Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Possible newbie question: Isn't Rickenbacker known for excellent quality control? It seems like with the other guitars, they talk about the golden years, or a new era of great quality. Gretsch is supposedly in a new era of great quality. I agree that Gretsch is putting out great guitars these days. Anyway, are Rickenbackers pretty even quality wise across the years? Or is there some golden era of top notch quality guitars? Thanks -- Matt

There is a reverence for certain eras of Ricks, but I think it's more because of features or idol associations than quality. You're right, quality has been pretty great since the beginning! Far more consistent than other big names. No binding-rot era!

Quality has been very consistent, because the same family has owned the company since around 1953, and they have always made the guitars in their own shop with long time employees. No Squires or that type thing have ever been produced. They have had some value guitars, but they were well made, and just had fewer features, or less expensive parts. The one area that cost so much in making a guitar is the time and expertise in the finishing process. RIC has always been know for there great finishes and great binding work. I have some knowledge friends who complain about RIC hardware functionality, but I have never met anyone who does not rave about the woodwork and finish quality.

I've had a couple before that weren't "perfect" to me, but I think even Rickenbacker's worst is better than most companies "best" products.

Yeah, compare 60s Gretsches to today....if not better, they are far more consistent than they used to be (and yes, no binding rot these days).
Rics are historically way more consistent than other companies that had real dark ages in terms of production quality (Fender, Gibson, Gretsch).


The only other company I think that can rival Rickenbacker in consistent quality is Martin, but even they're not always perfect.

QC is debatable, there is always variability in instruments, what isn't is that the products and the parts have changed (some would say changing the parts to make them easier to manufacture does impact QC) even though they are billed as just like the originals and they are not.

I'd say RIC has had the most consistently high-standard QC of any non-boutique manufacturer over the last 40 years. That's not to say the record is perfect, but no-one else has been close for this extended period.

Gretsch has become brilliant at QC since their renaissance. The Japanese Gretsches of the '90s set a high and consistent standard that has been adhered to ever since. The Terada factory has got it right in the same way that RIC has had it right since the '60s.

They have had their ups and downs just ike everyone else... but the downs are still very high quality workmanship... their overall bar is set very high. there are some sought after models and years but overall a Ric is a Ric is Ric....!

antipodean wrote:I'd say RIC has had the most consistently high-standard QC of any non-boutique manufacturer over the last 40 years. That's not to say the record is perfect, but no-one else has been close for this extended period.

Gretsch has become brilliant at QC since their renaissance. The Japanese Gretsches of the '90s set a high and consistent standard that has been adhered to ever since. The Terada factory has got it right in the same way that RIC has had it right since the '60s.

Agreed, but unless "boutique" means one guy working in his basement, RIC defines "boutique" for me.

But, of course, that's semantics...

ram wrote:They have had their ups and downs just ike everyone else... but the downs are still very high quality workmanship... their overall bar is set very high. there are some sought after models and years but overall a Ric is a Ric is Ric....!

+1

Unfortunately, I haven't had the same positive experience with RIC quality control that most people seem to have, so I am now leary to buy one without it being seen first (by me or forum member, etc...). However, I did have a really good experience with customer service to handle one of the quality control issues, so that is a good thing.

jingle_jangle wrote:

antipodean wrote:I'd say RIC has had the most consistently high-standard QC of any non-boutique manufacturer over the last 40 years. That's not to say the record is perfect, but no-one else has been close for this extended period.

Gretsch has become brilliant at QC since their renaissance. The Japanese Gretsches of the '90s set a high and consistent standard that has been adhered to ever since. The Terada factory has got it right in the same way that RIC has had it right since the '60s.

Agreed, but unless "boutique" means one guy working in his basement, RIC defines "boutique" for me.

But, of course, that's semantics...

I was thinking of people like Roger Sadowsky, Frank Grubisa and your good self Paul. Do you work in a basement?

I work in a basement and I have no quality control whatsoever.