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For other uses, see Rickenbacker (disambiguation).
Rickenbacker International Corporation
Industry Musical instruments
Founded 1931
Founder Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp
Headquarters 3895 South Main Street, Santa Ana, California, US
Area served
Key people
Adolph Rickenbacher, George Beauchamp
Products Lap and Console steel guitars
Bass guitars
Electric mandolins
Electric banjos
Website Rickenbacker.com
Rickenbacker 330JG

Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. In 1932, the company became the world's first to produce electric guitars and eventually produced a range of electric guitars and bass guitars.[1]



The company was founded in 1931 as the Ro-Pat-In Corporation (ElectRo-Patent-Instruments) by Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp in order to sell electric Hawaiian guitars. These instruments had been designed by Beauchamp, assisted at the National String Instrument Corporation by Paul Barth and Harry Watson.[1] They chose the brand name Rickenbacher (later changed to Rickenbacker), though early examples bear the brand name Electro.[2]

Nicknamed "frying pans" because of their long necks and circular bodies, the instruments were the first solid-bodied electric guitars, though they were a lap-steel type. They had a single pickup with a steel cover that arched over the strings. By the time production ceased in 1939, several thousand "frying pans" had been produced.


Early history[edit]


Adolph Rickenbacher was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1887 and emigrated to the United States to live with relatives after the death of his parents. Sometime after moving to Los Angeles in 1918, he changed his surname to "Rickenbacker". This was done probably in order to avoid German connotations in light of the recently concluded First World War as well as to capitalize on Adolph's distant relation to World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. In 1925, Adolph Rickenbacker and two partners formed the Rickenbacker Manufacturing Company and incorporated it in 1927. By the time he met George Beauchamp and began manufacturing metal bodies for the "Nationals" being produced by the National String Instruments Corporation, Rickenbacker was a highly skilled production engineer and machinist. Adolph soon became a shareholder in National and, with the assistance of his Rickenbacker Manufacturing Company, National was able to boost production to as many as fifty guitars a day.[4]

Unfortunately, National's line of instruments was not well diversified and, as demand for the expensive and hard-to-manufacture tri-cone guitars began to slip, the company realized that it would need to produce instruments with a lower production cost if it was going to succeed against rival manufacturers. Dissatisfaction with what John Dopyera felt was mismanagement led him to resign from National in January 1929, and he subsequently formed the Dobro Manufacturing Corporation, later called Dobro Corporation, Ltd, and began to manufacture his own line of resonator-equipped instruments (dobros). Patent infringement disagreements between National and Dobro led to a lawsuit in 1929 with Dobro suing National for $2,000,000 in damages. Problems within National's management as well as pressure from the deepening Great Depression led to a production slowdown at National, and this ultimately resulted in part of the company's fractured management structure organizing support for George Beauchamp's newest project: the development of a fully electric guitar.[5]



Rickenbacker continued to specialize in steel guitars well into the 1950s, but with the rock and roll boom they shifted towards producing standard guitars, both acoustic and electric. In 1956, Rickenbacker introduced two instruments with the "neck through body" construction that was to become a standard feature of many of the company's products, including the Combo 400 guitar, the model 4000 bass, and, later, the 600 series.

In 1958, Rickenbacker introduced its "Capri" series, including the double-cutaway semi-acoustic guitars which would become the famous Rickenbacker 300 Series.

In 1963 Rickenbacker developed an electric twelve-string guitar with an innovative headstock design that enabled all twelve machine heads to be fitted onto a standard-length headstock by alternately mounting pairs of machine heads at right-angles to the other.

Rickenbacker guitars and 1960s rock and roll[edit]

Body of a 370/12, with the distinctive R-tailpiece, sharkfin inlays and stereo jacks.

During the 1960s, Rickenbacker benefited tremendously when a couple of Rickenbacker guitar models became permanently intertwined with the sound and look of The Beatles.

In Hamburg in 1960, Beatles guitarist John Lennon bought a Rickenbacker 325 Capri, which he used throughout the early days of The Beatles. He eventually had the guitar's natural alder body refinished in black, and made other modifications including the fitting of a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece and regularly changing the control knobs.[7] Lennon played this guitar for The Beatles' famous 1964 debut on The Ed Sullivan Show (as well as for their third Sullivan appearance, pre-taped the same day but broadcast two weeks later). During Lennon's post-Beatles years in New York, this guitar was restored to its original natural wood finish and the cracked gold pickguard replaced with a white one.[7]

Two new 325s were created for Lennon and were shipped to him while The Beatles were in Miami Beach, Florida, on the same 1964 visit to the US: a one-off custom 12-string 325 model and an updated six-string model with modified electronics and vibrato. He used this newer 6-string model on The Beatles' sequentially "second" appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.[7]

Lennon accidentally dropped the second 325 model during a 1964 Christmas show, breaking the headstock. While it was being repaired, Rickenbacker's UK distributor Rose Morris gave Lennon a model 1996 (the export version of a 325, available exclusively in a red finish and with an F-hole). Lennon later gave the 1996 to fellow Beatle Ringo Starr.[7]

The typical 12-string headstock, with the slotted tuners for the octave strings.

Beatles guitarist George Harrison bought a 425 during a brief visit to the USA in 1963.[7] In February 1964, while in New York City, F.C. Hall of Rickenbacker met with the band and their manager, and gave Harrison a model 360/12 (the second electric twelve-string built by Rickenbacker).[7] This instrument became a key part of the Beatles' sound on their LP A Hard Day's Night and other Beatles songs through late 1964. Harrison played this guitar sporadically throughout the remainder of his life.

On August 21, 1965, during a Beatles concert tour, Randy Resnick of B-Sharp, a Minnesota music store, presented Harrison with a second model 360/12 FG "New Style" 12-string electric guitar, distinguishable from Harrison's first 12-string by its rounded cutaways and edges. There was a television documentary produced by KSTP TV in Minneapolis documenting this event.

Harrison used this guitar on the song "If I Needed Someone" and during The Beatles' 1966 tours.[7] This 12-string's whereabouts are unknown, as it was stolen at some point after the band ceased touring.[7]


In 1967, McCartney gave his 4001 a psychedelic paint job, as seen in the promo film for Hello Goodbye, and in the Magical Mystery Tour film.[7] A year or so later the finish was sanded off; a second over-zealous sanding in the early 1970s removed the "points" of the bass' cutaways. McCartney predominantly used the Rickenbacker bass during his time with Wings, until the late 1970s.

Partly because of the Beatles' popularity and their consistent use of the brand, Rickenbackers were quickly adopted by many other 1960s notables.

As both the British invasion and the 1960s came to an end, Rickenbacker guitars fell somewhat out of fashion; however Rickenbacker basses remained highly in favor through the 1970s and on. Perhaps as an echo of the past, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rickenbacker guitars experienced a renaissance as many new wave and jangle pop groups began to use them.

Rickenbacker guitars and basses continue to be very popular to this day with demand persistently and exponentially outstripping new factory supply. Demand is particularly high amongst retro groups who have been influenced by the sound and look of the 1960s.

Hallmarks of Rickenbackers[edit]

Double truss rod neck

Many Rickenbackers—both guitars and basses—are equipped to be compatible with a "Rick-O-Sound" unit via an extra "stereo" output socket that allows the two pickups (or neck and middle pickup combined/bridge pickup, in the case of three pickup instruments) to be connected to different effects units or amplifiers. Another idiosyncrasy of Rickenbackers is the use of two truss rods (rather than the usual one) to correct twists, as well as curvature, in the neck.

Known for their distinctive jangle and chime, Rickenbacker guitars tended to be favoured by Jangle Pop, Power pop and British Invasion-style groups - bands such as The Who, The Byrds and The Beatles. The early Rickenbackers that made this sound famous were equipped with lower-output "Toaster" pickups. These pickups were phased out circa 1969–70 for newer "Hi-Gain" pickups, which had twice the output of their illustrious predecessors. This change was almost certainly due to the trend toward the louder "Rock" sounds of the 1970s, despite the earlier models being credited by Pete Townshend as being key to the development of "the Marshall sound" and his refinement of electric guitar feedback techniques[8]

In more recent years, a diverse cross-section of artists have started to favour Rickenbacker guitars. In 1979, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would adopt the Rickenbacker 12-string "toaster" jangle into their records and still use the vintage 1960s models. The post-1960s "Hi-gain" pickup-equipped guitars are associated with The Jam and R.E.M. The "Hi-gain" pickups are well suited to harder spiky pop/rock sounds as well as the classic clean chime.


Rickenbacker 4001JG


Standard versions and collectable versions of the 4003 have included the 4003s (special)(discontinued 1995, relaunched 2015) a 4003 similar to the 4001s with dot neck markers, no body binding based loosely upon the original Rickenbacker basses and fitted with 4001 pick ups. 1985–2002 versions of 4003 and 4003s were available with black hardware option and black binding. Other later special editions have included 4003 Blue Boy, 4003 CS (Chris Squire) similar to 4001 CS Limited edition specials include the Blackstar, the Shadow Bass, the Tuxedo and 4003 Redneck.

Rickenbacker basses have a distinctive tone. The 4001 and 4003 basses have neck-through construction for more solid sustain due to more rigidity. The sustain at the bottom end is particularly striking, and by routing the two outputs from the stereo "Rick-O-Sound" output, the brighter bridge pick up through a guitar rig and the bassier neck pickup through a bass setup, a particularly distinctive bass sound is produced. The 3000 series made from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s were cheaper instruments with bolt-on 21 fret necks. There was also a set neck 4000 version in 1975 and 76 (neck set like a Gibson Les Paul) which had a 20-fret neck, dot inlays, no binding (similar to the 4001S) but only a single bridge position mono pickup. (more info needed)

Lemmy playing his distinctive signature 4004LK

Along with McCartney's usage, some of the earliest Rickenbacker bass players were Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, John Entwistle of The Who, and Pete Quaife of The Kinks.

In the 1970s, Rickenbacker basses became staples of Progressive rock, exemplified by Chris Squire of Yes (band), with his grinding "concrete mixer" sound that Squire achieved by using his Rickenbacker bass with Rotosound round wound strings, playing with a pick. With hard rock, the Rickenbacker bass was played by Deep Purple's Roger Glover. Geddy Lee of Rush also used the Rickenbacker basses on Rush's earlier material. The "Ricks" continued their popularity among the punk/new wave explosion of the late 1970s and early 1980s, being favoured by Bruce Foxton of The Jam, Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Paul Gray (The Damned, Eddie & the Hot Rods), Tony James (Generation X), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Michael Bradley (The Undertones) and Kira Roessler (Black Flag). Another notable bassist that was famous for use of a Rickenbacker 4001 was the late Cliff Burton, bassist for the influential heavy metal group Metallica. His guitar was a Rickenbacker 4001 (with heavily modified electronics) that was red with white hardware and trim with triangle inlays on the fretboard. His first use was for live gigs during the group's "Kill 'Em All" era. Many bass players continue to play Rickenbackers (see "Ric" players section below).

Among current hard rockers, one of the best-known players of Rickenbacker basses is Motörhead vocalist/bassist Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, for whom Rickenbacker produced a 60-bass run of "Lemmy Kilmister" signature basses; a 4004LK, fitted with three pickups, gold hardware, and elaborate wood carving in the shape of oak leaves. Lemmy currently uses a 4004 customised by luthier TC Ellis.

Rickenbacker acoustic guitars[edit]



In late 2006, the license to build Rickenbacker acoustics was granted to Paul Wilczynski, a luthier with a workshop in San Francisco, California. He continued to offer all eight models of the Rickenbacker flat top guitar line, each instrument being built to order until his license expired, effective February 1, 2013.


Rickenbacker manufactures three distinct pickups for their current standard models: Hi-Gain single coil, Vintage Toaster™ single coil, and Humbucking. All three pickup designs share the same footprint, allowing them to retrofit into most current or vintage models. The tone varies from one style to the next, partially because of the types of magnets used[12] but also due to the amount of wire wound around the pickup's bobbin.

Most contemporary models come with single-coil Hi-Gain pickups as standard equipment. Many post-British invasion Rickenbacker players such as Peter Buck, Paul Weller, and Johnny Marr have used instruments with these pickups. Rickenbacker's HB1humbucker/dual coil pickup has a similar tone to a Gibson mini-humbucker pickup, and comes standard on the Rickenbacker 650 C and 4004 basses. Vintage reissue models, and some signature models, come with Toaster™ Top pickups, which resemble a classic two-slotted chrome toaster. Despite their slightly lower output, "Toasters" produce a brighter, cleaner sound, and are generally seen as key to obtaining the true British Invasion guitar tone, as they were original equipment of the era.

In addition to the standard pickups, vintage reissue bass models are equipped with Horseshoe wrap-around style pickups, very similar to the pickups on the earliest Rickenbacker Frying Pan models.[13]

Product list[edit]

Notable Rickenbacker players[edit]


  1. ^ a b c d Bacon, Tony; Day, Paul (1994), The Rickenbacker Book, San Francisco, California, USA: Miller Freeman Books, p. 9, ISBN 0-87930-329-8 
  2. ^ a b Bacon, Tony; Day, Paul (1994), The Rickenbacker Book, San Francisco, California, USA: Miller Freeman Books, p. 12, ISBN 0-87930-329-8 
  3. ^ Smith, Richard R. (1987), The History Of Rickenbacker Guitars, Fullerton, California, USA: Centerstream Publishing, pp. 2–5, ISBN 0-931759-15-3 
  4. ^ Smith, Richard R. (1987), The History Of Rickenbacker Guitars, Fullerton, California, USA: Centerstream Publishing, pp. 5–6, ISBN 0-931759-15-3 
  5. ^ Smith, Richard R. (1987), The History Of Rickenbacker Guitars, Fullerton, California, USA: Centerstream Publishing, pp. 8–9, ISBN 0-931759-15-3 
  6. ^ Smith, Richard R. (1987), The History Of Rickenbacker Guitars, Fullerton, California, USA: Centerstream Publishing, pp. 9–10, ISBN 0-931759-15-3 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Babuik, Andy, Beatles gear: all the Fab Four's instruments, from stage to studio, ISBN 0-87930-662-9, ISBN 978-0-87930-662-5
  9. ^ "News". Rickenbacker.com. 1958-07-15. Retrieved 2014-06-13. 
  10. ^ "Gallery". Rickenbacker.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13. 
  11. ^ "All Models". Rickenbacker.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13. 
  12. ^ "FAQ". Rickenbacker.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13. 
  13. ^ "4001C64". Rickenbacker.com. Retrieved 2014-06-13. 

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 33°41′43″N 117°52′04″W﻿ / ﻿33.695250°N 117.867835°W﻿ / 33.695250; -117.867835