Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

For those of you who have not played a Model 480 or for those who were introduced to one not properly set up, I am writing this to encourage you to give it the nod. There is no winken and blinken here though, just a scintilating sound transcended only by its unique shape as a guitar and its pleasurable playability. Those in Studio 2 should have one of these in their stable. It has a great Invasion vibe.

I played with Vintage this past weekend, a group who chose its name based on the age of its players and not on its set list. This was to be this sessions secret weapon and those present now refer to this guitar as Agent 480. Those present had to admit that they had not been properly introduced to its tone until now.

This instrument is a great player and regardless of my antics, for those who might ask, it remained in great tune giving all that was asked. It just sang through the Vox AC-30 with a sweet quality that cut through the mix.

This Burgundglo 1974 model has a body size that is just right and the high gains from the 1970s were perfect after I had Sergio the Wizard work his magic on the bridge pickup which changed it from a 5.2 to a 13 KOhm rating. And yes there is a clear and present jangle that is quite an attention grabber, even with the high gains. Nary a toaster in sight with this model.

So for those of you who take the time to set up a 480 just right, there are tonal rewards that you might not gather based on its 24 fret neck, 1970s vibe and relative rarity. These high gains are perfect for this model.

I snapped the following photo which lacks the clarity I typically expect, but at least it captures the moment. And yes ... it also is outstanding through the Traynor YCV40A that it is leaning against in the photo here.

Oh yes, "Q", eat your heart out.

That is a real beauty!
Is the body essentially the same dimensions as the bass body, with different routing? I've often wondered, as it appears to be the same size. Also, is the neck quite narrow?

Thanks Kevin it is a beautiful guitar to my way of thinking. Thanks for your comments and questions.

The body follows the shape and dimensions of the bass body very closely. There are differences in horn sizes, the 480 being slightly smaller. It is, however, as it perhaps looks, about 1/8 less thick from the bass body. While I have not pulled out the calipers, it is about 1 and 1/8 inches thick compared to the 1 and 1/4 inch thickness of the bass I believe.

It's fretboard radius is ever so slightly flatter than that of my Model 350 and the neck sizes are similar in thickness with the fretboard width of the Model 480 appearing a tad smaller due to the binding. It is the same weight as my 350, for all practice purposes. You have better access to upper frets with the 480 than is the case with the 350.

If find the Model 480 to have more sustain than the model 350 and overall gets my vote as a slightly better player once you become accustomed to the binding. It is a different sounding instrument than the model 350, but I did not A/B both will high gains.

I was just comparing to my 4080 which has a very narrow neck. It does have a really flat radius as well. Sings like you would expect a Rick.
I wonder why they never caught on the way the semi hollows did. Maybe just a stereotype in people's heads about Rick only making hollow body 12 strings. Same deal with the 4005's I assume.
This, however is what makes some guitars so valuable after many years, & others just pretty.
At any rate, it's a real gem to be treasured (and played).

Kevin: I suspect that the model 480 did not catch on for a number of reasons.

To begin, it is a bolt-on neck which is not a strong selling feature for the typical Rickenbacker enthusiast. There may be a view that there is less sustain than in the neck-through design or a look that is less desirable compared to the set neck. The 480 that I have has a very solid neck and the bolt-on has no drawbacks from my perspective.

Moreover, this guitar does not have the romance or the tradition of the semi-acoustic models. I consider that it is cool looking, however, and that this guitar has a romance all of its own. As proof of this I offer the following photograph.

Just beautiful, Peter! The guitar looks fantastic, as do the pics. Have you thought about trying vintage knobs on it?

Howard: You know I have. I have left it stock for the moment but great minds think alike. Or is it that fools seldom differ?

Both adages are true, Peter, but are we fools? You're definitely not, but I think the jury's still out on me!

Peter, Thanks for the great review and a beautiful photo also.

Darren: You are welcome.

Kevin: This photo will give you a better idea of the relative thickness of the body. Also, not shown well here is the fact that the angle of the neck as it leaves the body is such that it is a most comfortable instrument to hold.

I'll quit now while I am ahead. While visions of headstocks danced in his head.

The 4080 has a fair bit of back angle on the guitar neck as well. The body thickness is closer to a 4000 body it seems.
Plexi TRC! It's a real treat to see something so nice & uncommon.

Real beauty, Peter - burgundyglo is by far my favorite Rick color. Looks exactly like the two 480's I've owned since 1974. My 1st one (Ser# MD-368)was stolen in '82; I went right out and ordered a new one. Both were my only electric guitar from 1974 thru 2002.

Excellent points about an optimally set up 480. It plays like a dream. You're right, these guitars deserve to be appreciated. I know I do.

I quite agree John that Burgundyglo is high on my list of favourite colours. I love its translucent quality and its deep colour. The white guard, binding and TRC really contrast beautifully with the dark finish. It is a most striking combination as revealed in the above photo.

I rarely fail to get some compliment on the looks of my 480 (and on the sound !). Though one time somebody viewing us through a security camera at a rehearsal asked why that band has 2 bass players !

And don't forget the cresting wave headstock - it lends a certain flair to the overall look.