Rickenbacker is one of the oldest company names in the production of electrical guitars (E-guitars). Their halfacoustic guitars became famous in the sixties by the Beatles. In the seventies also the Rickenbacker E basses became very popular.

History

The company was created 1931 as Electro stringer instrument corporation of Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp, in order to sell from Beauchamp sketched electrical Hawaii guitars. These instruments, which round ochestra the pointed name because of their long necks and "frying pans" (Bratpfannen) had, were the first electrical guitars with solid Korpus, so-called Solidbody guitars. They were not standard guitars, but more in the kind of Hawaii guitars. They possessed large pick-ups with a pair horseshoe magnet, which was enough over the edge of the strings.

Swiss Rickenbacher (that its names in "Rickenbacker" changed to avoid around anti-German attitudes due to the world wars) concentrated into the 1950er on the production of Hawaii guitars. Among the coworkers of these years the German guitar farmer Roger Rossmeisl ranked. With the success beginning skirt' n' roll came it to a reorientation toward standard guitars both with the acoustic and with the electrical models. 1956 introduced Rickenbacker of two instruments with the so-called "neck through body" construction. This building method should become the brand name. It concerned thereby the models Combo-400-Gitarre and Model 4000 bass.

1958 brought Rickenbacker its "to Capri "- series on the market, also thereby in this series were also an halfacoustic model with double Cutaway, from which the famous 300-Serie came out later. 1960 acquired 325 Capri, which he played during the early years of the Beatles constantly in Hamburg at that time still unknown John Lennon. 1963 bought George Harrison 425, but he preferred it to play mainly its Gretsch Country Gent. 1964 developed Rickenbacker a guitar, whose new arrangement made it for the being correct mechanics possible to fasten all twelve eddies to a normally large head. The second ever built instrument of this model 360/12 kept George Harrison given. Of the good play barness and the mad sound inspires, used Harrison the 360/12 intensively in the years 1964 and 1965. The influence on the sound of the Beatles leaves itself on the albums A hard Day's Night and Help! recognize well. The interested reader paid attention e.g. to the initial at the beginning of the Songs A hard Day's Night.

The model 4000 was the first Rickenbacker E-bass. The very popular model 4001 (1961), model 4003 (approx. 1980) and in the long run the model 4004 followed the model 4000. These basses (beside the basses of the mark Fender) were dominating in the skirt music of the 1970er and 1980er.

Equipped many Rickenbacker guitars and - basses are with the so-called "Rick O sound" - Stereo socket, which makes it possible to attach the different pick-ups of the instrument to different effect devices or amplifiers. Admits for it is Chris Squire, which measures the deep frequencies of its bass with a normal bass amplifier, the frequencies however with an amplifier for E-guitars. This special sound is called also Bi-Amping.

Famous users

Guitars of Rickenbacker arrived fast at large popularity with other well-known rock musicians of the 1960er years. To call would be among other things Roger McGuinn of The Byrds and Pete Townshend of The Who. Into the early 1970er years came the guitars from the mode, on the other hand Rickenbacker basses remained very popular. Paul McCartney e.g. played its Rickenbacker bass built into the 1980er years particularly for left-handed people. In later years guitarists discovered such as Paul Weller von The Jam, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Brix Smith of The case, Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles their love for the Rickenbacker.

To the most well-known Rickenbacker Bassisten e.g. artist belongs such as Mike Rutherford of genesis, Chris Squire of Yes, Lemmy Kilmister of Roger Glover of Deep PUR-polarizes, to Cliff Burton of Metallica, Joey DeMaio of Manowar and Paul McCartney.

Literature

• Bacon, Tony: The Rickenbacker book: A complete history OF Rickenbacker electric guitars. - San Francisco: GPI Books, 1994. - ISBN 0-87930-329-8
• Smith, Richard R.: The history OF Rickenbacker guitars. - Fullerton, APPROX.: Centerstream publication., 1987. - ISBN 0-931759-15-3

Related links

• Rickenbacker internationally corporation
• Eriksson's Rickenbacker PAGE
• alt.guitar.rickenbacker Frequently Asked Questions

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