Real Rickenbacker 325c64 vs Chickenbacker 325

It's time to see just how close this Chinese guitar maker got when he made this Chickenbacker 325, both visually and in the sound and playability. In this video, I compare my real Rickenbacker 325c64 with the Chinese Fake RIC I got from AliExpress a while back.
Here's a link to this guitar: bit.ly/2sD6mKl

[@ChurchillCigar]

8:52 "well, not bad sounding." 11:15 "ok, forget what I said."

[@davidrangel8783]

Well, the real one sounds louder and cleaner. Just change those shitty pickups in the fake one and you'll get (almost) the same guitar...

[@ldhorricks]

@@davidrangel8783 exactly...take out the crappy Chinese PUs and put in a set of Rickysound High Gains or Kent Armstrong Vintage Single Coil toasters. Clearly the build quality on the Real deal is far superior. I would also replace the Bridge and Machine heads.

[@boulder89984]

You make the chickenbacker sound like a much better deal than the original. Time to call Ali Express!

[@saborwolf]

I mean, for $280... if it just had any other name on it and was its own brand, that would be a hell of a guitar

[@emerblob5275]

How did you find out the price?

[@jimbailey1122]

It's shit.

[@derpyherpenson4641]

Holy shit I clicked on this not realizing who you were and the voice made me instantly recognize you! Our man SinatraLennon!

[@jaintly]

That’s right!

[@jimszikk775]

I honestly prefer the look of the fake one.

[@tomboyjessie1352]

Yeah, it looks nice but the real one has a better sound

[@colorbeatlesvideosmore2114]

@Mr.Nate_YT I didn’t expect to see another beatuber here lol

[@witoldwitoszekrecords3253]

The binding does the job.

[@southernpride2003]

​@@tomboyjessie1352 you could just change the pickups and electronics for a lot less cheaper you'd be surprised at how much the electronics cost

[@Ron-lx7sc]

It has binding, the real ones never had binding on this model. There are all sorts of fucked up issues on these Chinese rip offs, believe me I got my money back. All the metal parts are DOGSHIT

[@Record503S]

your singing with the chickenbacker sounded better, so maybe it's worth keeping, lol

[@jaintly]

I agree!

[@swingmanu9969]

@@jaintly it's thinking the wrong way: the fake sounds a lot weaker, so you'd need to adjust the volume so the real one does not hide your voice... Well, I'm sure you know it

[@maxwelledison9954]

@@swingmanu9969 it's a joke

[@kevinmalone8903]

Every guitar I own, you can hear when you tap on the pickups. Gibson & Fenders.

[@TruenorthmtGod]

Ya he doesn’t know shit

[@mintonmiller]

I like the idea of a wider neck and the binding on the fake really looks great. Put the the pickups from the real Rick in to the fake one and then you have my ideal one.

[@RossD8]

Here's my chickenbacker story. Years ago I listed a Rick copy on a well-known auction site. I was completely upfront that it was not a Rick, just a copy. It did not have the Rick headstock logo. Shortly after the listing became active it was shut down. Cold. They informed me that I violated some clause about copyright infringement and I was not to resist or I would be banned for life.(double secret separation). I wrote to Rickenbacker and got a very polite but stern response from John Hall. They owned the design after having protected said design for years, unlike the bigs. Told me that if it was up for sale at a garage sale, a Rick rep could legally take the guitar. This was years ago. Today I have no problem seeing Rickenfakers, Chickenbackers, etc. up for sale.

[@DugNastyMusic]

Gibson and Rickenbacker are notorious for shutting down auctions or listings on eBay and other types of sites for fake or replica guitars. Some listings do seem to go through with no issue but many of them get taken down with warnings. That's even if you're being upfront or not, there seems to be a luck of the draw on if they flag the listing or not. Rickenbacker did this to themselves by controlling their own market, keeping models sought after driving up prices so it's funny to me. Purists/fanboys of the like will not always agree with buying these but it definitely shows that these being sold proves there is an interest in owning one but that isn't possible for a lot of players.

[@thomaspick4123]

I would like a Ric, but can not afford one. I wish Ric would make a stripped down simple version in Indonesia, as other manufacturers have. Make it with a bolt on neck and no binding on the body, nor on the fretboard. This will make it less expensive to manufacture and easier to work on for fret replacement and filing. Fender, G&L build in Indonesia. The Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster shapes have been copied by many manufacturers, with many variations. No problems there. Having an economy line probably helps mainline sales in the long run. A beginner might start out on an Affinity or Bullet model. Later, they move up to a Squire or USA made Fender. There seem to be a number of China companies building Ric knock offs. The same instrument may vary greatly in price due to which factory is building it. Tell us what factory your Chickenbacker was built in. That neck pocket carving is atrocious. Having that bridge jacked up so high is wrong. That builder should be named, so it could be avoided.

[@RossD8]

Thomas, I've been playing an Italia Remini 12 string for a few years now. It's a Jeff Foskett signature edition. The quality and design are better than some of the RIC's that I've owned. Plus, a built in boost/compressor and a twelve saddle bridge. Under $1,200 new. @@thomaspick4123

[@jamesdean9195]

Love your comparison video! I have a dozen of Aliexpress guitars and ordered the 325 after your video. I'm a lefty and have to say, not only is the price/ quality is very good for the price but being a lefty, so much easier to purchase . Very honest video(s) and thanks for sharing.

[@ShukiHara]

James Dean me left handed, too

[@metalheadeli]

Absolutely love this channel! I dig your entire personality and mood! Keep rocking

[@jimfraser647]

The pickups on the Chickenbackers are usually humbuckers. It's a very different sound. And as you pointed out, they usually won't stay in tune unless you do a lot of work to them. The thickness of the neck is a major problem as the bridge cannot be lowered at all and the neck thickness cannot be changed.

[@hippiesmile2851]

The real one definitely sounds better. I'm surprised how the chinese knock-off looks so much better, they did a good job copying the real thing.

[@applescruff]

Good to see you with a new video. Would love to see more of your vids, they’re great! Interesting comparison, chickenbacker looks well made for the price you paid for it.

[@jaintly]

Apple Scruffs It’s really good for the price, especially with how expensive real RIC’s are.

[@MikeRaley]

To me the real one sounds better. Cleaner. You sound really good.

[@MrWilkat1]

Just a small note: the loudness is most likely due to that high bridge as I noticed it's a lot further away from the strings and that makes a difference. Thanks for doing this comparison--I always loved this model and was curious as to how they would compare.

[@asifineededaname]

I dig your speaking voice man, you definitely should work in a radio station or earn a living with your voice somehow. Nice video thanks for posting

[@jaintly]

I do earn a living with my voice! I’ve been a voice actor for many years now. Thanks for the compliment!

[@babayaga9102]

@@jaintly What is the price difference between these two guitars? Your voice suits beatles sound, great singing.

[@moosey62]

Brian. How did you get away with telling your wife you'd just bought a new guitar that is a copy of an original guitar that you already own?

[@ralphsalotto-ld5xe]

Maybe "he's" the head of his house.

[@-thirteen]

@@ralphsalotto-ld5xe head of the house?

[@coreycann9639]

@@-thirteen yeah. Head of the house. The one who wears the pants. The one who makes the most AGI. Women can be one too but generally are not.

[@-thirteen]

@@coreycann9639 we share that title over here

[@marcs4091]

LOL that's what I'm trying to figure out with my wife.

[@leschwartz]

The real Rickenbacker sounds better. The Chickenbacker looks good enough from a distance.

[@oldrrocr]

I'm amazed that the Chickenbacker sounded that close, but yeah the original is much better.

[@cigcgiv7tvitvk648]

Yesss I've been waiting for this video since I saw the video of your chickenbacker

[@jaintly]

Niel Imperial I know, it’s been too long!

[@Texasslim57]

Thanks- I have the Tom Petty 660 twelve fake. It plays well. Replaced most of the hardware with real Ric. Put on upgraded aftermarket toasters, but your real 325 is brighter. So very helpful.

[@plantdaddy3420]

I´m happy I have the real stuff! This one black (ofcourse) and one the same but sunburst 12-string...PLUS a 4001 red from 1975... Happy days!

[@DeadKoby]

I own 4 Rics... I like them a great deal. Mr. Hall really protects his brand, and I'm sure that if he could ID the factory making the copies, they'd be in for a legal war.

[@NerdNoiseRadio]

Now, disclaimer: I was watching on a Pixel 2 XL smartphone, and listening on the built-in speakers. Had I listened on headphones or the home stereo, or especially had I been physically in attendance, I probably would've noticed more of a difference than I did here today. That said, the only meaningful difference I noticed today was volume. The real one is appreciably louder, appreciably hotter. I suppose it's brighter, I guess, but that was something I chocked up more to volume than voicing. Otherwise, it's a pretty remarkable resemblance both sight and sound. I guess at a bare minimum, I think we can all at least say the quality vector is profoundly smaller than the price vector, and were I buying today, assuming there aren't issues with legality and consequences, I would definitely be buying the knock-off and not the real thing. Actually, I am thinking of buying a "Chickenbacker" (or "Fakenbacker" is the term I prefer), but not one of these - at least not right away. Instead, my sight is set on the 4003 bass copy. So, fingers crossed! Good video!! :-)

[@roccojc8071]

Damn only 1 like

[@shirtsguitar]

✌🏻

[@computermediaonline]

A good set of closed-ear headphones on a laptop or computer or stereo would have revealed the difference.

[@davidrussell8918]

The chikenbacker is softer because the pickups are farther away from the strings, and with the height of that neck , the pickups look like there maxed out in height. The tone sounded dead on the chickenbacker to me, you get what you pay for.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

Ric PU's are fixed into place there are no adjustments like on Gibson or Fender etc. It is a pain but can be done ...but once done you are OK.

[@davidrussell8918]

@@Paul_Lenard_Ewing You can get pickup shims from Ric.

[@jimbailey1122]

Exactly.

[@nealixd.3011]

I saw several of those real Ric John Lennon Hamburg model re-issues floating around the Memphis TN GC back in the (late?) 2000s. They blow your mind, because they look so small with the 22.5" neck scale. I think that short scale helped Lennon use his pinky finger more easily for the old school rock chord 6th note progressions like the tunes you played (She was just 17). He often had that pinky going on this model when he played it.

[@nealixd.3011]

The Chinese heel was more like a PRS.

[@jaintly]

You’re right! That short scale allowed him to do a lot of rock n roll stuff a bit more easily. By the way, that pinky thing he did was because that’s how his Mom showed him to make banjo chords! You’re seeing his Mother’s teaching each time he does that. I think that’s cool.

[@nealixd.3011]

@@jaintly he definitely had a unique style due to his mother's banjo instructions. Mike Pachelli, that teaches all the Beatles tunes, talks about it occasionally.

[@johnbowen35]

I love Rickenbackers, it's my dream guitar bro....but I'm broke like Cooter Brown...so beauty bein in the eye of the beholder....that Chicken backer will do me just fine

[@kamilzabiegala1649]

That guitar is so legendary..

[@chrisgdyer]

I used to have one I found in a little Tennessee music store. It was branded “Riff” but I called a Rickenfaker.

[@johnmaloney3286]

I had a Riff too. 330 style. Kinda sorry I sold it

[@profile2047]

I always love a good comparison video even if I don’t quite care about the object

[@krodman6399]

I had to sell my real 325C58 when my son was diagnosed with leukemia. Luckily they weren’t being manufactured at the time and I doubled my investment. Years later I bought a replica, not sure who made it but it’s Asian and it’s been modified a little by the previous owner. Having owned the real deal I’m happy with the knock off. Quality and sound are the same, only differences I’ve noticed are the neck scale is full as opposed to 3/4 and headstock has a sharper angle to it. Otherwise it’s like the same guitar. I actually prefer the full neck scale so I’m happy. And it cost a fraction of what a real Ric costs.

[@kidsworldstorytime4885]

Hows your son doing?

[@Introspeckle]

At first I thought you said, “Shaming Channel,” vs. “Shaving Channel.” I thought, “wow, that guy’s hardcore for shaming people on KZbin.”

[@matthewedwardhall]

Y'all are gonna hate me for saying this. I think the chinese 325 sounds better. More Jangle. The original sounds muddy/muffled.

[@stumccabe]

I think the opposite!

[@bsharporbflat8378]

Were you listening through chinese Bose headphones?

@@bsharporbflat8378 LOL!

[@davidhendrickson3047]

I Have had a Rickenbacker and a Chickenbacker for over two years. Visually my Chickenbacker has no white trim but has the "John Lennon" self sketch on the pick guard. The differences in sound are subtle and the fret board is slightly darker. If you don't want to spend a fortune($4000) a chance on the" Chickenbacker" could be fun. There are a bunch of different Chinese brands though so sound and quality are hit and miss and you can't send them back!

[@yanmetcaluire]

Thanks Brian for this try... pretty good job ! Cheers

[@ColinStuart]

Rickenbacker themselves, have changed their necks as well! A friend wanted to replace my Rose Morris 330, and bought me two 2009 & 2012 American 330s. I broke his heart when we opened them to find a bump on the back of the necks. Mine was serial # DC289! (March 1964) What a loss! but my kids had to eat!

[@mojorocketman]

The copy actually looks nicer than the real one. I like the white outline trim around the body. Other than the real one's pickups are a touch louder, I balanced the volume for both and really couldn't tell the difference. Would have been nice if he did a few more comparisons, like overdrive, and different pickups...

[@usfazli]

In one of your videos u are comparing 325c58 to 325C64. I could never imagine u getting a chickenbacker I miss your C58 a lot. Such a rare beauty Hamburg model

[@blacksheep25251]

I skipped ahead and was like "The real one has the binding around the body.." Nope. Great video!

[@vegasaxeman]

Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Shillue with his Ricky & Chicky! Lol... Just kidding my friend... Great comparison video, awesome job! Thanks for taking the time to show us "Walmart shoppers" that we can buy an affordable, playable guitar that looks as cool as the "Neiman Marcus" guitars! Keep up the good work... God bless and take care...

[@ignatiusjk]

I like the Chickenbacker better. The white banding on the chickenbacker is gorgeous. Plus, the wider neck looks easier to play.

[@Bbh4535]

Will you void the warranty if you don’t use official chickenbacher strings for the chickenbacher?

[@georgescarlett2320]

Beatles used Pyramid Flats on EVERYTHING, (Except maybe the Hofner) even the J160E Acoustics!!

[@PillsBuryDoughBoy_]

Dude, it's about time! Have a happy new year

[@jaintly]

Andy Aleman I know! Too long.

[@glenkepic3208]

ahh, the joy of being old ;( In '72 I saw my first 'copy', a Copy Cat (actually no name) Les Paul Custom. To me an honest copy since the head stock was blank. Guit was great. Friend took the pick up covers off,,,,same round/rec pole piece HBs on IBZ's and Electras.

[@OGGalleryCrew92]

They were called the " Law suite" Guitars

[@lastmanstanding1954]

with a little bit of adjustment on the amp i think you can get the chicken to sound very close. maybe use a compressor .

[@Raymond-rr5iv]

Excellent video dude thank you so much !!♡!!

[@Cavemaaaan]

Great review on the Chickenbacker! It is refreshing to hear an honest review of a Chinese fake without all of the puffery and disgust that most Chinese-fake reviewers have...great job. I must also say that this Chickebacker is THE CLOSEST looking one I've ever seen!

[@jaintly]

Cavemaaaan thanks! I agree, this thing is so close to the real one. Impressive and scary at the same time!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

“... I come from a long line of electricians.” You definitely demo both guitars real well, Brian. Not a bad singer either. Strangely, watching these videos is whetting my appetite over again for a Brian May Special, instead of a Rickenbacker. I can’t help but think there are a couple of sonic similarities between it and a triple-pickup Rick.

[@Doug5524]

I can not believe I have been watching your shaving channel for ages and never knew you had a guitar channel we have so much in common and to top it all off your a Beatle fan it doesn't get better than that, The Rickenbacker sounds best and now I have twice as much fun :-)

[@jaintly]

This is actually the channel I started with before my shaving channel! Glad you found it.

[@Hunter123]

@@jaintly I just found it too! 😊

[@kylerowe3843]

wow I'm very impressed with that chickenbacker!

[@zaccllewellyn8950]

Put 2 of my chicken backer pickups in my sg and the bridge pickup is the Tony iommi signature pickups and use a Hartkey cab and laney cab with a heru head which works as one I plug in through the front and the other I have plugged in through the back both leading to the head this way, I use my kill switch pedal for the laney amp if I'm needing just the one amp working as I use both for my rhythm and either or for the lead

[@chiudfdnso]

That Chinese guitar is not 325 copy model. A copy of Susanna Hoffs' signature model from The Bangles. Also, the guitar is not unknown. Made by Japan's famous Tokai Guitars in their famous Qingdao factory in China. So it's never bad. Mocking that guitar is like mocking Ibanez or ESP. At the same time, being a big Beatles fan, I own three Rickenbackers, but I doubt they're really worth the price.

[@basilbcf]

Mine is the 12-string variant of the John Lennon Signature. Love this guitar!

[@mcspankies1799]

Alot of the times the tuners on a Chinese fake are the same exact ones used on the real production because alot of tuners are made in china or Taiwan

[@goodtimefolkrock]

Where can we buy a chickenbacker

[@OGGalleryCrew92]

Like The guitars them selfs are all made in the same factory's as most are own and run by parent company's then just diffrent names on the head stocks

[@uslot22]

YES BUT WITH A CHICKENBACKER GUITAR for EGGSample .... you have to pluck the strings otherwise the sound is all SCRAMBLED.....which makes this video a complete YOKE...

[@glenncollins4778]

Hahahaha

[@jospan176]

Made me smile.

[@jaysmith7347]

OMG, That was really fowl.

[@blindsquirrel7802]

Your yolk cracked me up. Now omelet you go.

[@johnr7115]

Excellent vid! See I bought a chickenbacker earlier this year (2024). It's a copy of the 325JL so it has no binding. Anyway, I've been pining away for the real thing but I couldn't get the right price for my left kidney that I would have to sell in order to afford the real thing (now $3,599US). I have never even seen the real thing so thanks to your vid I see that there isn't a whole lot of difference between the authentic and the fake. Yes, the authentic PUPs are louder and brighter but hey, I could always buy the real PUPs over at Rickenbacker ($160US ea). Whew!!! Anyway, ya never know but that I may need both kidneys some day. Great vid😊 Thanks...

[@artguti1551]

Very interesting! I bought a 325c64 back in 1994 from Ace music in Santa Monica. I had to wait 2 months to get it and it cost me $1250 at the time. Then in 2010 my son needed money for college, so I sold it to my cousin for $1250 with the agreement that he would sell it back to me if he didn't want any longer. Two years later, my cousin tells me he sold it to a collector for $3500. But a month after...he missed the Rick and bought a Chickenbacker for under 500. He had to make a few mods for the Chicken to look like a Rick. But dam I miss the 325c64!

[@chrisst8922]

Your 325c64 would have been a 325v64 I think because the 'c' came out later. The differences are slight.

[@insideno3tv513]

love the British Red Phone Behind you on your desk c/w steam powered dial !!

[@lordjs9726]

The real thing is better. The only thing I like about the fake is the style of the trem system. The trem system on the fake looks much more 60s. Nice video.

[@johntinker3457]

Dam, $3k for the original and $300 for the fake, seriously? Not to be a smart ass, but did anyone of you buy the fake for $300? Where can I get one for $300? Great video.

[@ultimateslothgaming389]

Its really a pity that here in the Netherlands the Rickenbacker 325c64 costs around €3600, because this guitar is like my dream guitar, and for a teenager like me that is alot of hours of work lol. Enjoy ur video’s glad you’re back!

[@jaintly]

UltimateSlothGaming It’s my dream guitar too. I couldn’t afford one until I was in my 30’s, so you’ll get one a little later in life. Have you ever played a RIC 325?

[@ultimateslothgaming389]

Brian Jepson No I never played one, however I got to hold a Rickenbacker Rose Morris 325 made in 1967, was an absolute dream to hold.

[@jaintly]

UltimateSlothGaming That’s very cool! Yeah, it must be hard to get guitars like this in the Netherlands. We’ve got a great big country over here, so it’s easier. Tell you what, if you ever come to Texas, you can play my 325c64 all you want!

[@ultimateslothgaming389]

Brian Jepson that would be great!

[@MrChrisKnight]

Really enjoy your videos mate ! Thanks

[@paultroalic6676]

What a great vid. Loved it. I can tell the difference easily. Much more rounding to the real Rickenbacker.

[@venificus9824]

He has such fun energy.

[@nickjimenez6138]

I like the looks of the chickenbacker better but the sound of the real one better. But not by much not by the hundreds of dollars.

[@KevyNova]

GREAT video! Very thorough and you answered every question I had about these! You just earned a sub. One thing though; I think you’re going to the B chord too early during the verses.

[@davisworth5114]

Thanks for singing-good!. $280 sounds like a deal.

[@xp50player]

Seems like the higher string clearance over the pickups accounts.for the less full sound on the copy.

[@MRROBBIEWATTS]

Brian, I am a new fan! - I loved your video even when you 'Crossed The Room and your Heart Went Boom' - i smiled! -

[@donaldscheer5206]

The Chinese nut resembles a Gibson Nut. No doubt about it! The Chinese can do some nice work on recent manufactured guitars!

[@ronsbeerreviewstools4361]

Very good comparison video. Thanks for posting.

[@harry9392]

Is the neck they used on the chickenbacker a 12 string neck with a 6 string head stock. Just a thought

[@josephfish3353]

First thing I noticed

[@robertbarravecchio450]

you were correct a 12 string

[@allisdaddy1]

Saves them money , one neck , two guitars .

[@JoshuaMilrad]

Sold! Can't swing 3k but $300? I'm in. Cheers from Cali!

[@andrewvitale2700]

I think the real one sounds a lot cleaner and not as raw as the copy.

[@kilgoretrout3966]

but ±$200 of electronics/Pups, and you pretty much got it, if playability is equal...him saying the frets were good was the biggest takeaway for me. Still i want the real 325 Rickey Miami.

[@carausiusmenapia3219]

Chinabacker pups look like Ricky toasters but inside they are constructed like Gibson Firebird pups. Toasters single coil have Alnico 5 Rod magnets under each string, Firebird double coil humbuckers have 2 blade magnets in opposite polarity. MIC toaster pups height is about 3-4mm higher than RIC toasters, that's why the strings / bridge are moved higher, to clear the pups. I have 2 Ricky's, 330 & 360/12, I've built a RM 1993 12string clone & I've played the Chickenbackers. For the price with customs duty added, it's cheaper to build a clone if you've got woodwork skills /tools, you can upgrade / rebuild the MIC parts, pups, bridge ect, but get decent tuners. In the USA, with a stronger currency, the better Chinabackers would be a good, deal but beware there are still many for sale that have major construction differences / flaws. Aliexpress has some good ones. Please check the pictures & compare, you pays your money & takes a chance. Look for the sellers with good buyer reviews.

[@lar57jsy]

Thanks. Good fun! 🙂

[@Texfire]

Shame the Chinese manufacturer didn't resist the impulse to try to confuse by branding it as a real Rickenbacker, otherwise it's a lot of guitar at that price. Nice comparison Brian, thanks for the comparison.

[@Mooseboy08]

All things were equal until 11:15… and then the real Ric was obvious. Cool comparison.

[@colinmoore5991]

My main beef with Rickenbacker is the fact that they're the only major guitar maker in the United States that REFUSES to release a budget line! Do you offer a budget line? FENDER: Absolutely! If you can't afford to drop a few grand on a Custom Shop Stratocaster, you can pick up one of our Squier models! Guitars for any budget! We wanna get you playing! Do you offer a budget line? GIBSON: Yes we do! If a Gibson Les Paul is out of reach for you, why not give one of our Epiphone Les Paul's a spin? They're a bit more expensive than Fender's Squier line, but you can still pick up a great axe for around $400. Do you offer a budget line? GRETSCH: As a matter of fact, we do! If you're hesitant to spend $3000 on a 6120, you have the option of trying one of our 5120s from our Electromatic series. They're more expensive than Squier or even Epiphone, but you can easily take one home for around $750. Do you offer a budget line? RICKENBACKER: Go fuck yourself!

[@kidsworldstorytime4885]

The fact that they dont offer a budget licensed clone actually makes it sweeter when you do get your hands on a real Ric.

[@garryallen2411]

I agree. Rickenbacker could just have a line called 'Ric' (like Squier to Fender, or Epiphone to Gibson). They would sell truckloads of 12 strings.

[@lewistaylor1965]

Great comparison vid Bri...and good to see you still having fun bud...Not sure why they went to so much detail to make a copy and then bound the body...I think if you're anything like me you'd go the extra mile and recontour the heel and tail slope...Of course it helps if you have a real Rick to copy too...The neck thickness is a major problem to get the same on the Chicken...It could probably be done but the frets would also have to be removed for that work I guess...By the way Bri, after making my 325C58 (and vid) I managed to source a real one and also a 325C63...Then on comparison I realised that I had made a mistake on my original build...The neck width at the body was too thick...like the Chickenbacker...Dang!...I remember not being able to find that dimension at the time and guessing it cos I didn't realise that it was similar if not the same as all Rick 325's...I should have asked someone...Oh well...I remember a lot of those 80's and 90's copies had very dark fretboards and full scale necks...I know Tokai made one and Tanglewood (I think)...Loving the red 60/70's Brit phone too by the way...hehe...Anyway...Now I'm off to check some shaving video...Thanks Bri

[@ve3cda]

Good job on the video - thanks. As a musician, we would rather have the original - that's for sure. I just checked eBay and the original is going to set you back about $3,000, whereas the copy is about $300. The interesting point for me is that the audience doesn't know or care. They will see the copy and recognize it as "that Beatles guitar". If you're a working musician and you would like to have the copy to use while you do a couple of Beatle tunes, then why not. It sounds good enough to fulfill the requirements. ** If money is no object then go for the originals. But, for $3,000 you could get a Epiphone Les Paul, and a Yamaha strat, a Squire Tele, etc. ** I'm not trying to defend the Chinese copies as they are clearly rip-offs of the originals. They do provide a workable solution to being a poor working musician (and there are ways to address the microphonic pickup issue). Thanks again for taking the time to make this video, and your version of I saw-er her standing there.

[@news603redux]

No average person in an audience is going to know this guitar is a fake anymore than they'd know a Rogue violin bass wasn't a Hofner.

[@buddhamus]

Nice overview and comparison of both guitars (nice playing and singing as well). The real Rick definitely sounded better overall, but I do agree with you that if you did not have the two to play side by side the difference would not be that noticeable. Being that the real Rick is 3 or 4 time as much as a MIC one, getting a decent copy is a nice option if a Rick would not be the primary guitar (my main guitar is a Gibson LP with P-90s). The one thing that would have stopped me from getting a MIC Rick would be the setup issues you showed in your video. I've never played a real Rick 325, but I do have a Chinese made copy of one as well as a 350 copy and fortunately, I didn't experience the setup issues that yours had (but your MIC 325 looks way better than mine). I like both my MIC guitars, but I would love to own a real Rick 350 and maybe a 325 one of these days.

[@dakotamorgan6594]

I have to admit the chickenbacker looks better, but the Rick sounds much better.

[@nickgeorge2176]

The real Rickenbacker sounds sharper and clearer.

[@mcbigswig1569]

Thank you for the video, very informative. What have you done to help the Chick stay in tune for open chords? TIA

[@Mr3DBob]

The pups are closer together on the Chickenbacker. I wonder what the price difference is. I also wonder why the Chinese luthiers would make the neck sit so high at the join point.

[@keithwaldron1077]

I bought a 325 made in china from cloud guitars on Ali Express for $246.00 I just received it today it does not have the white binding on it and looks just like a real 325 it also has the bigsby style whammy bar on it the pickups on it are very powerful and solid sounding.I played it till my fingers hurt.The 325 brings back memories of my fender mustang that I started [playing guitar on in 66 only it has a lot more bite than my mustang did I really love the 325 the neck is thin and the guitar is very small and fast to play.I can see why John Lennon liked playing it.I am a big man but my fingers are not real long and the neck on a 325 is wonderful for me.My big question is why would anyone pay $3000 for one of these.I have a lot of guitars but I think this one is quickly gonna become my favorite over srats les pauls and my riviera p93 my next move is a 360 rick from them in 12 string with three pickups $272 free shipping on both.The only drawback is it takes about a month to get them but well worth the time

[@free_jazz]

Excellent video. Would you finally recommend buying a Chinese Rickenbacker? Can you get a Beatles sound with it? Does it maintain the tuning well? Thank you so much

[@robertfields1964]

Microphonic isn't too bad as long as the feedback isn't too disturbing.

[@georgescarlett2320]

Original Truss Rod Cover Plates were RAISED letters, painted on the letter tops. Toaster covers are higher on the "Chickenplucker". Lower your string slots at nut, as a matter of fact, just toss the original and re-make a "square" one with a wider string spacing. You might get away with re-notching the bridge saddles too??? String it to go OVER the Bigsby Bar. The scale lgt is longer on the "Chic" causing there to be small spacing between your PUPS. Looks like they actually used Bubinga on the fingerboard, Hooray! Good Shew Mate! Gb

[@derekec]

Not bad at all. The real Rick seemed higher output assuming your settings are the same. That it won't stay in tune.. dunno? Tuner quality? Tremolo Bridge slipping? The nut is grabbing? For me, after a lifetime of collecting and finding other things along the way, I no longer feel I need THE instrument to get the sound. In fact my ES 345 (Lucille) with filter switch set thin, emulates the plunky flat sound of the Rick perfectly, so I've no needy for it, but still nice. Thanks.

[@boreragnarok]

Came here from the shaving channel. Didn't know you were into guitars. Pretty cool.

[@jaintly]

I love these guitars almost more than my FatBoys!

[@shirtsguitar]

Fan of Rickenbacker recently 😁

[@hkguitar1984]

Chinese neck is wider because I believe the Chinese use the 12-String neck for both 6 and 12 string models. Too bad the Chinese version has the neck incorrectly fitted, it would have been a great player. Edit, OK, after watching this further and hearing the price, a pretty good player for the low cost.

[@BushidoPhoto]

Chickenbacker actually sounds pretty good.

[@karmicselling4252]

Listen to The Beatles playing "I Saw Her Standing There". Then listen to these two guitars. If you are buying these types of guitars to mimic The Beatles / Byrds et al then don't waste you time and money on the copy. You WILL be disappointed. Remember, a guitar purchase should never be about price ... it should be about VALUE! Each to their own though. Thanks for the great review. Cheers from the Land Down Under.

[@philipatoz]

Course, I'm listening online on a PC, but to my ear the Rick projects a bit better, has more volume. However, with the right amp well-tweaked, I think the differences in sound are negligible.

[@williamgarrett9479]

I like the wider neck on the chicom :)

[@randystone7442]

cool rotary phone on the desk LOL... been a bit since ive seen one... plus its red!! Great video.... i see alot of these at local auctions ppl are so unaware ....

[@richardsisk1770]

If Hendrix had a chickenbacker it might have become a “Barbecue Chickenbacker”! 🤣