Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is there information on the specs of the 480 neck anywhere? Need nut width, scale length, thickness of neck and fingerboard, back profile, distance from nut to end of fingerboard, etc.
If not, can someone measure their guitar for this info? Just cant seem to find it anywhere. Thanks.

Building a replica?

Not really. Maybe just the neck. Had a 480 some years ago. Loved the neck, hated the the pickups and sound. Also liked the angle of the neck. Didn't seem the same as a Gibson, but not flat like a Tele, either. There seems to be some argument, even on the Rickenbacker forum, if the necks were meant to be angled at all.

The thickness of the neck (back to front) changed depending on the year. Earlier models were thinner, later models were beefed up after complaints.

Believe it was a '77, but don't really know. May have to experiment with a few cuts. Width at nut and 24th fret, plus scale, would be helpful. I had read somewhere that it was a 24.75 scale, but seems like a fairly long neck for that scale.

No one able to take a measuring tape to their guitar?

PM Me. I have one. I do not have calipers. If anyone in Atlanta has some, I'd be willing to run the guitar by there. Or you can FedEx me calipers with return label and I can send them back. Guitar is in case upstairs, so not sure what year mine is. I want to say '73 but I could be wrong. It is a very thin (think Ibanez Wizard) neck front to rear.

Take it easy,

JKC

Jim - what are the letters and numbers on the jackplate? That will date it for you. 73 will start with an M

The letters alone will date it. I recommend avoiding sharing your personal guitar's full numerical serial number with anyone but your insurance company.

jdogric12 wrote:The letters alone will date it. I recommend avoiding sharing your personal guitar's full numerical serial number with anyone but your insurance company.

Might want to bring that up with the 23,693 guitars in the register.

I seem to have remembered correctly. It is MH and I didn't memorize the numbers. Not a particularly rare guitar, so I just never fretted over the year.

In any event, offer stands if you want me to take some detailed measurements, send me a set of calipers and I'll FedEx them back. Obviously, I can take whatever digital photos you want and put them on a flash drive. Just let me know. (If you take me up on this, you may want to send an accurate tape measure. Mine is a Stanley, used for rough carpentry. And, also, if there is a small, metal compass I could lay up against the neck joint to show angle. It is pretty flat, but I think you are right, probably between a Les Paul and a Tele/Strat).

However, I don't want to take the neck off unless you agree to pay a local guy to put it back together and set up. Kenny Howes is in town and knows reputable people.

Happy to help. Just let me know.

JKC

Grey wrote:

jdogric12 wrote:The letters alone will date it. I recommend avoiding sharing your personal guitar's full numerical serial number with anyone but your insurance company.

Might want to bring that up with the 23,693 guitars in the register.

We've beaten this dead horse before. I don't want to rehash it all. I was just trying to warn the new guy so he's not #23,694.

In any event, offer stands on sending out measurements and specs.

Let me know.

JKC

The neck is angled like a gibson, but just not as much. On a 483, the six pickup magnets are raised on the middle pickup, so they can be closer to the strings. They look like mushrooms.

Width:
Nut with 1 5/8
12th fret 1.916
24th Fret 2.068

The radius on the fret board is very flat, I would guess a 16.

The profile like all Rics varies. But on a 72 it is less than a inch .9ish. The profile does not change much as you go down the neck.

My fret board is absolutely flat, or very, very close. I've never played a 16 radius, nor have I measured mine, but it looks flat to the naked eye and feels it. Agree on thickness.

OP, let me know. As for now, I haven't had that one out for awhile and the wife and kids are out for a bit so I may go pull the old 480 and play with it for a bit.

JKC