Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yeah, Peter....... GET OUTTA HERE!!

I'm gonna try and find a forum with no pictures!!

I want to see more pics! hehe.

Howard: Try this link if you can't get the little tune to play... I couldn't and I got it to work with this: http://www.rickresource.com/rickresourceintromono.mp3

Thanks, Patrick. I'll give it a whirl when I get home.

Paul, when I play riffs, the 450 is my Ric of choice. I like that the pickups are low and the bridge is low, unlike all other Rics, which gives a tight feel when you play. The through body neck has great sustain. The body to head stock balance is great. I think of it as the guitar version of the 4000. The 480 may look like a bass (and they do look cool), but the large body, high bridge and lack of balance, it not a great player.

Patrick: You probably guessed that it wouldn't take too much coaxing to get me to post another.

David: Agreed, the 450 is a nice player and the 450/12 plays very easily.

I think the knock on the 450 is the non-adjustable bridge, but the two six strings I own have great intonation. I have a 12 string from the mid-sixties as well, but have not logged enough play time to review it. The great thing about Rics is the dual truss rods can get the neck very straight and solve the problem at the source rather than compensating at the bridge.

David: I have substituted the 12 saddle RIC bridge for the stock bridge on my 450/12. I never really bothered to use the stock bridge. This 450/12 intonates beautifully and has a chime and sustain that sends shivers up your spine. And you are right, the neck is as straight as they come.

Peter, can you post a pic of the bridge mod. A standard ric bridge is going to be lower on a 450 becuase it sits in a routed area, rather than on top of the guitar on a metal plate.

Don't forget that the fretboard on the 450 is closer to the body too. The adjustable bridge works well and Rickenbacker did use them up until '62-'63 before going to the compensated bridge.

Good point John and here you go David.

I gotta get me some Zymol!

I guess I'm really jumping in on this one late, but I've got a 450/12 on it's way to the house. That's a really sweet looking one, Peter. Fireglo looks great when it shines.

The one that I bought has the bridge set-up like yours and is reported to play great with a low action. Is it even possible to buy the parts for the original style bridge anymore or are they easy to come by used? Being as Ric reissued the 425 and 450 for a period in the vintage series do they sell the saddle and bowtie portions? I still may like to find the proper parts just to have them.

Jeff: To my knowledge, you will have a hard time finding reissue parts for the 450 model. Congratulations of the 450/12. It is a great player.

I definately like Rick 12s and have owned and sold two 360/12s over the last 15 years. I guess I just gravitate toward the plainer models. I played an old 450 a couple of years ago at a guitar show and really liked it but it was a little too pricey. It's always been in the back of my mind so hopefully this one will be a keeper. It's not as pretty as yours, though.

Peter,
I got the 450/12 today and have a couple of questions about your bridge. Mine has a 6-saddle version of the standard 12-string bridge on it and if I place the four height adjustment screws in the little dimples the high E string is almost falling off of the fretboard. Did you have to move yours out of the dimples, too? It looks like yours is right up against the pickguard on the low side which is where I've got start out with mine. I still may have to file the guard a touch to move it over or cut new notches in the saddles.