My 481

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 11:36 am

Well, the 481 definitely sounds different from my other Rics but I think there are a lot of different factors that come into play: It is the only solid-body Ric guitar I have, it is the only Ric with humbuckers that I have, and it is the only one with a bolt-on neck that I have.... I have kind of wondered myself if the sustain wouldn't be a little better if it were a neck-through guitar. I'm not really sure, because mine is not in playing condition right now--after taking it apart last spring and fiddling with it a little, I put it aside and just got interested in fixing it up again in the past month. Right now I'm just waiting on a few bits and pieces that I need.... Are there any other 481 owners out there that could comment on their tone and sustain?

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:08 pm

Eggplantglo sounds good. So does dark green.

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:37 pm

Wasn't there a guy from Cheap Trick that used a Rickenbacker 481? The name Robin Zander comes to mind. I saw him with one on an old Cheap Trick album cover.

daniel_holopoff · Post by **daniel_holopoff** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 8:18 am

I'd be curious to know if this guitar wouldn't have been a lot more popular if it had had a neck through construction, like a 4001, and traditional appointments like single coil toasters, blend knob, straight frets, etc.

I'm just speculating about this, of course, but IMO, the 4001 is one of the most distinct and beautiful guitar designs ever (and I'm certain I'm not alone on that in this forum!), and it kind of eludes me as to why the 481 isn't more legendary.

Great board, by the way.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:49 am

Hi Daniel,

You definitely are not alone with your 4001 opinion

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 10:31 am

Welcome, Daniel.... I have kind of wondered about the bolt-on neck myself; I wonder what the rationale was for that, given that the guitar has the "deluxe" feature of the triangular pearloid inlays (but no rick-o-sound, however).... I think RIC was trying to do something totally different with this model--I'm pretty sure it was the first Ric to have humbuckers. I know that for those who did not like the idea of slanted frets, RIC made the 480, which had the same body style, but had standard frets, but with dot inlays. However, the 480 came with hi-gains instead of the humbuckers. I don't know why.... I wonder if someone more "in the know" could give us some more insight on why the 480's and 481's were designed the way they were, and why they were so different from each other? That body style is indeed beautiful and distinctive, as all Rics are!

philco · Post by **philco** » Sat Nov 29, 2003 5:59 am

I think the 480/481 was a "70's thing" where there was a lot of change taking place in the electric guitar market. Gibson and Fender were feeling the bite from innovative and cheaper competition (and both would fail in the 80's), and I suppose RIC didn't want to get stuck in the design rut that Fender/Gibson have been in ever since. It seems that Gibson and Fender can only come up with reissues and signature models these days. If you want a 24-fret SG, Gibson doesn't have one, but you can get a "faded glory" model. An Agile SG copy at $300 will get you a nice 24-fret SG copy. Ed Roman explained why 24-fret necks are better, from a technical standpoint. RIC has several 24-fret models. Fender seems to make new models these days by swapping their necks, bodies, pickups, and pickguards around from past and present production. Their only real worthwhile innovation was the MB-4 bass that they dropped and moved to the drecky Squier line. Gibson changed the Firebird bass to a "non reverse" model.....whoopee doo (and had the gall to list it for $2365). Gibson made a Les Paul bass and Thunderbird bass from their guitar lineup, so I guess RIC decided to turn the formula around with the 480/481. The Stratocaster body style is obviously a ripoff of Fender's own P-bass body, so naturally RIC would try the same formula to see if it worked for them. The slant frets actually were an innovation, but I suppose it makes it hard to switch back to a conventional guitar. This would have to be carried through the rest of the RIC lineup as an option to really make it stick as a worthwhile improvement. Then it would make sense for a Rickenbacker devotee. The 200 series line with backside adjustable humbuckers are another early departure from single coils for RIC, and one that I would like to see reappear. The "Un-Telecasters" as one person put it, with a really classic and simple style. I want one of those.

Neck-thru construction is becoming more popular in low-cost import basses, Washburn and Peavey for under $500 street price for instance. It doesn't seem to have caught on in import guitars as much yet. RIC has countered with the 650D (the Un-SG), and I wish they would come out with a 24-fret graphite reinforced neck-thru bass in the same price class as the 650D.