Rickenbacker 481
Rickenbacker 481 (1975)
Overview
Brand name:
Product:
- electric guitars
Series name:
Variant of:
Dates of manufacture:
1973 to 1984
The 481 was made between 1973 and 1984. The 481 has a cresting wave shape body like the 4000 series basses. The 481 had two slanted humbuckers - early ones had black plastic covers with 6 exposed pole pieces, later models have chrome covers with 12 exposed pole pieces. The 481 had a pickup phase reversal switch.The 481 also had 24 slanted frets. Rickenbacker described these as "patented slanted frets" in their 1975 catalog, and they were angled this way perhaps for ergonomic reasons.
Specifications (18)
Controls
| Tone controls | 2 tone controls |
| Volume controls | 2 volume controls |
| Pickup selector controls | phase switch |
Electronics
| Pickups configuration | 2 humbucker pickups |
General
| Made in | USA |
| Number of strings | 6 strings |
| Scale length | 25 inches scale-length |
Body
| Body material | maple body |
| Body style | cresting wave style |
| Pickguard material | white pickguard |
Hardware
| Bridge | bridge-cover |
| Hardware color | chrome hardware |
| Tailpiece | trapeze tailpiece |
Fretboard
| Fingerboard inlay material | pearl fingerboard inlay material |
| Fingerboard position markers | triangle fingerboard position markers |
Neck
| Neck joint | bolt on neck |
| Neck material | maple neck |
| Number of frets | 24 fret |
Prices (5)
| Date | Price | Condition | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $910 | new | guitar-list | List price |
| 1982 | $500 | worn | ||
| 2018 | kr15000 | good | ||
| 2000 | $150 | poor | Guitar plays and looks fine from the front, but some idiot roto-rootered the jack plates so there is only one input and a hole where the 2nd input was. Hence the $150 price tag back in the day. It looks cool though and it's no problem playing with the slanted frets. And yes: I have the original case. | |
| 1976 | $3000 | excellent |
