them are invited to play at big festivals such as The Beatle Week in Liverpool and Abbey Road On The River, and one played with Chuck Berry when they toured the US this year. All these bands play Rickenbackers and there are more "silent" collectors in every city over here. Very popular instruments.

I see not only musicians in their 40's-50's but also young bands play Ricknbackers on TV who produce up-to-date solid sound. I would say the Rickenbacker guitar is seen as an instrument played by musicians who have the "edge" and try to sound different.

Thanks, Tuck. Your comments are appreciated. It is good to see the youth interested in Rickenbackers.

Not sure how I missed this forum!

I was fortunate enough to live in Japan when I was in junior-high and high school ('82-'88) and then again for grad school (2002-'06). I don't remember seeing many Rics during high school, though I did own a Fernandes copy (boo!) of Paul McCartney's bass. But when I was there for grad school I used to drool over the Ric basses that would be hanging in stores! I remember a branch of Jeugia in Kyoto had a Jetglo 4003S/8 hanging high up on the wall. This was after they had been discontinued in the States. Kind of wish I had snagged it, as I ended up getting one here later.

Sean also mentioned a Jetglo 4003 that he recently sold me. This one also appears to have been made for the Japanese market. I know that a lot of vintage Rics ended up in Japan (and Fenders and Gibsons and...), but the ones that were specially made for Japan are kind of an interesting bunch. Someone on another forum mentioned seeing an article in a Japanese bass magazine about an instrument exhibition in Yokohama (kind of like NAMM?) that had some unusual Rics - would love to get a copy of that!

The 4003 that Sean mentioned appears to have been made from older parts, including a 7-screw tailpiece and an older pickguard - Ilan identified it by the way the knobs are laid out. Plus, it's black trim, even though that was discontinued a year or so earlier in the States, and has silver lettering on the truss rod cover, a la the Blackstar and 4004L.

Anyone else encountered any unusual Rics made specifically for the Japanese market?

Ishibashi, which has a number of stores from what I gather, always seems to have a nice selection of used RICs:

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/

Worth checking occasionally.

Timbo

I bought a 4001CS from Japan. Sold it to a forumite. Hope it worked out well!

But the best story was when I brought my 4005 in to be set up just after I had just moved to Tokyo. You can imagine the fuss that created in the shop. Weren't the most common axe there....

Happyface wrote:But the best story was when I brought my 4005 in to be set up just after I had just moved to Tokyo. You can imagine the fuss that created in the shop. Weren't the most common axe there....

Did you ship that thing over there with you?

Carried it and my Blackstar as carry on luggage. Back when planes were less crowded.