Rickenbacker Guitar History

The history of Rickenbacker guitars traces the same path as the history of the electric guitar itself. George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker first teamed up in about 1931, creating, making and selling the first true electric guitars.

Beauchamp had long been experimenting with electric guitars to various degrees of success. For years, he had tried everything from attaching megaphones to the guitar and turning it to the audience to closer attempts using devices placed within the guitar.

What Beauchamp brought to the table was the knowledge and know how to make electric guitars, while Rickenbacker largely brought manufacturing capabilities and money.

Rickenbacker also brought his last name, shared by his war hero relative Eddie Rickenbacker. Eddie was an ace pilot from World War I and the last name carried enough clout to help give their instruments an extra jolt.

Not that they needed an extra jolt—after all, they were the first with fully functioning electric guitars. Their guitars provided all the jolt they needed. These first guitars were nicknamed “The Frying Pan” due to their appearance and the fact that they were played in Hawaiian fashion, flat on the lap. Unfortunately for Rickenbacker, their great new invention was teamed up with an awful economic period.

Their guitar was also quickly being copied and made by other companies and individuals. By the early 1950s Fender and Gibson had released their electric guitars, which gained huge appeal and popularity. Steel guitars were more of an oddity and were not doing well, electricity be damned. Rickenbacker wanted out of the company and sold it to F.C. Hall.

Under his guidance, the company and their instruments would head in a much different direction. They began producing more standard guitars, both electric and acoustic models. Rickenbackers were known for their quality craftsmanship, sturdiness and great sound.

The early 1960s though saw a huge spike in interest in Rickenbackers. As it happens time and time again in the music industry, all it takes is one popular artist to use your instrument and you have yourself a bona fide top seller.

Rickenbacker guitars couldn’t have asked for better publicity, when a band going by the name The Beatles began making their splash, and doing so while strumming Rickenbacker guitars.

Today the Rickenbacker company sells reissues of these 1960s models, along with many other of their early models and guitars throughout the years. From the Beatles to Tom Petty, Rick James to John Fogerty and countless other huge artists, Rickenbackers were favorites amongst those who made it their business making music.

Fender can lay claim to changing the music industry by popularizing the electric guitar. They developed a mass producable, affordable and trendy guitar that the public latched onto and sought after.

However, the history of the Rickenbacker guitar is the history of the electric guitar itself. From the early “Frying Pan” days to today’s reissued classics and new models, Rickenbacker has been around from the beginning of the electric guitar scene.