Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi there, since i'm not exactly an expert in Rick colours i was wondering if any of you can illuminate me on what is the difference between Fireglo and Amberglo (which sometimes is referred as Amber-Fireglo).

I'm asking this because a guy i know told me that his rick is Amberglo, but the color is the same as mine (and i always tought that mine was fireglo) ... so maybe there is not a great difference between the two ... or maybe one between me and my friend is calling the colour with the wrong name ...

Thank you all

Amber fireglo has a yellow pigment in the clear coat to make it look more like the color of an old Fireglo where the finish has yellowed with age. It is generally a bit darker, the binding and inlays will have a more yellow color than white.

Mine looks like this:

Ok i've got it !!

So mine is Fireglo, maybe the friend of mine is calling his with the wrong name !!

BTW : beautiful fretless

We should clarify. RIC's official name for the 2006 Color of the Year was "Amber Fireglo (AFG)," not "Amberglo" as your friend indicates. This was the last (so far) in the COY series - no COY was issued for '07, '08,
'09, or '10 (so far). Although available for order only during the 2006 calendar year, production of AFG stretched into at least 2008 (maybe 2009) to fulfill orders.

So your friend's Rick should have a production date of somewhere between 2006 and maybe 2009 if it has a chance of being really AFG. Telltale characteristics of AFG are the obvious yellow tint to the binding (if there is any), and an amber hue to the light center of the burst.

Current Fireglo instruments are just a little more yellow than instruments made maybe five or ten years ago, and the bursts spread more evenly than before. Still, these new ones are not as yellowed as AFG.

Note the yellowed binding on my AFG 4003 compared with the very white pickguard:

cjj wrote:Amber fireglo has a yellow pigment in the clear coat to make it look more like the color of an old Fireglo where the finish has yellowed with age. It is generally a bit darker, the binding and inlays will have a more yellow color than white.

Mine looks like this:

Body.JPG

Bodyb.JPG

I think that's the nicest AFG I've seen.

Thanks!
Here it is in it's full glory:

My friend's bass is a 1976.

Anyway as far as i unterstood, it seem that the original color of macca's 4001 was amberglo.

The pale zones of my 4001 instead are pink like, so i guess it's fireglo.

Amber Fireglo was the color of the year - uh - 2007? Other than that, all production was 'fireglo.' Over the years the older finishes yellow to varying degrees and give it that amber color. My 4000 is more yellow on the front than on the back.

However it also fair to say that older Fireglo instruments may have "ambered" .Since the bass is his, I guess he can call it Amberglo if he wants. It's just not how the factory sold it, and how most collector's would describe it.

CJ, I've just noticed that your 4003FL fingerboard doesn't have the dot in the 19th fret position. That 4004 basses at the NAMM show did not have the dot at the 19th fret either. Gave them more of the vintage look.

Beautiful Fretless you have there, CJ !!!!

Can anyone answer this... will the AmberGlo "amber" quite a bit in 20 years? Can we expect it to be quite yellow/orangish or is RIC using the new coating that isn't supposed to yellow anymore.

M

cangaroo wrote:My friend's bass is a 1976.

Anyway as far as i unterstood, it seem that the original color of macca's 4001 was amberglo.

The pale zones of my 4001 instead are pink like, so i guess it's fireglo.

Macca's 4001S was a FireGlo when he got it. If your friend's bass has more of a browntone to it, it would be AutumnGlo or if glossy, Walnut.

manta wrote:Can anyone answer this... will the AmberGlo "amber" quite a bit in 20 years? Can we expect it to be quite yellow/orangish or is RIC using the new coating that isn't supposed to yellow anymore.

M

My understanding is that they shouldn't yellow.

s4001 wrote:My understanding is that they shouldn't yellow.

+1, if it's not the original CV it's not supposed to yellow. Although the new clear coat they are using that is UV cured is supposed to yellow a tiny bit initially, you can definitely see it in some of the Mapleglos they have turned out since early 2009.