Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Wow! Please send me your photo David so that I can display a bigger on here. These beauties need to be larger to be appreciated.

I am guessing you have most of the different pick-up configurations, right? As tempting as it is, I hate to buy another one just because it's a cool color. As bad as I have always wanted a JG 360, I already have a MG 330. There is no solution to my dilemna ...

Steve the Fireglo is a 483 has the extra pickup. It also has red fret dots on the side binding, kind of cool. The necks on 480's is set like Les Pauls, it dips back. The middle pickup would be to far away from the strings, so Ric raised the magnets. They look like mushrooms. The Burgundy is a 481 with Humbuckers and slanted frets. The other two are standard 480.

I like the 3-pickup one, reminds me of an idea I had for a bass once.

What's the slanted-frets one like to play? Is it tuff to get used to?

Actually I don’t notice it at all. Maybe it is because fret angle is just relative to the floor. Non–angled frets I hold the neck at about 45 degrees and the slanted frets maybe I compensate and hold it at say 40 degrees. The guy from Green Day on SNL last week had the body of his guitar at his knees and the headstock near his shoulder, that would be about 80 degrees.

Here is a photo of my Model 480. No slanted frets but a beautiful playing instrument. I like the cross over from the bass design to the guitar line. This one is from 1974.

What were the production years for the 400 series guitars? They are spectacular.

Well that 480 certainly looks familiar!

Bill the 480/481/483 was built from 73-83. These were built at a time when the RIC Basses were selling very well, so RIC built a guitar that looked like their Basses.

The 400 series as a whole started in 1956 and ran until 1983. The Bacon book says 1985, but I have never seen a 400 series after 1983 and other publications say 1983. Do any Forum members have a post 83 400 series?

Was there a 12 string option for the 400 series too (you see I'm already thinking past the Rickenbacker guitar I haven't even received yet!!)? I love the look of these 400 guitars. Peter's picture really shows off the gorgeous finish doesn't it.

No 12 strings of the 480 body shape, just the 450 was a 12 string. Other than a 4080/12, which was part 480/12.

Peter Lourens has some terrific photos of a Model 480 here.

I struggle with pictures taken in a foreign language........

Seriously, they are great shots of a lovely guitar. In what part of the world is Peter, Peter?

Sorry about the stutter....