Rickenbacker Electric Guitars
History The company today called The Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC) has a long and storied past.
The original company was known as The Electro String Instrument Corporation and was formed in 1931 by Adolph Rickenbacker and George D.
Beauchamp.
Beauchamp was a steel guitar player looking for a louder steel guitar to play in the increasingly larger venues of the day.
Beauchamp and Rickbacker were both involved with a company producing metal-bodied steel guitars.
Through a falling out with others in that company, Beauchamp and Rickenbacker eventually formed the Ro-Pat-In Corporation and later changed the name to The Electro String Instrument Corporation.
They called the electric guitars they manufactured, Rickenbackers.
Rickenbacker was a well-known name due to Eddie Rickenbacker's fame as a WWI flying ace.
And Adolph was a distant relative.
Body "Frying Pan" was what the early Rickenbackers were called due to the long neck and round body.
They were solid-body lap steel type guitars.
The earliest bodies were made out of metal and later they used Bakelite, a hard plastic material.
Pickups The pickups for Rickenbacker's guitars consisted of two horseshoe magnets on the top, with the strings running between the magnets' arms.
Today, Rickenbacker makes three kinds of pickups.
The pickups are called Hi-gain, Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top, and Humbucking.
Humbucking pickups have dual coils in order reduce the electric hum (i.
e.
"buck the hum") that is picked up.
1958 and on In 1958, Rickenbacker created the "Capri" series which included double-cutaway semi-acoustic guitars.
And in 1963 Rickenbacker created a twelve-string electric guitar.
Whereas many other manufacturers extended the length of the head to accommodate six extra strings, Rickenbacker set the tuners at right angles and allowed the use of a regular headstock.
During the 1960s various artists and groups began using the Rickenbackers.
John Lennon and George Harrison, of the Beatles, used Rickenbackers.
Harrison used a twelve-string that was prominently featured in a number of The Beatles hit songs.
The popularity of The Beatles probably was responsible for influencing other groups to adopt the Rickenbackers.
The Byrds were also well known for the use of the Rickenbacker twelve-string in their recordings.
Finishes and Colors Rickenbacker has produced guitars in many different colors and finishes.
The colors are designated with official abbreviations such as "JG" for "Jetglo (black)".
Many times Rickenbacker often selects a "color of the year".
The original company was known as The Electro String Instrument Corporation and was formed in 1931 by Adolph Rickenbacker and George D.
Beauchamp.
Beauchamp was a steel guitar player looking for a louder steel guitar to play in the increasingly larger venues of the day.
Beauchamp and Rickbacker were both involved with a company producing metal-bodied steel guitars.
Through a falling out with others in that company, Beauchamp and Rickenbacker eventually formed the Ro-Pat-In Corporation and later changed the name to The Electro String Instrument Corporation.
They called the electric guitars they manufactured, Rickenbackers.
Rickenbacker was a well-known name due to Eddie Rickenbacker's fame as a WWI flying ace.
And Adolph was a distant relative.
Body "Frying Pan" was what the early Rickenbackers were called due to the long neck and round body.
They were solid-body lap steel type guitars.
The earliest bodies were made out of metal and later they used Bakelite, a hard plastic material.
Pickups The pickups for Rickenbacker's guitars consisted of two horseshoe magnets on the top, with the strings running between the magnets' arms.
Today, Rickenbacker makes three kinds of pickups.
The pickups are called Hi-gain, Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top, and Humbucking.
Humbucking pickups have dual coils in order reduce the electric hum (i.
e.
"buck the hum") that is picked up.
1958 and on In 1958, Rickenbacker created the "Capri" series which included double-cutaway semi-acoustic guitars.
And in 1963 Rickenbacker created a twelve-string electric guitar.
Whereas many other manufacturers extended the length of the head to accommodate six extra strings, Rickenbacker set the tuners at right angles and allowed the use of a regular headstock.
During the 1960s various artists and groups began using the Rickenbackers.
John Lennon and George Harrison, of the Beatles, used Rickenbackers.
Harrison used a twelve-string that was prominently featured in a number of The Beatles hit songs.
The popularity of The Beatles probably was responsible for influencing other groups to adopt the Rickenbackers.
The Byrds were also well known for the use of the Rickenbacker twelve-string in their recordings.
Finishes and Colors Rickenbacker has produced guitars in many different colors and finishes.
The colors are designated with official abbreviations such as "JG" for "Jetglo (black)".
Many times Rickenbacker often selects a "color of the year".
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