"In the mid у50s, Rickenbacker turned from production of its stapleяlap steel guitarsяand started to produce рelectro-Spanishс guitars that featured the patented рhorseshoeс pickup used in the steels. Spurred by the success of the early Fender and Gibson electric guitars, Rickenbacker rapidly expanded its electric guitar line to produce several models of guitarsяincluding the Combo, the Capri and the full-bodied or рF-bodyс modelsяeach possessing unique characteristics. The Rickenbacker frenzy went into full gear in early 1964 when the Beatles appeared on nationwide U.S. television on the Ed Sullivan show. Aspiring guitar players wanted the guitars the Beatles were playing, and John Lennon and George Harrison were both playing Rickenbackers. The rest is history, briefly recounted by a walk through the following photo gallery of the beginnings and design progression of the Rickenbacker guitars that rocked the world. (All photos courtesy of Ron OуKeefe)"
"This tenor banjo-style instrument was developed by Rickenbacker in conjunction with banjo player Eddie Peabody, whose name appears on the truss rod cover. It has six strings, two octave pairs and two singles, and a very thin banjo-style neck, along with crushed pearl inlays, a special roller bridge and Acуcent vibrola. The model 6006 Banjoline has a 381-style body with German carve and checkered binding on the top. "
"The export 1997уs corresponding non-export model is the 335. Other than the f hole instead of the slash soundhole, this model is virtually identical to the standard 330 model, except that very few 330s were produced for the US domestic market by Rickenbacker during the early 1960s. The Redburst finish is unusual for a 1997."
"The F-series guitars were phased out of production in the early 1960s, and then redesigned and brought back in the mid-1960s. Design differences included a shallower cutaway and the arrangement of the control knobs along the lower perimeter of the guitarяa departure from the standard (and very practical) attachment of the control knobs to the pickguard. Access to the body interior of this model was made through two circular holes hidden under the distinctively non-Rick pickguard. The redesigned F-series was only issued with deluxe appointments, featuring checkered body binding on the front and back of the 17 inch wide body. Body thickness, however, was reduced to 1 3/4 inches from 2 1/4 inches. Shown is a 1960 model 360F (left) paired with a 1967 model 360F (right), both in Fireglo. "
"Beginning in late 1966, the 360 and 330 series 12-string models were available in a three pickup version known as the 370 and 340 models, respectively. This example has the same electronics as the 360-12, but includes a middle pickup, which adds a midrange tone to the guitar when switched to the neck pickup, as both middle and neck pickups are wired in sync. This example has been retrofitted with a 12-saddle Rickenbacker adjustable bridge."
"Rickenbacker began exporting guitars and basses to the UK distributor, Rose Morris, in 1964. Most of these рexportс or рRose Morrisс models have unique features distinguishing them from Rickenbackerуs U.S. domestic production models. The exception is this solidbody model 1995, corresponding to the non-export model 615. It is almost impossible to tell the difference between the two models. In contrast to the 460, with its old-fashioned Combo-styled set-in bridge/string anchor construction, the 600 series adopted the adjustable bridge and the Acуcent tailpiece from the Capri models, and also featured neck-thru construction. "
"As fortune would have it, John Lennon played a Rickenbacker guitar that was extremely rare—a short-scale (20.75"") semi-hollow model two inches thick at the body, of which less than 10 examples were produced in that era. Further adding to its rarity is the belief that it was one of the few made with no soundhole. A book could be written about Lennon's first model 325 and the various modifications made to it. Rickenbacker carried reissues of this model in both the original Mapleglo and Jetglo finishes in the '80s and through early 2009, when it was discontinued."
"In late 1966, Rickenbacker began production of the рconvertibleс 12-string guitar. The converter mechanism consisted of a modified pickguard assembly, a sliding metal comb, and a hinged arm held in place by a metal bracket and large hold-down screw. The convertible 12-string would allow the player, with a single movement of the six-pronged retaining comb, to pull down and retain the octave strings below the picking area, thus enabling a switch from 12- to 6-string guitar (and back) without having to change guitars. The convertible models were designated with a р6с in the third digitяso the 360-12 was known as the 366-12, the 330-12 was the 336-12, and even the modest solidbody 450-12, when endowed with a converter, became the 456-12. This example has a rare Moonglo (dark cherry burst) finish."
"This guitar was the stylistic offspring of the Combo 450 with the addition of Capri-like deluxe features and рneck-thruс constructionяone piece of solid maple runs from headstock to strap-pin, with headstock and body wings glued on. Neck-thru construction became a dominant design feature for the у60s Rickenbacker solidbody guitars."
"Mapleglo is the Rickenbacker name for natural finish. This F-series guitar has a factory un-lacquered rosewood fretboard, checkered body binding on the front and back, three Toaster Top pickups and an unusual рmusical notesс Acуcent vibrola. The checkered body binding was first introduced on the F-series guitars and would later become a staple of the deluxe package of features."
"The Combo line of guitars featured bolt-on necks, metal truss rod covers, recessed edges on the body front, and a horseshoe pickup in the bridge position. In the horseshoe pickup, the strings passed through a magnetic field created by magnets below and magnetized рshoesс above the strings. This early model also has a chambered body, hollowed out from the back, with a gold metal pickguard. The horseshoe pickup installed on the Combo 600 was a single-coil with volume and tone controls. "
"The Capri was also issued with рstandardс trim as displayed on this exampleяdot fretboard markers and no body or neck binding. In all other respects, the standard 330 series Capri was constructed like the deluxe 360 series Capri. This example displays the bright red burst finish known as Fireglo, which entered the Rick finish line in 1959 and has been a standard ever since. It is also equipped with a Kauffman vibrola unit. Capris with vibrola units were often equipped with рrollerс bridgesяeach bridge saddle had a small metal roller insert shaped like the ball-end of a guitar stringяto enable the strings to be moved by the vibrola with a minimum of friction at the bridge."
"This example features a beautiful quilted maple top and unusual soundhole that appears to be bound, but has been professionally trimmed in white paint. By the end of 1968, the 12-string craze was beginning to fade and most Rickenbacker 12-strings were being produced as 360-12 models or 366-12 рconvertibles.с This striking 330-12 example was an exception."
"The model 381 was introduced in 1968 with a body depth of 2 3/4 inches, making it the deepest of the Rickenbacker body sizes of that era and more semi-acoustic than semi-hollow. This early production example (serial # IA) has Toaster Top pickups and an indented рGerman carveс body front and back, with checkered binding on both sides. This model was reissued in the late у80s as the 381V69, available both in 6- and 12-string models. "
This extremely rare guitar is one of the few convertible models issued by Rickenbacker as a double-bound O.S. deluxe model. Only a handful of examples of the 366-12 model were made with the double-bound O.S. featuresяperhaps just one in each of the Rickenbacker finish colors available at the time.
"In 1961, the Capri underwent several significant design changesяthe body thickness decreased from 2 to 1 1/2 inches, the upper horns were widened, the body waist was moved slightly towards the center, and a fifth but smaller Blend knob was addedяenabling a wider range of tones to be coaxed from the existing two-pickup system. In 1961 Rickenbacker also adopted a date-code system with рAс designating the year 1961 and the second letter indicating the month. This example (serial #AE) is rare in that it may be one of the first guitars made in the рNew Capriс body style and certainly one of the first in the standard 330 model. Further, it may be one of the first Ricks to sport the fifth Blend knob and have a factory-bound neck, not standard on the 330 model. "
"This opaque finish color is essentially black and was introduced by Rickenbacker circa 1967. This guitar has three Toaster Top pickups, a roller bridge, and an Acуcent vibrola. "
"This guitar is a very clean example of the New Capri design. It also features the then-new Acуcent Vibrola, a unit by which the player could move the strings up and down, instead of side-to-side as was the case with the Kauffman unit. The Acуcent quickly replaced the Kauffman as the standard Rickenbacker vibrola. This guitar is a few serial numbers away from the iconic guitar of the same style (with round instead of oven knobs) featured on the cover of рRickenbacker: Pioneer of the Electric Guitar,с the book published by Rittor Music."
"The 360-12 shown here was the same model, year, and finish color of the Rickenbacker 12-string played by Roger McGuinn on the Byrdsу initial albums. The 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was the foundation of the folk-rock sound of the mid-1960s, that the Byrds helped to create."
"In addition to being a rare bound headstock modelяthe nut, frets, pickups, and bridge on this guitar are all slanted. The theory behind this short-lived design was that the slight downward slant of the bass side frets toward the guitar body would more naturally fit the playerуs hand, and allow for more comfortable, accurate fretting of the guitar. Slant-fret Ricks were only produced in the early to mid-1970s. This particular example has checker bound back, crushed pearl inlays and hi-gain pickups, which by 1971 had replaced the Toaster Top pickups on many guitar models. This example also has a 24-fret neck, which would replace the 21-fret neck that had been standard on the full-scale Rickenbacker guitars up to that time. "
"The 400 series Combos were slab-bodied guitars with gold metal pickguards and a single-coil Toaster Top pickup in the bridge position. This example also has a toaster-top pickup in the neck position, as indicated by the 50 in the model number. From 1954 through 1957, the Combo was the predominant Rickenbacker electric guitar offering and came in Cloverfield Green (shown) as well as turquoise, white, blonde, natural, and black."
"This translucent finish became a standard Rickenbacker finish circa 1968. The combination of a double-bound body with Burgundyglo finish is rare indeed. Unlike Fender, Rickenbacker generally did not produce custom color guitars in the 1960s. Burgundyglo and Azureglo were finish colors introduced in the late у60s to liven up the color choices of the Rickenbacker line, which had been limited to Mapleglo, Fireglo, and Jetglo. "
"This guitar features the new-for-1959 рRic-o-soundс dual output-jack systemяone output was mono and the other stereo. Ric-o-sound became part of the deluxe package of Rickenbacker guitar features and remains so today. A special wiring unit was available as an accessory to enable players to take advantage of the stereo output, so each pickup could be routed to a separate amp or amp channel. "
"Unlike the 600, the 800 Combo model had a double-coil horseshoe pickup and a second switch to engage one or both coils. The burnished metal pickguard on this example may not be original. The Combo 600 and 800 models were also available with a Toaster Top neck pickup added and these two-pickup guitars were known as the 650 and 850 models, respectively."
"The iconic George Harrison 12-string, made in 1963 had all the features of the New Capri in a then-new 12-string model. One of the great mysteries of Rickenbacker design history was that less than five 12-strings were produced in this early styleяlater production would follow the designs discussed below. The wild popularity of this George Harrison-played model led to its eventual reissue by Rickenbacker in the early 1980s as the 360/12V64, succeeded in the у00s by a more accurate reissue model designated as the 360/12C63. The Rickenbacker 12-string design departed from the norm in several respects. The headstock was not enlarged to accommodate the six extra strings. Instead, channels were routed into the headstock and the extra strings were affixed to six side-mounted tuners. Another innovation was the reversal of the string pairs, with each octave string placed behind the main string. This enabled the player to achieve a stronger attack by hitting the main strings first and the octave strings secondяso on the backstroke, the octaves are hit first. The total effect produces the distinctive рjingle-jangleс bell-like chime of a well-played Rickenbacker 12-string. "
"This early example of the Rickenbacker full-bodied or рF-seriesс guitar had a body 2 1/4 inches deep and 17 inches wide with a single rounded cutaway. It was aimed at the archtop market, dominated at the time by Gibson and Gretsch. Though with a flat top and back, it is not an archtop by construction. This example features unusual black celluloid neck binding and sports a long trapeze tailpiece. Other than its size and rounded-cutaway shape, it shared many construction features with the smaller Capri, such as a glued-in three-piece neck, semi-hollow body construction and six-saddle adjustable bridge. "
"I acquired this guitar stripped of its original finish and it was refinished in nitrocellulose lacquer in green, followed by the burst pattern of the standard Fireglo finish. Several Rickenbacker guitars were produced at the factory with this finish color in the late 1960s, though this is not one of them. "
"The model 1993 is the export version of the semi-hollow bodied 12-string guitar (corresponding non-export model is the 330-12) and is distinguished by an f-hole instead of a slash soundhole. The Rose Morris export models were only produced with standard features, save the body binding unique to the model 1993, which in early 1965 was issued with the newly designed рRс tailpiece rather than a trapeze tailpiece. This 12-string guitar model was produced in limited numbers with almost all going to the UK (and most likely all being played by British rockers of that era), making it one of the most sought-after Rickenbacker guitars for collectors. "
"Both the deluxe and standard Capri models could be ordered with three pickups, as shown on this example, which also features a rare mahogany body with distinct ribbon flame and a Kauffman vibrola. The middle pickup was wired in sync with the neck pickup. "
"This three pickup example is fully loaded with an Acуcent vibrola, roller bridge, oven knobs, Ric-o-sound, gold guards and TRC. The vast majority of the New Capri models were produced from 1961 to 1964 and almost all had deluxe features. 1963 would be the last year for gold plastic and oven knobs, which were replaced in 1964 by white plastic and round black knobs with a white line radial marker. The dark Fireglo finish is termed by some as Autumnglo."
This opaque finish color is a dark blue first introduced by Rickenbacker circa 1968. This example has a roller bridge and Acуcent vibrola.
This guitar was an early and rare departure from Rickenbackerуs standard lap steel fare in the у30sяa full-bodied рelectro-Spanishс guitar with a horseshoe pickup and side-to-side vibrola system designed by Doc Kauffman. This vibrola was an appendage that would adorn Rickenbackers through the late у50s. This guitar has a dark brown woodgrain finish and metal рRickenbacherс (with an рhс) badge on a pearloid headstock veneer. The рhс in the name was replaced by a рkс in the mid-у50s.
"The Capri model was a marked departure from the Combo model. Features of the Capri included a flattopped, semi-hollow, two inch thick body made of a single hardwood billetяusually maple hollowed out from the backяwith internal body bracing. The Capri also featured a glued-in three-piece maple neck with walnut center stripe and headstock wings, rosewood fretboard, рslashс soundhole, oven control knobs, adjustable six-saddle bridge and two pickups with separate volume and tone controls for each. The Capri truss rod cover was a distinctive back-painted gold plexi with a black Rickenbacker logo. This example, which has a fixed trapeze tailpiece, is a рdeluxeс model Capri, having triangle fretboard inlays and body and neck binding. Autumnglo was the dominant finish color for the Capri model in 1958. "
OуKeefe collects vintage instruments with a concentration in Rickenbacker instruments and amplifiers from the у50s and у60s.
"The 360 series deluxe model could still be special ordered with body binding on front and back (рold styleс) even after the рnew styleс dominated post-1964 production. Because of that, these mid-to late у60s guitars are rare and desirable. In addition to the double binding, they sport crushed pearl inlays and are usually equipped with Acуcent vibrolas. Note also the slimmer headstock on the 1965 model."
"Many changes were made to the Rickenbacker deluxe Capri model in late 1964 and early 1965, resulting in this model being referred to as New Style or NS. Rather than being double-bound, the redesigned 360 series body had a rounded over unbound top, black and white checkered back binding, and a rounded body horn on the treble side. The pearloid triangle fretboard inlays were replaced with crushed pearl inlays, which literally sparkled with a rainbow of colors and became a prized feature of this model. The рRс tailpiece also made its debut at this time, replacing the trapeze tailpiece of the non-vibrola models."
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