Vintage 1974 Rickenbacker 481 Guitar, Heavy Birdseye Maple, Beautiful RARE Walnut Brown Gloss Finish

BEHOLD, WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU

IS SOMETHING OF LEGEND!

Well, that is at least, if you are a Rickenbacker fanatic like so many of us are

Yes, that's right, it's the 6 string solid body electric guitar version of the beloved 4001/4003 iconic bass

What better to compliment your 4001 or 4003 with, than this beauty?

Feast your visual senses on this extremely rare and absolutely gorgeous Vintage 1974  Rickenbacker 481 in a Walnut Brown Stain over a stunning Birdseye Maple!

While gazing at the photos try not to fight the tantalizing affects of the astonishing Birdseye Maple glistening beneath the beautiful Walnut stain and highly glossed clear coat, throughout. This is a pristine example of what I personally feel is one of the absolute coolest six string guitars Rickenbacker has ever produced; and there weren't many. Especially in this amazing brown finish.

I can honestly say, I have never personally seen a Vintage Rickenbacker 481 in as good condition as this one. Yes, it has some of that oh so sweet, vintage patina including, but not limited to complimentary swirls, dents, dings, dimples, scratches, and honest authentic play wear, as a result of its near half century journey. It just completes the richness and vintage vibe of this wonderful piece, and is included at no extra charge!

Make sure you look closely at all the photos and compare them. What might look like a blem in one photo, may not be there in the next. That's because the finish is so glossy on this guitar, it was very difficult to not get some glare and reflection from the camera at certain angles. The finish is just beautiful. It's shines and shines. I took many photos with and without flash, in order to capture the beautiful finish and any wear and patina therein, as best I could.

The largest of any of the wear is on the bottom edge about three or four inches away from the input jack. I have included photos that clearly show this area. It's really not very significant, at all. It looks like it could possibly be an area of wear from where the guitar was placed on a stand frequently or perhaps not. That's just an assumption on my part. Overall, I would personally rate this guitar at a good 8.5 to 9 out of 10. Yes, it has some play wear throughout but nothing that deters from the beauty of this guitar and is certainly to be expected with a guitar of this vintage. Albeit, play wear is to be expected considering the age of this 481. However, it is minimal on this piece, as compared to most instruments of this vintage. This guitar is absolutely gorgeous! If you are extremely concerned about any wear or any specific area of this instrument, just simply feel free to message me for additional photos.

There are no missing parts and everything is original except the black pickguard, the black TRC (truss rod cover), and the Brand New Bass Volume, Bass Tone, Treble Volume, and Treble Tone Knobs. These Brand New Knobs that are currently installed on the guitar, are genuine Rickenbacker Factory Knobs. I cannot say for sure whether the pickguard is a Rickenbacker factory part, or not. I'm assuming it is not, due to the fact that two or three of the pickguard screws seem to go into the body at an ever so slight slant (nothing major). There are no extra holes drilled into the body to accommodate this black pickguard (I double checked to make sure). The Black TRC is a very nice (thick and durable aftermarket TRC with white raised letters). It looks great!

Did I mention this guitar plays like a dream? Well, believe me, it does. It is currently strung with a fresh set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky 8s. The truss rods work perfectly and turn in both directions. The neck was set recently with just a tiny bit of relief with both truss rods snugged up just right to keep things in place. By the way, you really need to know what you're doing when adjusting Rickenbacker vintage truss rods. They do not adjust like just any other truss rod. You have to put pressure on the neck while adjusting the truss rods. If you don't follow the correct procedure, you will damage a Rickenbacker very easily. If you are not comfortable with this, I strongly advise that you never attempt it, yourself. Find a professional guitar tech or luthier who is familiar with Rickenbacker truss rod adjustments. Of course, keep in mind that set up and action is very subjective. What may be a perfect set up by my standards, may not be by yours. Rest assured, though, this guitar is set up with very nice comfortable low action and plays with little effort. All the associated parts for setting the action and intonation the way you prefer, all function 100% without issue.

All chrome hardware is pristine, as well. Once again, check out the photos to see what I mean. Beautiful, huh?

Fret wear is minimal and even much better you would expect from a guitar that is of this vintage. This beautiful 481 has been played but never played hard or abused. There is plenty of life left in the original stock frets.

There is no noise or scratchy pots under the hood. All potentiometers, switches, input, and connectors have been meticulously and professionally cleaned with Deoxit. This guitar is ready to play

By the way, I almost forgot, how about those awesome red fret marker dots on the bass side of the neck? Icing on the cake, baby! Rickenbacker added that super cool touch on just a very few of these 481 guitars back in the 70s. This 1974 model was lucky enough to be one of them. I just love those red markers, so cool!

All in all, I feel that you will be very hard pressed to find a cleaner, more pristine example of a Vintage 1970s Rickenbacker 481, anywhere on the planet.

Please ask any and all questions and hit me up for more photos if there is any specific area of the guitar that you would like to see, before making your purchase, due to the fact that this is a NO RETURN/NO REFUND AS IS SALE. Returns are just too costly, time consuming, and painful for all involved.

As I'm sure you know, this is a very rare opportunity to own an extremely rare Vintage Rickenbacker 481 in an extremely rare finish, in wonderful condition. If you've been searching for one of these guitars, your search is over. Grab it before someone beats you to it!

Finally, please be advised that this instrument is also listed locally on the South Florida Craigslist for Miami/Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County. If you would like to see more and different photos of this instrument, please feel free to do a search for it on the aforementioned Craigslist in South Florida. This piece is also being offered on other online platforms and venues, as well, and as such, I reserve the right to end this listing to facilitate a sale at any time.

BPMG IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

PLEASE DISREGARD REVERB'S AUTO-FILL DESCRIPTIONS IN THE "PRODUCT SPECS" SECTION OF THIS ITEM DESCRIPTION, DUE TO THE FACT THAT REVERB FREQUENTLY STATES INCORRECT INFORMATION. PLEASE REFER TO MY ACCURATE AND CORRECT ITEM DESCRIPTION, NOT REVERB'S "PRODUCT SPECS" SECTION.

ALSO, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHATSOEVER, WILL I, THE SELLER, OR ANYONE ELSE SELLING ON BEHALF OF BEST PRICE MUSIC GEAR BE HELD LIABLE OR RESPONSIBLE FOR REVERB'S INCORRECT AUTO-FILL ERRONEOUS INFORMATION IN THIS ITEM LISTING. ONCE A LISTING HAS BEEN CREATED AND IS LIVE, REVERB DOES NOT PROVIDE A MEANS FOR THE SELLER TO EDIT AND/OR CORRECT ANY ERRORS IN REVERB'S "PRODUCT SPECS" SECTION OF THE LISTING. THEREFORE, PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK EVERY DETAIL IN THIS LISTING AND FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE. I'M HAPPY TO HELP!