Rickenbacker 450 Jetglo

this one is a 1974 model in royal blue, and looks cool, sort of if you are posing for a cover photo for a new wave article in 1978.

this guitar sounds bluesy in the neck position, sharp in the bridge position, and creamy in the missionary position

nice straight neck, smells good...not the neck, the neck smells like chicken. the guitar smells like an old type writer

no reason to play this thing, it is great to take pictures while dressed up like a new waver from 1978. I bet the buzzcocks would've looked great posing with this baby.

The Rickenbacker Company today is not what it was in the 60's and 70's. their guitars are horrible and they know it..and don't give a shit one way or another...I'm gonna getcha, I'll gethca!! gary valentine would've looked cool holding this thing while smiling in a 1978 photo with a red skinny tie and yellow shirt

It is no wonder why Orville Rickenbacker sold off this company in the 70's to sell pop corn

finish-black(jet glo)body style-cresting wave.bridge,dont know just a basic bridge that does its job.tuners-kluson.has original case with a broken clasp.made in usa in 1966 or 1967,i have a letter from rickenbacker from 1985 saying it is a 1966.their website database says it is a 1967.solid body.i am not a guitar wizard so i dont know much about the electronics except that it has toaster pickups and 4 knobs and a 3 way toggle switch.

sound-it suits me perfectly,i am using it through a 1958 gibson falcon amp.a wonderful combination.it was noisy until i had the guts resoldered.just old age i guess.

it was setup perfectly when i got it,but it was 16 years old at the time.the noisy electronics were just loose soldering.20.00 later and some work,it came back to life beautifully.the only flaw is a chip in the fifth fret.i will not have it fixed because it is my way of identifying it if it is ever stolen.plus the usual dings and scratches from being used for years.

reliability-ive had it for 24 years.it was 16 years old when i bought it.that should speak for itself!yes to everything.it has withstood the test of time.it is still good for a long time.it will outlive me since i am not a spring chicken anymore.

it was repaired once by a music store.(resoldering on the pickups).it was too old to have any kind of warranty when i bought it.rickenbacker was very helpful in giving me the info i needed back in 1985.they even sent me a catalog and bumper sticker wnich i put on the case.

playing for 26 years.other gear,1958 gibson falcon amp.1964?danelectro silvertone with amp in case.1970 harmony stellar acoustic.1984 yamahe-sj-180.1996 yamaha apx-4-a acoustic electric.if it were stolen or lost,i would be heartbroken.i would try to find another one but it wouldnt be the same.the rickenbacker is perfect for me.i have played and owned other electrics and i alwats go back to it.the day i tried it,i knew it was for me.i treat it with the same reverance i treat my kids and wife.i would not change anything on it except the strings and the clasp on the case.

Made in early 1980. It has 2 Hi-gain pickups, 4 control knobs, maple-glo finish. Schaller tuners. Seem to work just fine.

It has one of the sweetest necks i've ever touched on a guitar, plays beautifully.

The guitar is incredibly versatile if you put it through the right effects, from real 1960's jangle to dirty blues solos, this guitar seems to do it all. It sounds clear and has a distinct sound which i love, allowing each note to sound out clearly.
neck pickup is a little muddy to be used on it's own, but is great when u turn it down to compliment the bridge one.
From what i hear, the solid ricks are a lot more versatile than the hollow bodys and this would seem to be true in this case.
It just seems to be able to do anything well, except maybe the smooth sound you might be able to get from a strat. There is always a bit of sharpness in rickenbackers.

The guitar has a little scratching on the back, but i like to think it adds character. I got the guitar second hand, so who knows what happened to it before, but it was set up beautifully in my case.
The things seems to be in great condition for an almost 25 year old instrument. Plays great, looks great.

Like i said, this guitar is almost a quarter of a century old, and there are a few signs of wear/damage. The scratchplate, which holds all the switches and contains the electronics is not quite held on properly due to a screw being wrenched out of the wood in the body. DIfficult to repair without drilling a new hole, which i don't want to do.
The inside of the body is also surprisingly rough. It looks like the wood's been hacked into shape a little. SPlinters and rough edges everywhere. Not sure how usual this is for rickenbackers, but i was a little surprised in an instrument of this quality.

I have to admit when i bought this it was as a cheap option. I always wanted a rickenbacker badly but couldn't stretch to a 330 or 360 which i really wanted. However, for #400 i got a real bargain i think.
If it were lost, i actually think i might try and track down another instead of a 330 or 360. I've really grown to love this guitar. It feels and looks just right.
It also looks incredibly cool. I used to think it looked ugly compared to some of the other guitars rick makes but having it around and playing it, i've grown to love it.
These seem to be quite rare, so either you're going to have to pay a lot for one, or you can get it for cheap if people aren't looking for one. I'd recommend it. Great guitar.

That solid boby "cresting wave" 6 strings guitar was made in U.S.A in 1968 (I think 'cause the plate was changed). Has two magnifics toaster pickups and a rosewood neck with thin frets. George Harrison had a simililar guitar in 1963: 425 only a pickup in the bridge.

I play pop, rock and '60 britain music (beatles of course too) with a Laney 15R all tubes amp and the sound is great (the jingle-jangle sound.

The action is low but a luthier had to ajust the guitar frets and pickups for a best playablity. The guitar has plus 30 years...

Is a great construction guitar for playing everywere.

I've been playing since 1992 and I bouhgt that guitar because I love the sounds of a 60 years.