Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker is an American guitar brand. The company is one of the oldest manufacturer of electric guitars ( electric guitars), here the electromagnetic pickup was invented. Your semi - acoustic guitars were famous in the 1960s by the Beatles. In the 1970s, the Rickenbacker basses were very popular. The Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC ) is now the only major U.S. guitar manufacturer that produces exclusively in the USA. The place of manufacture and at the same company is based in Santa Ana, California. The company is owned by the company manager John Hall.
History
The company was founded in 1931 as the Electro String Instrument Corporation by Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp, around designed by Beauchamp electric guitars Hawaii ( lap steel guitar ) for sale. These tools, which contributed because of their long necks and round sound body nicknamed Frying Pan ( skillet ), were the first solid body electric guitars with so-called solid-body guitars. They owned large pickup with a pair horseshoe magnet that reached over the edge of the strings.
The Swiss Rickenbacher (who changed his name to Rickenbacker to avoid anti- German attitudes derived from the world wars ) focused until the 1950s in the production of Hawaiian guitars. Among the employees of these years included the German luthier Roger Rossmeisl. With the beginning of the success of the rock ' n ' roll, there was a reorientation towards standard guitars both acoustic as well as electric models. 1953 sold Adolph Rickenbacher his company to FC Hall., Whose son owns the company today.
In 1956, Rickenbacker two instruments with the so-called neck -through body construction. This design was to become the trademark. These were the models Combo 400 guitar and Model 4000 bass.
1958, Rickenbacker its " Capri " series on the market, with it in this series was also a semi- acoustic model with a double -cutaway, which later became the famous 300 series emerged. Acquired in 1960 in Hamburg of a then-unknown John Lennon Rickenbacker 325 which he played consistently during the early years of the Beatles. 1963 George Harrison bought a 425, but he preferred, mainly playing his Gretsch Country Gent. 1964 Rickenbacker developed a twelve-string guitar, the novel arrangement of the vocal mechanism made it possible to fix every twelve vertebrae in a normal-sized head board. The second instrument ever built this model 360/12 was George Harrison paid. Passionate about taking good playability and sound, used Harrison the 360/12 intensively in the years 1964 and 1965. Leaves, the influence on the sound of the Beatles on the albums A Hard Day 's Night and Help! clearly visible, such as the opening chord of the song A Hard Day 's Night. Almost all electric guitars from Rickenbacker characterized by a harmonically rich, bright sound off (" Jingle Jangle - sound "), which can not be achieved with guitars from other manufacturers in this form, especially when a VOX AC30 amplifier tube is connected. This combination Rickenbacker and Vox AC30 is considered by many guitarists to be optimal to bring the strengths of a Rickenbacker advantage.
The Model 4000 was the first Rickenbacker bass guitar. The Model 4000 was followed by the very popular Model 4001 (1961 ), model 4002 (1977 ), model 4003 (about 1980) and ultimately the model 4004th These basses were (in addition to the Fender bass ) dominant in the rock music of the 1970s and 1980s. Under the brand name Fresher copies were offered by a Japanese manufacturer.
1984 handed F. C. Hall the company to his son John Hall and his wife Cindalee, since the company is called " Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC ) ".
Rickenbacker sound
Rickenbacker basses in the 4000 series (as opposed to the 3000 series ) have a continuous and not, as was customary at a screwed neck. This has a significant impact on the sustain and the sound of the instrument. In addition, Rickenbacker basses have a scale length of 84.5 cm unusual (33 1/4 inches), which also contributes to the unique sound and playability of the special.
Many Rickenbacker guitars and basses are equipped with the so-called " Rick -O- Sound" stereo jack, which makes it possible to connect the different pickups of the instrument to different effects units or amplifiers. Known for Chris Squire, which taps the neck pickup of his bass with a regular bass amplifier, the bridge pickup but with an amplifier for electric guitars.
Known users
Guitars by Rickenbacker arrived quickly great popularity among rock musicians of the 1960s. Mention may be made, among others, John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds and Pete Townshend of The Who. In the early 1970s, the guitars went out of fashion, remained Rickenbacker basses very popular. Paul McCartney, for example, played up in the 1980s, its specially built for left-handed Rickenbacker bass. In later years discovered guitarists like Tom Petty, Paul Weller of The Jam, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Per Gessle from Roxette, Marty Willson - Piper of The Church, Brix Smith of The Fall, Peter Buck of REM, Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian and Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles their preference for Rickenbacker instruments. On the live DVD of the Britpop band Coldplay Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland playing a guitar of this brand. During the 99 Revolutions tour also played Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day often a Rickenbacker guitar from the type Rickenbacker 360 /12.
Among the most famous bassists who play a bass branded Rickenbacker or played include John Entwistle of The Who, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Roger Glover Deep Purple, Hellmut Hattler Kraan, Cliff Burton of Metallica, Joey DeMaio of Manowar, Carl- Johan Fogelklou Mando Diao and Paul McCartney.