Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am aware that there is the 480, the 481 and 483. However, I would like to know if there were any small differences between the 480 models depending on the year they were made. Also, what are all of the colors they came in? I've seen sunburst models, black models and perhaps some natural ones. Am I missing any colors?

First of all 480s are awesome...

They always say 480s ran from 1973 to 1984, but mine is an Oct. '72, and I've heard they go as far back as 1970 - I'd love to see one of those someday if that is indeed true. Mine is a Burgundy, which it seems like all the '72s (and a good deal of the '73s) are, but I've also seen the standard three MG-FG-JG, and maybe an AZ once...I think Melissa (melibee) on the forums here has a 481 that was refinished in AZ...

Then there's the awesome "tomato soup" color on this one in the gallery (!):

There was a '74 360 on ebay last year that was also this color, sort of a cross between FG and Walnut.

As far as I know, earlier 480s had thinner necks/fretboards (thinner front to back) - my 480 is pretty early, and it has a very thin neck, with a slightly-rounded "D" profile on the back. Of course like any good 480 the fretboard has practically no radius (it's very slight when looking at it, but the 'board still feels completely flat). I think the fretboards got thicker around '74, but maybe it's the neck that thickened up as well...

Early 480s can have "transitional" Hi-Gain pickups rather than "button-top" Hi-Gains (mine does)...481s have those humbuckers that say "Rickenbacker" on them, though there maybe was a point where they had no name stamped on them? (experts please chime in on that one)...there was a 481 on ebay being discussed here with no slanted anything (which rules out a transplanted 4080 neck):
viewtopic.php?f=68&t=388794
http://cgi.ebay.com/1976-model-481-Rick ... dZViewItem

Pretty rare...and here's a shot of mine:

It's a hell of a guitar, and this compressed photo does it no justice.

I love to talk 480s and their variants...I only wish I owned more! And that I had more info for you...others here know plenty about these. Welcome to the forum!

Oh yeah: FG - Fireglo (Sunburst)
MG - MapleGlo (Natural)
JG - JetGlo (Black)
AZ - AzureGlo (Blue)

Thanks for your input! I recall hearing of some 480s going as far back as 1970 as well, I'm guessing those were prototypes. How thin were the earlier necks? Also, Are there any noticeable differences in sound between the older pickups and the button top ones? I have never seen pictures of a blue 480 before either, I'll have to check out the gallery.

Your 480 is the only one with a burgundy finish I've seen so far, Thanks for sharing. I enjoy photos

2 480s from 73
2 483s from 74
2 480s from 75
2 481s from 76

That's quite a collection! I see who got that unslanted 481...

The neck on mine is about 3/4" thick at the 12th fret. Can't speak on how the pickups differ from the button-tops, it's got a sound like a Telecaster but grittier.

Just stumbled upon this thread.... yes, I do have a refinished 481, but not in Azureglo. Rather, it is in a special shade of Blueburst that Paul W. mixed up to my specifications. Here's a photo of it posing with my 330/12 about three years ago. This outdoor shot is the one that best captures the amazing color of the guitar.
Mine has a 1975 serial number, and the humbuckers are not embossed with the Rickenbacker name.... although I did buy a replacement pickup from another Forumite that does have the embossed name (one of the polepieces on my neck pickup is a little too high and occasionaly mutes the low E string when I play high up the neck--which I don't do very often anyway). I haven't swapped the pickup out yet, since it really hasn't been a pressing issue for me.

melibreits wrote:Mine has a 1975 serial number, and the humbuckers are not embossed with the Rickenbacker name

I thought that may have happened! I wonder are there date ranges for that difference, or was it all mixed up (stamped/non-stamped being used at the same time)?

Add Walnut to the color list:
There really isn't any red to the burst ... my digital camera tends to render reds incorrectly.

There's a 481 on the 'bay now. Appears to be a SF with black p/u covers. Don't know what to make of that. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1974-RICKEN ... tsupported

Here's a white one........'76 SF

Bery cool, Craig - And still quite white!

doctorwho wrote:Add Walnut to the color list:

PB293328B.JPG

Niiiiiiccccceee...

I've been interested in 480s since I got my '75 one. I kind of totally disassembled it - I should've taken a picture of the body without anything on it. I was surprised to find 2 (pick-up?) holes/cavities in the body under the scratchplate. Is that normal?

On some websites it states the picture in the 1975 catalogue shows a walnut 480. Imo the colour on the picture's quite dark - be one hell of a rotten walnut. I attached the picture below:

In responce to my own post above - an image I took this afternoon - I was surprised to find the "void" between the bridge pick-up and the neck-area...