WTB: Rickenbacker 4001 Truss Rod Cover

[The Shark]

Anyone have one? I need one to restore a bass. Thanks.

[Thundernotes]

One possibility: http://pickguards.us/pricericken.html

[specialk]

If you don't need OEM:

http://www.luthiersupply.com/pearltrussrodcovers.html

[cmatthes]

Original ones (even recent ones) sell for well over $100 these days - even in a down economy. I've seen them as high as $350 in the last year too (!!).

Since RIC won't sell one without turning in the old one first and they scour the internet hourly looking for anything that might violate their corporate trademarks, it's become extremely tough to get one.

There are a couple of sellers on eBay who part out RICs on occasion, but a lot of times those auctions get "mysteriously" shut down.

I'll keep an eye out for you though - I am assuming you are looking for a black logo on white, v/a black on gold or white on black, right?

[The Shark]

Black logo on white, please. Aftermarket is fine. Thanks for the tips. She's so far gone, it won't really matter. It's just a fun project.

[GusS]

you won't be able to find a legit TRC for less than about $150 for a used one on ebay. there's a guy in italy that was selling counterfeit ones on ebay for like $60. Like chris mentions, ric shuts'em all down. Pickguardian (who does aftermarket plexi Ric pickguards) won't even do a blank TRC.

[specialk]

Okay, I gotta ask. Why doesn't Ric sell TRCs to the public? There must be a reason I'm not seeing. Other manufacturers don't do this, at least that I know of.

[bizzwriter]

Okay, I gotta ask. Why doesn't Ric sell TRCs to the public? There must be a reason I'm not seeing. Other manufacturers don't do this, at least that I know of.

Cos they're VERY protective of their trademarks. As you know, the Rickenbacker name doesn't actually appear on the headstock EXCEPT on the TRC (unlike Gibson and Fender and everyone else). There were a rash of Japanese Rick clones back in the '70s/'80s, and it was easy to take a real TRC and slap it on to make a fake Rick. Part of the reason you don't see Rick clones all over the place is because the Rickenbacker company is SOOOOOO aggressive in keeping repro TRCs off the market.

Here's a PM (borrowed from TGP) from Rickenbacker CEO John Hall explaining his philosophy on all this:

# # #

Let me put it in terms closer to home- what if I recorded one of the songs

you wrote and sold it for my profit? Would that be right and would it make

you happy? And what about the guy that buys that music- especially if he

knows I stole it, isn't he thumbing his nose at you?

You write songs, I make guitars; you have the absolute exclusive rights to

your creations and I have the exclusive rights to mine. If we didn't have

that right, we wouldn't bother to create.

Cheers,

John Hall

Chief Executive Officer

Rickenbacker Int'l Corp.

3895 S. Main Street

Santa Ana, CA. 92707

# # #

[specialk]

Wow, thanks for that info. I can see why they're so protective now. I guess the lesson here is to never lose your Ric TRC.

[tc2]

and you can also go out of business Mr Hall just like GM if you piss your customer base off....

[cmatthes]

and you can also go out of business Mr Hall just like GM if you piss your customer base off....

You mean like taking 4 years to build something somebody ordered?

Nawww...

[tc2]

I dont wanna go all personal but Mr Halls social skills are a bit lacking but I guess you would expect that from a guy that rode his daddies coattails...fucking trust funders

and the argument about someone stealing your song is DUMB.... as long as you got a writers credit and shared the monies who cares....kinda like Fender did with FujiGen Gakki .... get with it Mr Hall before you lose everything