481 w/Bigsby Registered Today

[rickenbiggs]

Thank you for accepting me as new member!, I've seen this site off and on for a few years now,and am very happy to share my Rick with others, as well as see the all the different variations of the 481/slant from other owners.I don't think the Bigsby was installed by Ric,but who knows? tuning is fussy,and the bridge actually "rocks" forward and back on the 4 "pins" as you use the tremolo bar!, overall it stays in tune but you have to check tuning after each song..My friend calls it "The Butter Guitar" due to it's fast and low action! BTW,he owns a Natural 4001 Bass made the same month and year (10/1974),and we were thinking mine and his may have been cut from the same log!..I wonder if anyone out there knows of a roller bridge that might fit the 481?

[kiramdear]

Welcome, Jim, and thanks for registering your 481. Got any pictures for us?

Have you considered a Bigsby bowtie bridge for a replacement? I think they rock nicely by design and sound better than a roller bridge, which also tends to bog down and fail to roll. I feel simplicity is best, as long as the intonation is good.

[deaconblues]

I think the bowtie is a good suggestion. It was made for that style of vibrato.

Available here: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm

[Grey]

If there's two holes next to the strap pin on the bottom of the guitar that will tell you if someone removed the 'R' tailpiece.

Bear in mind with the bridge reccomendations that the 481 bridge is slanted, which has an impact on how the strings cross the saddles.

[kiramdear]

I think the bowtie is a good suggestion. It was made for that style of vibrato.

Available here: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm

Bear in mind that there are two configurations of the bowtie, for wound and for plain G string. The one that Dan has linked to is for a wound G.

[rickenbiggs]

Welcome, Jim, and thanks for registering your 481. Got any pictures for us?

Have you considered a Bigsby bowtie bridge for a replacement? I think they rock nicely by design and sound better than a roller bridge, which also tends to bog down and fail to roll. I feel simplicity is best, as long as the intonation is good.

Yes,kiramdear,pics should be on bottom of "481-slant fret-Oct-1974" in the registry by now?, And she mostly sits in the case now,but must pull er out and play every now and then!...I did see the bowtie that was suggested, but don't know if it would be a simple "drop in", or a mod to the body? ...plus not sure what the nut is made of,but after all these years it seems to be holding up action-wise,just recently lubed it up with "Tri-Flow" from Stew Mac.

[rickenbiggs]

I think the bowtie is a good suggestion. It was made for that style of vibrato.

Available here: http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm

Thank you deaconblues,I checked that out,they also have a bridge cover too!

[rickenbiggs]

If there's two holes next to the strap pin on the bottom of the guitar that will tell you if someone removed the 'R' tailpiece.

Bear in mind with the bridge reccomendations that the 481 bridge is slanted, which has an impact on how the strings cross the saddles.

Yes,Grey,there are filled in holes where the tailpiece was, and I was going to restore the tailpiece (Would have to buy one) but It was suggested to keep the bigsby on it, which itself is valuable....and about the bowtie vs roller bridge,one would think the strings might slip "up" or "down" the bowtie due to the Slant?, and either choice might requier modding the body? ..Still I was wondering about a better bridge,or keeping the factory one and maybe having a luthier "round off" the saddles?

[doctorwho]

A possible alternate to the bowtie bridge would be to find for sale here or on eBay or Craigslist a used 325c58 roller bridge. I picked one up on eBay some time back for a restoration that I am doing (1966 365 NS).

[kiramdear]

Welcome, Jim, and thanks for registering your 481. Got any pictures for us?

Have you considered a Bigsby bowtie bridge for a replacement? I think they rock nicely by design and sound better than a roller bridge, which also tends to bog down and fail to roll. I feel simplicity is best, as long as the intonation is good.

Yes,kiramdear,pics should be on bottom of "481-slant fret-Oct-1974" in the registry by now?, And she mostly sits in the case now,but must pull er out and play every now and then!...I did see the bowtie that was suggested, but don't know if it would be a simple "drop in", or a mod to the body? ...plus not sure what the nut is made of,but after all these years it seems to be holding up action-wise,just recently lubed it up with "Tri-Flow" from Stew Mac.

The bowtie bridge drops in with no modification to the body. It rocks by design with the movement of the strings and won't pull you out of tune. It also sounds really good. Of course, no adjustment for single string intonation is possible, but some brands and styles of strings have good intonation with the bowtie. I can't recall which brand I used with mine, but it was used on my 325 so I couldn't vouch for them with a full scale guitar anyway. Perhaps some recommendations for compatible sets can be found among the members here if need be. My only issue with the roller bridge is having heard stories of the rollers freezing up, thus defeating their purpose. The bowtie also looks really cool IMO and, as I said, sounds better than a more complex bridge.

[Grey]

Well again, the 481 bridge is slanted at an angle, the intonation of the saddles is crucial. The Bowtie was designed with a fixed 90 degree position and can't be intonated, I really would not put that bridge on a guitar like this.

Yes,Grey,there are filled in holes where the tailpiece was, and I was going to restore the tailpiece (Would have to buy one) but It was suggested to keep the bigsby on it, which itself is valuable

If you use it then keep it on there, you'd probably have to sell the bigsby to offset the cost of replacing the tailpiece. Rickenbacker won't sell you one unless you have an original to send in, so you have to look at eBay and the prices are quite high. I actaully took the 'R' tailpiece off my 480 and replaced it with a Rickenbacker Trapeze tailpiece, I like the way it looks and it works better than the 'R' so you could consider that if you wanted to take the bigsby off. You can buy those direct from Rickenbacker and they arn't nearly as expensive.

[rickenbiggs]

Thanks All for the replies!...Your knoweledge and advice,combined with my tight budget,has helped decide to keep it the way it is, I recently purchased a few newer guitars to start myself playing and recording again,(Epiphone Wildkat and Les Paul Ultra III), The prices were cheap,and the quality control was cheap too!(Nothing like this '74 Ricky!), So that being said, I think I need to at least put new saddles on the original bridge,and have a luthier make "rounded" slots for the strings?..The current saddles look worn out and like the Sawtooth Mountains!..Must have done some serious whomping in the '80s with it!... BTW,those saddle mount screws are not original either!:mrgreen:

[rickenbiggs]

Any advice about these saddles?, I just took a good look at them after all these years!..Looks like strings may have "Hopped around" due to Bigsby??..can I simply have these existing saddles rounded and filed down a little more? or are they shot? And if replaced,where do I get suitable replacements?

[doctorwho]

Any advice about these saddles?, I just took a good look at them after all these years!..Looks like strings may have "Hopped around" due to Bigsby??..can I simply have these existing saddles rounded and filed down a little more? or are they shot? And if replaced,where do I get suitable replacements?

I recommend that you ask that question (with the pictures) in the Vibrola section where the luthiers hang out.

[jps]

Wow, your saddles brought this to mind!