Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

You can own a nice 481 in Mapleglo...Why do you suppose this seller ignored (or didn't even look at) the comps before posting? Last one for sale took about $1600.00...

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICKENBACKER-SLANTE ... 240%3A1318

LoL,

There is a 480 BG availaible for $1100.00 if anyone is interested...IF it is still there that is.....

Well, no harm in trying!

Those who don't do their homework might bite!

Awww , whats 3 or 4 grand between friends?

Can I be our friend?

I think I'm already Jerry's friend...

This isn't just a Rickenbacker... this is a CUSTOM MADE Rickenbacker. Didn't you read the description... it was made by his "BEST FRIEND [who] WORKED FOR RICKENBACKER"... "AT THE FACTORY ) HE BUILT ME THIS CUSTOM SLANTED FRET 6 STRING WITH HUMBUCK PICK UPS GIBSON TUNING KEYS AS PERFECT AS HE COULD."

Frankly, a special-order custom made Rickenbacker could fetch $5000 if you have $5000 to blow and don't care about wasting $3500 of it. What I find suspicious is that it was "custom made" for the seller because the seller wanted it, but the seller did not know at the time (1975) that he couldn't play the guitar... or that in 34 years he hasn't tried to learn. I would feel sorry more for the Rickenbacker employee who spent all this time making a special birthday guitar only to see it lie around for years.

Then again, I cannot believe I just spent my time replying to this post. What a crazy auction!

Well, I'm gonna reply back atcha, Ben.

I think the oddest thing about this guy's copy is the whole "my friend made this for me specially, etc..." claim.

There is NOTHING about this guitar that would indicate that it is special or different from any other 481, aside from the claim. If the claim is true (unlikely), there is still nothing to physically distinguish this 481 from any other. Knowing what I do about how the factory operated under FC Hall's strict hand, I believe it unlikely that anyone would have been allowed to do this sort of thing. As far as I know, Rick was not Martin--employees were not encouraged to build their own "one offs" using factory tools and materials. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, as I was not there! And, if the instrument was bui lt on the sly, how was it kept secret and taken out?

More likely his friend wrote an order somehow and got it into the system, and the guitar was constructed according to the usual scheme of things.

The strongest point to note about this instrument is its condition. I believe that the instrument is legit, and the "unplayed, kept under the bed" claim is legit, too. This would place the guitar in the $2200-$2500.00 range, I believe, if the economy hadn't tanked. Now we have nice players' Ricks going unsold at discounted prices, and nearly everybody is thinking twice before shelling out cash for anything but necessities, at least until today's festivities are over .

Frankly, it's a $1700.00 guitar in today's market.

jingle_jangle wrote:Well, I'm gonna reply back atcha, Ben.

I think the oddest thing about this guy's copy is the whole "my friend made this for me specially, etc..." claim.

There is NOTHING about this guitar that would indicate that it is special or different from any other 481, aside from the claim. If the claim is true (unlikely), there is still nothing to physically distinguish this 481 from any other. Knowing what I do about how the factory operated under FC Hall's strict hand, I believe it unlikely that anyone would have been allowed to do this sort of thing. As far as I know, Rick was not Martin--employees were not encouraged to build their own "one offs" using factory tools and materials. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, as I was not there! And, if the instrument was bui lt on the sly, how was it kept secret and taken out?

More likely his friend wrote an order somehow and got it into the system, and the guitar was constructed according to the usual scheme of things.

The strongest point to note about this instrument is its condition. I believe that the instrument is legit, and the "unplayed, kept under the bed" claim is legit, too. This would place the guitar in the $2200-$2500.00 range, I believe, if the economy hadn't tanked. Now we have nice players' Ricks going unsold at discounted prices, and nearly everybody is thinking twice before shelling out cash for anything but necessities, at least until today's festivities are over .

Frankly, it's a $1700.00 guitar in today's market.

I tend to agree. I can't help but wonder if the story behind the guitar may be as slanted as the frets!

I can't tell if the guitar's story is off-base... or based-off of a bass.

What's going on with the bridge plate?

Good spot, Jonathan!

Weirdness, that's what. Definitely not a factory bridge. And those "Gibson" tuners are Grovers, and were used on Ricks on and off then.