Rockinbetter

Gaspode

I thought I was in luck when I saw a couple of Rickenbackers near the lefties section in the guitar centre in Exchequer st. today. Sadly they turned out to be 'Rockinbetter' guitars, a very very close facsimile of true Ricks. Up close though, the difference in finish was apparent (I've pawed and poked at a few Ricks over the years), and certainly the feel in the hand was nowhere near as good as the real thing. Didn't have time to plug anything in though.

I'm amazed at how Tokai are getting away with producing these, the colouring, shape and style are a complete rip-off, even down to having a stylised 'R' on the tailpiece!

Interested to know if anyone here has tried them

chillyspoon

I just stumbled across this old post when a mate of mine asked me about Rockinbetter guitars!

I used to own a left handed, plain Tokai branded one from the same factory in Korea.

Here's a YouTube video of mine so you can see exactly how they sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2mfU6EP8HA

Their biggest problems are rough intonation, they take some very careful set up and still compromise in places on tuning and in a fretboard that's much much deeper than the real thing.

Rigsby

Gaspode wrote: »

I thought I was in luck when I saw a couple of Rickenbackers near the lefties section in the guitar centre in Exchequer st. today. Sadly they turned out to be 'Rockinbetter' guitars, a very very close facsimile of true Ricks. Up close though, the difference in finish was apparent (I've pawed and poked at a few Ricks over the years), and certainly the feel in the hand was nowhere near as good as the real thing. Didn't have time to plug anything in though.

I'm amazed at how Tokai are getting away with producing these, the colouring, shape and style are a complete rip-off, even down to having a stylised 'R' on the tailpiece!

Interested to know if anyone here has tried them

I would have thought the price tag would have been enough to tell you these were not the real deal. I think one says 259 euro in the picture. I'd say a real Ric might be a few euros more.

Banjo

The blatant discrimination against lefties - 40 quid on the price tag, and a less fancy looking (if more ricky-esque) F-hole. I'm telling you, one day a rain will come...

68 lost souls

Banjo wrote: »

The blatant discrimination against lefties - 40 quid on the price tag, and a less fancy looking (if more ricky-esque) F-hole. I'm telling you, one day a rain will come...

The lefty does look nicer. There is a reason for the difference in price though, its down to economies of scale, right handed guitars outsell lefthanded guitars more then 10 to 1 at least and therefore there are more made os they can be made cheaper. Its more expensive to make a lefty then a righty and therefore more expensive. I know it sucks but that is why I always recomend a lefty learn to play righty from the start if they can (like me) as well as for the greater availability.

Ravelleman

Gaspode wrote: »

I'm amazed at how Tokai are getting away with producing these, the colouring, shape and style are a complete rip-off, even down to having a stylised 'R' on the tailpiece!

ZOMG, cause Tokai don't copy anyone else's designs...!

Welcome to 1970, everybody.