Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

 and bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana, California

Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....

. In 1932, the company became the world's first to produce electric guitars and continues to produce a range of electric and bass guitars to this day.

Founding

The company was founded in 1931 as the Ro-Pat-In Corporation (ElectRo-Patent-Instruments) by Adolph Rickenbacher

Adolph Rickenbacher

Adolph Rickenbacker was a Swiss-American who founded the Rickenbacker guitar company.Adolf Rickenbacker was born in Switzerland....

 and George Beauchamp

George Beauchamp

George Delmetia Beauchamp was an inventor of musical instruments and a co-founder of National Stringed Instrument Corporation and Rickenbacker guitars....

 in order to sell electric Hawaiian guitars. These instruments had been designed by Beauchamp, assisted at the National String Instruments Corporation by Paul Barth and Harry Watson. They chose the brand name Rickenbacher (later changed to Rickenbacker), though early examples bear the brand name Electro.

Nicknamed "frying pans"

Frying pan (guitar)

The "frying pan" was the first electric lap steel guitar ever produced. George Beauchamp created the instrument in 1931, and it was subsequently manufactured by Rickenbacker Electro...

 because of their long necks and circular bodies, the instruments were the first solid-bodied

Solid body

A solid-body instrument is a string instrument such as a guitar, bass or violin built without its normal sound box and relying on an electric pickup system to directly receive the vibrations of the strings....

 electric guitar

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

s, though they were a lap-steel

Lap steel guitar

The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....

 type. They had pickups with a pair of horseshoe magnets that arched over the strings. By the time production ceased in 1939, several thousand "frying pans" had been produced.

Electro String also sold amplifiers to go with their electric guitars. A Los Angeles radio manufacturer named Van Nest designed the first Electro String production-model amplifier. Shortly thereafter, design engineer Ralph Robertson further developed the amplifiers, and by the 1940s at least four different Rickenbacker models were made available. James B. Lansing of the Lansing Manufacturing Company designed the speaker in the Rickenbacker professional model. During the early 1940s, Rickenbacker amps were sometimes repaired by Leo Fender

Leo Fender

Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...

, whose repair shop evolved into the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company.

Early history

George Beauchamp was a vaudeville performer, violinist, and steel guitarist who, like most of his fellow acoustic guitarists in the pre-electric-guitar days of the 1920s, was searching for a way to make his instrument cut through an orchestra. He first conceived of a guitar fitted with a phonograph-like amplifying horn, and approached inventor and violin-maker John Dopyera

John Dopyera

John Dopyera was a Slovak-American inventor and entrepreneur, and a maker of stringed instruments. His inventions include the resonator guitar and important contributions in the early development of the electric guitar....

 to create a prototype which proved to be, by all accounts, a failure. Their next collaboration involved experiments with mounting three conical-shaped aluminum resonators into the body of the guitar beneath the bridge. These efforts produced an instrument which so pleased Beauchamp that he told Dopyera that they should go into business to manufacture them. After further refinements, Dopyera applied for a patent on the so-called tri-cone guitar on April 9, 1927. Thereafter, Dopyera and his brothers began to make the tri-cone guitars in their Los Angeles shop, calling the new guitars "Nationals". On January 26, 1928, the National String Instrument Corporation was certified and, with its new factory located near a metal-stamping shop owned by Adolph Rickenbacher and staffed by some of the most experienced and competent craftsmen available, began to produce Spanish and Hawaiian style tri-cone guitars as well as four-string tenor guitars, mandolin

Mandolin

A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...

s and ukulele

Ukulele

The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....

s.

Adolph Rickenbacher

Adolph Rickenbacher

Adolph Rickenbacker was a Swiss-American who founded the Rickenbacker guitar company.Adolf Rickenbacker was born in Switzerland....

 was born in Switzerland in 1886 and emigrated to the United States 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

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 Eddie Rickenbacker

Eddie Rickenbacker

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...

. 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.

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 (dobro

Dobro

Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...

s). 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

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 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.

By the late twenties, the idea for electrified string instruments had been around for some time, and experimental banjo, violin and guitar pickups had been developed. George Beauchamp had himself been experimenting with electric amplification as early as 1925, but his early efforts involving microphones did not produce the effects he desired. Along the way Beauchamp also built a one-string test guitar made out of a 2X4 piece of lumber and an electric phonograph pickup. As the problems at National became more apparent, Beauchamp's home experiments took on a more rigorous shape, and he began to attend night classes in electronics as well as collaborating with fellow National employee Paul Barth. When the prototype electric pickup they were developing finally worked to his satisfaction, Beauchamp asked former National shop craftsman Harry Watson to make a wooden neck and body to which the electronics could be attached. It was nicknamed the frying pan because of its shape, though Adolph Rickenbacker liked to call it the pancake. The final design Beauchamp and Barth developed was an electric pickup consisting of a pair of horseshoe-shaped magnets that enclosed the pickup coil and completely surrounded the strings.

At the end of 1931, Beauchamp, Barth, Rickenbacker and with several other individuals banded together and formed the Ro-Pat-In Corporation (elektRO-PATent-INstruments) in order to manufacture and distribute electrically amplified musical instruments, with an emphasis upon their newly-developed A-25 Hawaiian Guitar, often referred to as the "Frying Pan" lap-steel electric guitar as well as an Electric Spanish (standard) model and companion amplifiers. In the summer of 1932, Ro-Pat-In began to manufacture cast aluminum production versions of the Frying Pan as well as a lesser number of standard Spanish Electrics built from wooden bodies similar to those made in Chicago for the National Company. These instruments constitute the origin of the electric guitar we know and use today by virtue of their string-driven electro-magnetic pick-ups. Not only that, but Ro-Pat-In was the first company in the world specifically created to manufacture electric instruments. In 1933 the Ro-Pat-In company's name was changed to Electro String Instrument Corporation and its instruments labeled simply as "Electro". In 1934 the name of Rickenbacher" was added in honor of the company's principal partner, Adolph Rickenbacker. In 1935 the company introduced several new models including the Model "B" Electric Spanish guitar which is considered the first solid body electric guitar. Because the original aluminum Frying Pans were susceptible to tuning problems from the expansion of the metal under hot performing lights, many of the new models were manufactured from cast Bakelite, an early synthetic plastic from which bowling ball

Bowling ball

A bowling ball is a spherical ball made from plastic, reactive resin, urethane or a combination of these materials which is used in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb;...

s are made.

Rickenbacker continued to specialize in steel guitars well into the 1950s, but with the rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 boom they shifted towards producing standard guitars, both acoustic and electric. In 1956, Rickenbacker introduced two instruments with the "neck through body

Neck-thru

Neck-through or neck-thru is a method of electric guitar or bass guitar construction that involves extending the piece of wood used for the neck through the entire length of the body, essentially making it the core of the body. The strings, fretboard, pickups and bridge are all mounted on this...

" 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

Rickenbacker 300 Series

The Rickenbacker 300 series is a series of semi-acoustic guitars manufactured by the Rickenbacker Company. The series was launched in 1958, shortly after F.C Hall took over Rickenbacker. The guitars were created by Roger Rossmeisl, a German guitar maker...

.

In 1963 Rickenbacker developed an electric twelve-string guitar with an innovative headstock design that enabled all twelve machine head

Machine head

A machine head is part of a string instrument ranging from guitars to double basses, a geared apparatus for applying tension and thereby tuning a string, usually located at the headstock. A headstock has several machine heads, one per string...

s 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

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

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

.

In Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 in 1960, Beatles guitarist John Lennon

John Lennon

John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...

 bought a Rickenbacker 325 Capri

Rickenbacker 325

-Overview:The Rickenbacker 325 was the first of the Capri series of hollow body guitars released in 1958 by Rickenbacker. It was designed by Roger Rossmeisl, a guitar craftsman from a family of German instrument makers. Production models were 20-3/4" short scale, dot fretboard inlays, and a small ...

, 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. Lennon played this guitar for The Beatles' famous 1964 debut on The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....

(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.

Two new 325s were created for Lennon and were shipped to him while The Beatles were in Miami Beach, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, 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.

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

Ringo Starr

Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...

.
Beatles guitarist George Harrison

George Harrison

George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...

 bought a 425 during a brief visit to the USA in 1963. In February 1964, while in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, 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). This instrument became a key part of the Beatles' sound on their LP

LP album

The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...

 A Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night (album)

A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing...

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

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 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. This 12-string's whereabouts are unknown, as it was stolen at some point after the band ceased touring.

After the Beatles 1965 summer tour, Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

 frequently used a left-handed 1964 4001S FG Rickenbacker bass, as its tone was better suited to recording than the lightweight Höfner

Höfner

Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments....

 basses he had used previously. The instrument became popular with other bassists influenced by his highly melodic style, as it produces a clear tone even when played high up the neck, its deep cutaways allowing easy access to the higher frets.

In 1967, McCartney gave his 4001 a psychedelic

Psychedelic

The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...

 paint job, as seen in the promo film for Hello Goodbye

Hello Goodbye

"Hello, Goodbye" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. The song was released as a single in November 1967, and topped the charts in the United States, UK, France and Norway...

, and in the Magical Mystery Tour

Magical Mystery Tour (film)

Magical Mystery Tour is an hour-long British television film starring The Beatles that originally aired on BBC1 on 26 December 1967...

 film. 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

Wings (band)

Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....

, 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

New Wave music

New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...

 and jangle pop

Jangle pop

Jangle pop is a genre of alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming or jangly guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The Byrds, with their electric twelve-string guitars and power pop song structures. Mid-1980s jangle pop was a non-mainstream "pop-based...

 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

Many Rickenbackers — both guitars and basses — are equipped to be compatible with a "Rick-O-Sound" unit via an extra "stereo

Stereophonic sound

The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...

" 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 in general were equipped with lower-output "Toaster" pickups until they were phased out circa 1969-70. Hereafter, most Rickenbacker guitars were equipped with the newer design "Hi-Gain" pickups. In most cases, these pickups 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. Because of their tone, the guitars tended to be favoured by Jangle Pop

Jangle pop

Jangle pop is a genre of alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming or jangly guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The Byrds, with their electric twelve-string guitars and power pop song structures. Mid-1980s jangle pop was a non-mainstream "pop-based...

, Power pop

Power pop

Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...

 and British Invasion

British Invasion

The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...

-style groups. In particular, the older "Toaster" pickup-equipped 12-string guitars have been associated with The Who, The Byrds and The Beatles among others.

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 REM. The "Hi-gain" pickups are well suited to harder spiky pop/rock sounds as well as the classic clean chime.

Basses

The 4000 series were the first Rickenbacker bass guitar

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

s, production beginning in 1957. The 4000 was followed by the very popular 4001

Rickenbacker 4001

The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...

 (in 1961), the 4002 (limited edition bass introduced in 1977), the 4008 (an eight-string model introduced in the mid-1970s), the 4003 (in 1979, replacing the 4001 entirely in 1986 and still in production in 2011), and most recently the 4004 series. There was also the 4005, a hollow-bodied bass guitar (discontinued in 1984); it did not resemble any of the other 4000 series basses, but rather the new style 360-370 guitars. The 4001S (introduced 1964) was basically a 4001 but with no binding and dot fingerboard inlays. It was exported to England as the RM1999. However, Paul McCartney received the very first 4001S (his was left-handed, and later modified to include a "zero fret

Zero fret

A zero fret is a fret placed at the headstock end of the neck of a banjo, guitar, mandolin, or bass guitar. It serves one of the functions of a nut: holding the strings the correct distance above the other frets on the instrument's fretboard...

").

Rickenbacker basses have a distinctive tone. The 4000 bass has 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

Gibson Les Paul

The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...

) 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)

Pre-dating McCartney's usage, some of the earliest Rickenbacker bass players were Roger Waters

Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...

 of Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

, John Entwistle

John Entwistle

John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...

 of The Who

The Who

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

, and Peter Quaife of The Kinks

The Kinks

The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...

.

Rickenbacker basses became a staple of 1970s hard rock

Hard rock

Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

 and were featured on countless recordings of the decade. These instruments were also widely used among progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 bassists, but not as visible among the punk/new wave explosion of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In recent times, many bass players have continued to play Rickenbackers. (see "Ric" players section below)

Rickenbacker acoustic guitars

Rickenbacker has produced a number of uniquely-designed and distinctively-trimmed acoustic guitar

Steel-string acoustic guitar

A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...

s. Although a small number of Rickenbacker acoustics were sold in the 1950s and were seen in the hands of stars like Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson

Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...

 and Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke

Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...

, the company concentrated on their electric guitar and western steel guitar business from the early 1960s onward. From about 1959 through 1994, very few Rickenbacker acoustic guitars were made.

In 1995, an effort was made to re-introduce Rickenbacker acoustics, with factory production beginning in their Santa Ana manufacturing facility in 1996. Four models of flat top acoustic Rickenbackers were depicted in factory literature (maple or rosewood back & sides, jumbo or dreadnaught shape). Each of these four models was also available in both six- and twelve-string configurations, yielding a range of eight distinct instruments. (The 760J "Jazzbo," an archtop model, was only built as a prototype, with three examples known to exist.) It is estimated that fewer than 500 Rickenbacker acoustic guitars were built before the factory shut down the acoustic department in mid-2006.

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

Pickups

Rickenbacker manufactures three distinct pickups for their current standard models: Hi-gain, Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top, 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 magnet

Magnet

A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...

s used but also due to the amount of wire wound around the pickup's bobbin.

Most models come with single-coil Hi-gain pickups as standard equipment. Many post-British invasion Rickenbacker players such as Peter Buck

Peter Buck

Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....

, Paul Weller, and Johnny Marr

Johnny Marr

Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...

 have used instruments with these pickups. Rickenbacker's humbucker

Humbucker

A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...

/dual coil pickup has a similar tone to a Gibson

Gibson Guitar Corporation

The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...

 P-90

P-90

The P-90 is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. Having a more complex architecture and larger dimensions than Fender's single coils, it is occasionally mistaken for a humbucker.- History :...

 pickup, and comes standard on the Rickenbacker 650 C. Vintage reissue models, and some signature models, come with Toaster Top pickups, which resemble a classic two-slotted chrome toaster

Toaster

The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 W and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes...

. Despite their slightly lower output, "Toasters" produce a brighter, cleaner sound, and are generally seen as key to obtaining the true British Invasion

British Invasion

The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...

 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.

Notable models

Some of Rickenbacker's most popular models include the following:

• 325 - Six-string, short scale guitar used by John Lennon. The 1950s models as well as the current reissue 325C58 model are full hollow bodied. The most famous 325s do not have a sound-hole, most notably, John Lennon's 1958 and 1964 325s. The current 325C64 reissue (i.e. Ric 'Miami') model is semi-hollow bodied exactly as was John Lennon's original 1964 325 Ric 'Miami' model (serial number db122, d=1964, b=Feb.). This makes for notable tonal differences between the 1958 and 1964 325 model.
• 330
  Rickenbacker 330
  The Rickenbacker 330 is part of Rickenbacker's 300 series of guitars, the series for which Rickenbacker is perhaps best known. The 330 entered the Rickenbacker product line in 1958, though at the time the 300 series of guitars was known as the "Capri" series. It was designed by the German luthier...
  
   - Six-string hollow body with scimitar shaped sound-hole. Double cutaway with two pickups and dot inlays.
• 330/12 - A twelve-string version of the 330.
• 360
  Rickenbacker 360
  The Rickenbacker 360 is an electric, semi-acoustic guitar made by Rickenbacker, and part of the Rickenbacker 300 Series. The instrument incorporates many features standard on Rickenbacker guitars, including a three-ply maple/walnut neck, shallow headstock angle, a thick rosewood fretboard finished...
  
   - A deluxe version of the 330, with stereo output and bound fretboard and soundhole. Also has with triangle inlays. Earlier models (pre '65) have a 330 body shape, with top and bottom binding and no soundhole binding (later referred to as "360OS" (Old Style), "360WB" (With Binding) or "360WBBS" (With Binding, Both Sides)). Later models (from late '64) with a rounded body top and horns, and no top binding.
• 360/12
  Rickenbacker 360/12
  The Rickenbacker 360/12 is an electric guitar made by the Rickenbacker company; it was among the first electric twelve-string guitars. This instrument is visually similar to the Rickenbacker 360...
  
   - A twelve-string version of the 360. Rickenbacker touts this model as "The world's most popular twelve-string electric guitar". Made famous in the '60s by George Harrison. Harrison's was the second Rickenbacker twelve-string in a run of three, which included two 360/12's (both WB style) and one 625/12. The last 360/12OS was produced in Fireglo and made in December 1968 S/N HL1725.(Ref. R.Smith) (see 360/12C63 below for exact Harrison replica), (Harrison also had a second, new style 360/12)
• 370/12 - The same as the 360/12, but with a third pickup. This is the Rickenbacker model most associated with Roger McGuinn
  Roger McGuinn
  James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
  
   of The Byrds
  The Byrds
  The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
  
  , although his original was a 360/12 with an added third pickup.
• 450, 450/12 - Solid body guitar with "cresting wave" body style, and two pickups. The 12 string version, first produced in 1964, is one of the three production model 12 strings built in the 1960s. The last 450s were produced in the mid 1980s.
• 620
  Rickenbacker 620
  The Rickenbacker 620 is a solid-body guitar manufactured by the Rickenbacker Company. It is part of the 600 series of guitars which all share the distinctive "cresting wave" styled body. The Rickenbacker 620 features triangular fret markers, a thick rosewood fret board, a maple body with neck-thru...
  
  , 620/12 & 660/12 - Solid bodied guitars with the "cresting wave" body style. The 660/12 is unique as it is the only production 12-string with a wider neck, and the only standard series guitar with a trapeze tailpiece, 12 saddle bridge, full width inlays (as of 2008, all Rickenbacker deluxe models have full width inlays) and "toaster" pickups standard. Used by Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
  
  . The 625/12 used by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was actually the third Rickenbacker twelve-string ever made. This came after the 360/12 used by George Harrison. Technically this, too, was a prototype, and eventually became the 620/12.
• Rose, Morris 1996 - British export version of the 325, distributed by Rose, Morris in the UK, and touted as the "Beatle-Backer", even though the model was only briefly played by John Lennon, and certainly not the model most associated with him nor The Beatles
  The Beatles
  The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
  
  . Almost all were finished in Fireglo. Rose, Morris 1996 are hard to distinguish from their American counterparts because both varieties had f-shaped sound holes- the domestic version kept this un-Lennonesque feature until the 1980s.
• Rose, Morris 1997 and 1998 (Three Pickup Version) - British export version of the 335 and 345 designated with a vibrato. Distributed by Rose, Morris in the UK. This was said to be the most popular of the export models. Notably used by Pete Townshend of The Who
  The Who
  The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
  
   and Hilton Valentine
  Hilton Valentine
  Hilton Valentine is an English musician, who was the original guitarist in the The Animals.-Biography:Valentine was influenced by the 1950s skiffle craze...
  
   of The Animals
  The Animals
  The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
  
  . The model was reissued from 1987–2000, and featured the option of a vibrato (like the originals) or a vintage style trapeze tailpiece.
• Rose, Morris 1993 - British export version of 360/12, distributed by Rose, Morris in the UK during the mid 1960s. It was basically a twelve-string 360OS with an f-hole instead of a slash sound hole and an unbound dot neck. Notably played by Pete Townshend
  Pete Townshend
  Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
  
   of The Who
  The Who
  The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
  
  , Brian Jones
  Brian Jones
  Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
  
   of the Rolling Stones
  The Rolling Stones
  The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
  
  , Mike Pender
  Mike Pender
  Mike Pender was an original founding member of Merseybeat group The Searchers. He is best known as the lead vocalist on many hit singles by The Searchers, including the song "Needles and Pins"...
  
   of The Searchers
  The Searchers (band)
  The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
  
   and Gerry Marsden
  Gerry Marsden
  Gerard "Gerry" Marsden is an English musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the British band Gerry & the Pacemakers.-Biography:...
  
   of Gerry & The Pacemakers
  Gerry & the Pacemakers
  Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with...
  
  . Tom Petty played a '65 1993 at the Super Bowl XLII
  Super Bowl XLII
  Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
  
   halftime show.

• 4000 - One of the earliest electric bass guitars, originally produced in 1957, featuring a maple body with different woods available for the neck. A relatively simplistic design which included a single pickup, and a rosewood fretboard with dot inlays.
• 4001
  Rickenbacker 4001
  The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...
  
   - Rickenbacker's most popular bass guitar.
• 4003 - Visibly similar, but actually an updated version of the 4001, with different truss rods, and no "skunk-stripe".

Current reissue models

• 325c64 - Reissue of John Lennon's second Rickenbacker. F.C. Hall presented Lennon with a new 325 to replace his road-weary one during the group's first trip to New York City
  New York City
  New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
  
  . John used the new guitar on The Beatles second Sullivan appearance and on the group's subsequent tours and albums. This guitar has an Ac'cent Vibrato and a white plastic pickguard and nameplate. This guitar replaced the 325V63.
• 350v63 (or 350/12v63, the twelve-string version) - similar body shape and size to 325c64, but with a 21-fret full-scale neck. A similar instrument, the Model 350, had been available for many years before this model appeared in the 1990s, but the original 350 had hi-gain pickups and a 24-fret neck. (Since the 350 did not exist in 1963, the 350v63 is not an actual reissue.) The 12-string version was discontinued December 2007.
• 360/12C63 - While the 360/12, like most of Rickenbacker's guitars, has been subtly updated throughout the years, the 360/12C63 is designed to be a 'frozen in time' replica of the famous prototype 1963 guitar that George Harrison used during the 'A Hard Day's Night
  A Hard Day's Night (song)
  "A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...
  
  ' period. This guitar replaced the 360/12v64.
• 381v69 (or 381/12v69, the twelve-string version) - reissue of 1969 model 381. Front and back of body have German-style carve, plus checkered binding. Also features stereo
  STEREO
  STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
  
   output and, on the twelve-string version, a 12-saddle bridge. These models typically feature highly figured maple
  Maple
  Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
  
  , and are considered the flagship
  Flagship
  A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
  
   of the current Rickenbacker line.
• 5002v58 - soliodbody electric mandolin
  Mandolin
  A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
  
  , originally issued in 1958. Featuring one "toaster" pickup, a gold pickguard, and a miniaturized Rickenbacker nameplate (the only change from the original issue, which had a lap-steel-type nameplate), the 5002v58 is an oft overlooked model in the Rickenbacker family, and is seeing a rise in popularity in Americana
  Americana (music)
  Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
  
   rock groups.

Discontinued models

• John Lennon Limited Edition: these models were introduced at the 1990 Winter NAMM Show; they featured a reproduction of Lennon's signature, the words "Limited Edition" and a self-portrait sketch drawing of the legendary songwriter all embossed on the elevated portion of the pickguard. Each guitar was accompanied by an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity and Origin, and a special "vintage" case with silver covering and crushed velvet interior similar to the original. Only 2000 were made; unit number one was delivered to Yoko Ono, who reportedly had the instrument specially decorated by artist Peter Max, before presenting the guitar to Sean Lennon as a birthday gift. Final production numbers (Model - Quantity) :

325JL (short scale) - 953

325JL LH (short scale, left-handed) - 21

355JL (standard scale) - 660

355JL LH (standard scale, left-handed) - 8

355JL VB (standard scale, with a vibrato tailpiece) - 23

355/12JL (12-string, standard scale) - 329

355/12JL LH (12-string, standard scale, left-handed) - 5

• 325c58 – Replica of John Lennon's first Rickenbacker. MG or JG finishes. Discontinued in 2009.
• 350SH - A Signature Model made specifically for Susanna Hoffs
  Susanna Hoffs
  Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
  
  . Smaller and Thinner than the common 300 Series Electric Guitar as she is physically petite. She plays two versions of this on stage, "Black and White" and "White and Black" versions, both of which can be seen in The Bangles
  The Bangles
  The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
  
   In Your Room
  In Your Room (The Bangles song)
  "In Your Room" is a 1988 song by American rock group The Bangles, written by Susanna Hoffs, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg. The song was released as the first single from the band's third album, Everything. It reached the top five of the U.S...
  
   Video. A number of the "Black and White" versions were for sale to the public between 1988 and 1992.
• 4001c64
  Rickenbacker 4001
  The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...
  
   - Replica of Paul McCartney's first Rickenbacker. Discontinued in January 2009
• 4001c64s
  Rickenbacker 4001
  The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...
  
   - Replica of Paul McCartney's first Rickenbacker in its present state (horns sanded down, natural mapleglo with satin finish, zero fret). Discontinued January 2009
• 1996 - Replica of model played briefly by John Lennon in late 1964 - seen in 1964 Rickenbacker advertising as "The Beatle Backer". Discontinued in January 2007.
• 1997 - Reissue of the Rose Morris 1997. Also available with three pickups as standard (1997SPC) and Pete Townshend
  Pete Townshend
  Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
  
   limited edition (1998PT, produced 1987-1988) models. Discontinued 2000.
• 230 Hamburg - Six-string solid body electric. These guitars were in production from 1984 until the early 1990s.
• 250 El Dorado - Deluxe version of the 230, featuring a bound body.
• 260 - Deluxe version of the 230, including maple fingerboard, bound body, and single-ply pickguard. Equipped with RIC humbuckers.
• 331 - The Rickenbacker Light Show Guitar, incorporating a light organ
  Light organ
  A light organ is an electronic device which automatically converts an audio signal such as music into rhythmic light effects. In the 1970s, light organs were a popular lighting effect used in discotheques and dance parties...
  
   into the body, underneath translucent pickguards covering the face of the guitar. Produced from 1971 to 1976.
• 360WB and 360/12 WB - The double-bound versions of the 360 and 360/12, with the "old", pointed body style and modern pickups, number of frets and bound soundhole. Discontinued mid '90s.
• 360/12V64 - Built between 1985 and 2000, this model was a Vintage Series reissue of the George Harrison Hard Day's Night model, now discontinued. Les Fradkin
  Les Fradkin
  Les Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
  
   is one of this model's most notable users.
• 360/12V66 - Built especially for the Japanese market between 2003 and 2004. This was very similar to the 360/12 Carl Wilson
  Carl Wilson
  Carl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
  
   model only it had a thicker top. See also 370/12V67. Limited Edition of just 12.
• 362/12- Double neck six-string and twelve-string hollow-body guitar with deluxe features. Discontinued 1988.
• 370/12V67 - Built especially for the Japanese market between 2003 and 2004. This was basically the Roger McGuinn
  Roger McGuinn
  James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
  
   model without the Signature pickgaurd, 12 saddle bridge or built in compressor. Limited Edition of just 12.
• 380L - 360 style hollow-body with oil-finished walnut body, humbucking pickups (with option of a Piezo pickup system) and wide maple fretboard.
• 420 - Introduced in 1965 when the 425 was given a Boyd vibrato tailpiece, the 420 is exactly the same as an original 425 without the vibrato tailpiece. Discontinued in 1984.
• 425 - Six-string solid-body electric, as played briefly by George Harrison. This guitar was also played by Kat Bjelland
  Kat Bjelland
  Katherine "Kat" Bjelland is an American musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Babes in Toyland....
  
   of Babes in Toyland
  Babes in Toyland
  Babes in Toyland may refer to:* Babes in Toyland , an American punk rock band* Babes in Toyland , a 1903 operetta by Victor Herbert* Babes in Toyland , a musical comedy starring Laurel and Hardy...
  
  . Courtney Love
  Courtney Love
  Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
  
   is also seen with a black model. These guitars were among Rickenbacker's less expensive, and featured the "cresting wave" body shape along with a large pickguard, neck-through body construction, combination bridge/tailpiece and one toaster pickup. In production from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. Reissued as the 425V63 in 1999, and available in two colors: Jetglo (gloss black) and Burgundyglo (transparent deep maroon). Of these two, the Burgundyglo is the rarer, with only 36 of these having been minted.
• 430 - Six-string solid body, designed in part with Forrest White
  Forrest White
  Forrest Fred White was an American musical instruments industry executive, best known for his association with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation....
  
  , formerly of Fender. The Fender influence is obvious, as this guitar features a bolt-on neck and a simplified, stripped down styling reminiscent of the Fender Telecaster
  Fender Telecaster
  The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
  
  . Later, the 200 series guitars would adopt the same body style. These guitars were introduced in the early 1970s and dropped in the early 1980s.
• 450 - Two-pickup version of the 425 as played by Paul Collins
  Paul Collins (musician)
  Paul Collins is an American writer, author, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat.-Biography:...
  
   of Paul Collins' Beat, and Robin Zander
  Robin Zander
  Robin Wayne Zander is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick.-Early life:Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, the fourth of five children; he has two older brothers, and older and younger sisters....
  
   of Cheap Trick
  Cheap Trick
  Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
  
  .
• 450/12 - Twelve-string version of the 450 as played by singer and rhythm guitarist Mike Pender
  Mike Pender
  Mike Pender was an original founding member of Merseybeat group The Searchers. He is best known as the lead vocalist on many hit singles by The Searchers, including the song "Needles and Pins"...
  
   of British invasion band The Searchers
  The Searchers (band)
  The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
  
  , who recorded the hit songs "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room
  When You Walk In The Room
  "When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon, first released by her in 1963 but covered by many artists. The lyrics of the song attempt to detail the singer's emotions when in the presence of the person he or she loves...
  
  ", and Dave Wakeling
  Dave Wakeling
  Dave Wakeling is an English rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is most famous for singing and writing songs for the 1980s 2-Tone band The Beat and also General Public.-Career:...
  
   of The English Beat who played a left hand model of the 450/12.
• 460 - Deluxe version of the 450 (bound body and triangle inlays).
• 480 - Six-string solid body guitar with the body stylings of the 4000 series basses. These guitars had dot inlays, a bound neck, dual hi-gain pickups, and a contoured body. Produced from 1973 to 1983.
• 481 - Like the 480, except it had a bound body and triangle pearl inlays. The most striking feature, however, was the slanted frets/bridge/pickups/nut, supposedly "matching natural finger angle" and enabling easier playing. This guitar also had special design Rickenbacker humbucking
  Humbucking
  For the purposes of this article, "hum" is defined as "an unwanted signal, generally at the frequency of the local A.C. electrical supply" ....
  
   pickups, which never appeared in another Rickenbacker instrument. Produced from 1973 to 1983. Main instrument of Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno
  Sergio Pizzorno
  Sergio Lorenzo "Serge" Pizzorno is a British guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the indie rock band Kasabian. He became Kasabian's lead song-writer after the departure of Christopher Karloff....
  
  .
• 483 - Like the 480, except it had three pickups. *Note: This was only available on custom order from Rickenbacker and never appeared retail.
• 660/12TP - Tom Petty signature edition. Basically a 660/12, but with Tom Petty's signature. Production limited to 1,000 guitars. Models produced in fireglo (813) and jetglo (187).
• 3000 - Four-string bass with double-cutaway maple body and bolt-on maple 21 fret neck. Single "hum-canceling design" single-coil pickup with volume and tone controls. The Model 3000 was Rickenbacker's only short scale bass, and had a 30.0-inch scale length.
• 3001 - Full-scale version of the Model 3000. These four-string basses were identical to the Model 3000 except that the 3001 had the usual (33.25-inch) Rickenbacker scale length, an extra walnut laminate in the neck, and a different wiring circuit that provided volume, treble, and bass controls.
• 4001CS - Chris Squire
  Chris Squire
  Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
  
   Signature Model. Featured a creme finish, walnut headstock wings, square heel, and vintage type pickups, and a signature pickguard. Very similar to the 4001V63 model, production was limited to 1000 basses.
• 4001V63
  Rickenbacker 4001
  The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...
  
   - fairly accurate reproduction of the export RM1999 that was most commonly used by Peter Quaife, John Entwistle
  John Entwistle
  John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
  
  , Roger Waters
  Roger Waters
  George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
  
  , Chris Squire
  Chris Squire
  Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
  
   and Paul McCartney (although his was technically a 4001S, as it was not exported to England). Unlike the 1999, this bass had a square neck heel, and no thumb rest.
• 4002 - Despite rumors to the contrary, the 4002 was not a limited edition bass. The 4002 had an ebony fretboard with dot inlays, a body and thru-neck of figured maple, checkerboard binding around the top of the body, and a unique pickguard with two "high-and-low-impedance" pickups that were set in the body in a position more similar to a Fender Jazz bass. The pickups were also a similar shape to a jazz bass, rather than the familiar Rickenbacker single-pole pickups found on the 4001 series. Designed especially for recording, it featured an extra XLR output jack in addition to the usual "Rick-O-Sound" and "Standard" jacks. Although not a strong seller upon its introduction, since being discontinued, it has become highly collectible. It was available in both fretted and fretless models.
• 4003s5 - Five-string bass, discontinued 2004. Shared the body style of the 4003s.
• 4003s8 - Eight-string bass discontinued 2004. Shared the body style of the 4003s. Some of these were strung with the string pairs high/low and others low/high. As these were made by hand, there are many small differences in the 4003s8 from model to model. A mono bass, not to be confused with the 4008 eight string with which it shares some features.
• 4003 SPC Blackstar - Limited edition bass as used by Smithereens
  The Smithereens
  The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
  
   bassist Mike Mesaros. Featured an all-black body and painted maple fretboard with white microdot inlays, and black hardware. Production was limited to 200 basses.
• 4003 SPC Tuxedo - Limited Edition bass, featured all white body with painted maple neck, black microdot inlays, and black hardware. Production was 115 instruments constructed in two runs. The Tuxedo was also produced as a guitar: The 360 Tuxedo included both 6- and 12-string models.
• 4003 SPC Redneck - Limited Edition bass, featured all red body with painted maple neck, black microdot inlays, and black hardware. Production was approx 38 instruments, 11 of which are thought to be 8-string models.
• 4003 Shadow - Limited Edition bass, featured all black body, checkerboard binding, and black dot "S" type neck with binding, and black hardware. The Shadow was produced for Guitar Center
  Guitar Center
  Guitar Center is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in the world with 223 locations throughout the United States. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California....
  
  's 50th store opening, production limited to 50 instruments.
• 4004LK - Lemmy Kilmister
  Lemmy Kilmister
  Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
  
   of Motörhead limited edition Signature Model. Featured a highly carved oak lead motif on the body, checkerboard binding, gold hardware and three pickups in a flat oil polished finish. Production limited to 60 units. Lemmy's personal 4004LK models are fitted with a fake pickup cover he uses as a hand rest.
• 4005 - This bass was introduced in 1965, and adapted the new-style 360 body in a hollow-body bass. Two toaster pickups (later hi-gain), single-tier pickguard, 5th knob, bound soundhole, triangle inlays. In production until 1983. Notably played by John Entwistle
  John Entwistle
  John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
  
   and Bill Wyman
  Bill Wyman
  Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
  
  .
• 4005WB - This shared the same shape as the 4005, except it was double bound, and had a flat top. Comparable to an "old-style" 360, or a 360WB. Very few were made in comparison to the regular 4005. In production until 1983.
• 4008 - Eight-string bass model produced from the mid 1970s to early 1980s. Not to be confused with the 4003S8. The 4008, whilst sharing certain S type features, such as dot markers and no body binding, was a stereo instrument like all 4001 and 4003 basses. It was strung with the octave string over the bass string (high/low). It also featured a through neck made from two pieces of book-matched maple, rather than the more normal one piece construction of the 4003 four string. It was fitted with one vintage style toaster pickup in the neck position, and a standard single pole pickup in the bridge position. Because of the singular method of production of these basses, there are small differences between instruments.
• 4080 - This instrument, introduced in 1975, was a doubleneck guitar consisting of a four-string bass for the top neck and a six-string guitar for the bottom.
• 4080/12 - Another double-neck bass/guitar with the inclusion of a twelve-string guitar in place of the six-string found on the 4080. The concept was based in response to a custom made Ric doubleneck made for Mike Rutherford
  Mike Rutherford
  Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
  
   of Genesis
  Genesis (band)
  Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
  
   by Dick Knight Guitars in the UK (although Rutherford's model had the two necks in the opposite places). This iconic double-neck is now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Geddy Lee
  Geddy Lee
  Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
  
   of Rush
  Rush (band)
  Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
  
   had the first 4080/12, a black instrument with black binding, specifically constructed for him, excluding the treble pick-up cover. It can be heard, along with a white 4080, on the live Rush
  Rush (band)
  Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
  
   album Exit...Stage Left
  Exit...Stage Left
  Exit...Stage Left is a live album by Canadian band Rush, released in 1981. A video release with the same name, with slightly different content, was released in 1982 on VHS and later on Laserdisc, and in 2007 on DVD....
  
  on the songs "A Passage to Bangkok
  A Passage to Bangkok
  "A Passage to Bangkok" is the second song on Rush's album, 2112. Released in 1976, the song follows the album's title song 2112. The song opens with a driving guitar riff...
  
  " and "Xanadu", where Lee plays rhythm guitar during Alex Lifeson
  Alex Lifeson
  Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...
  
  's solos, and uses bass pedals
  Bass pedals
  Bass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
  
   to fill in the low end.
• Combo Series - Rickenbacker's first modern electric guitar series, these first appeared in 1954. There were two basic versions; the Combo 600 had a single pick-up, and the Combo 800 with two pick-ups.

Colors and body finish

'Fireglo' (a shaded red), the company's longest running color option, has been made available every year since 1958, with 'Jetglo' (black) and 'Mapleglo' (natural) right behind, being made available every year since 1959. The colors' names usually have official abbreviations (such as 'JG' for 'Jetglo').

Rickenbacker produced a 'color of the year' for most of their models from 2000-06.

Colors of the year (COY)

Color of the year	2000s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Sea Green
Desert Gold
Burgundy
Montezuma Brown
Blue Boy
Blue Burst
Amber Fireglo								|
none								—

Current available colors:

• Fireglo (FG) - a sunburst color; deep dark red that fades into a lighter maple center
• Jetglo (JG) - black
• Mapleglo (MG) - Natural
• Midnight Blue (MID) - Dark blue

Non-standard, only available for 4004 Cheyenne II model:

• Translucent Blue (TB)
• Translucent Green (TG)
• Translucent Red (TR)

Non-standard, only available for 650 series:

• Walnut Oil Finish (WAL)

Non-standard, 480/481/483 Series:

• Among the 'special' colors available for the 480 series guitars, Autum Glo(AUTUM) and Walnut(WAL)
• are often mistaken as being the same. Autum Glo on the 480 series represented a flat matte finish,
• where Walnut designated the same color and burst, but in a traditional lacquered finish.

Color availability

Color	1950s						1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s
	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Autumnglo
Fireglo
Jetglo
Mapleglo
Midnight Blue
Blonde
Turquoise-Blue
Jet-Black
Brown
Green
Natural
White
Burgundyglo
Azureglo
Walnut
Ruby
Silver
Red
Turquoise

Midnight Blue was available as an original color on mid-1960s 360/6's.

External links

• Rickenbacker International Corporation
• "Born to Rock" guitar exhibit at Harrods
  Harrods
  Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
  
  , London, February 2007, featuring the 1931 Rickenbacker "Frying Pan". Also see BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
  
  
• Rock On - 'Born To Rocks' opens, BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
  
  website. (An article about a guitar exhibition, includes details on the Rickenbacker Frying pan.)
• Björn Ericksson's Rickbeat Reference Page
• Rickenbacker register and resource page