Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Nice 450 on Ebay. I am just trying to hone my skill at spotting alterations to Ric guitars.

1. It is a glue in neck. So this tells me it may be Electro ES-17.
2. The truss rod cover is flat near the nut. Looks like it was reshaped to fit.

This could have been a well done project guitar, new finish and pickguard. Let me know if my analysis is faulty and what you guys/gals think.

link

Don't know that they made any two-pickup or mapleglo Electros.

I've seen a few 450/12s with glued-in necks, so I imagine they made some 6-strings that way as well.

Anthony: I am with you on this one. There is certainly evidence that RIC made some 450s that were not neck through. The proof is in this example. This is a beauty too!

There are more of these set-neck 450s around than you may think; IMO they are more common than most people believe.

Last year there was a 1966 460 on ebay in Mapleglo that had a set neck--it was from a run in May 1966 that totaled about 40 guitars if I recall correctly....

Here's the link to that auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3760068593&rd=1

I have a 1974 450/12 with a through neck & have been under the impression that the set necks were early gtrs. If this is the case, on which year did they change. I have also noticed that the jack socket (as on this example) is higher than many 450s (including my own), where it is lower, between the two rear controls. Is this an age thing as well? The Ric book has a '68 450/12 with the higher jack socket. This might be common knowledge, but I have wondered this for a while now & been unable to come up with the answer.

The earliest of the earlies were neck through- even the first Electros were neck through. The set necks seem to come and go- but the neck throughs were always around.

Jack location probably depended on the guy punching the hole in the guard.

Did 450's ever come with a bridge cover?

Since I posted my bridge cover question, I found in my '59/60 'big R' brochure, a picture of a 450 with a bridge cover.
Does anyone know when these stopped, or where I could get one, or even have a close up photo of an installed one?

Can anyone tell me why a 450 bridge cover is the most important thing in my life at the moment?

Tony, I had a 1961 450 with a cover over the bridge/tailpiece...I am pretty sure 61 is the year that this ended, for Rickenbacker went to a non-adjustable bridge setup(except for height) like the one we see on the auction guitar. Before 1962 these guitars had a regular 6 saddle bridge like we see on just about everything else. The pickguards from 62 and back are cut to accomodate a cover and they are not part of later guitars.

Thanks John. Like most others, I remove the covers of my 6 strings to allow me to mute the strings, but on my 360/12 I have left it on to rest my hand on & to allow the strings to ring. As you probably know, the 450's have rather vicious height adjustment screws on the bridge that would cut my hand open (a bit like the hinges on a modern Ric hardshell case!) & so a bridge cover would be really usefull. I wonder if you can get reproductions anywhere? I wouldn't mind altering my pickguard to accomodate one, as it's not original anyway (I really fancy a pearl pickguard).....Any ideas?

Tony: You can modify your 450 by using a modern bridge and then use the newer bridge cover. The problem is that it will look a bit peculiar and you will need to countersink four areas in the jackplate to accomodate the bridge height adjustment screws so that it remains stable.

If you wanted to cut another pickguard like the pre-1962 450 guitars, the cover used on the 5002V58 mandolin will work just fine; Check with Mike Parks to see if he has any.

Thanks for the info chaps. I think your modern bridge conversion is interesting Peter, particularly with regard to intonation, but I really do fancy Johns mando cover idea. I have emailed Mike & will let you know how I get on. I might have to find a close up pic. of a cover equipped 450, to make sure that I fit it in a similar way. I really do think that a pearl pickguard & a mando type cover would look the business, as well as being practical. I have several more questions on the 450 (which I have a bit of a thing for at the mo.) regarding p/ups & pickguards & will post them, when I have done some testing on my own, for your views. Meanwhile, I thank you both for the info.

You are most welcome Tony. I concur with your approach and would also go in the direction of making it most authentic.

The intonation with the stock bridge is close enough in my view for the six string. I had somewhat greater problem trying to intonate with 12 strings but I attribute some of this to my mediocre "luthier" skills.

There is also a difference in sound between the new and old bridges. Decisions, decisions!