Rickenbacker Guitars

Rickenbacker Guitars was founded in 1931 by Adolph Rickenbacker and George Beauchamp, and with Harry Watson and Paul Barth they created the first electric guitar, the quirky 'Frying Pan' guitars with their metal bodies. Rickenbacker have brought a great deal of innovative design to their instruments - from two truss rods, the horseshoe pickup and the stereo Rick-O-Sound.

Rickenbacker Guitars have provided the 'jangle' in popular Rock music for over 50 years now. Rickenbacker are not only a company with an incredible history, but they have a very strong visual identity of their own, with all their models of guitar designs which are unique to them. These classic guitars, including the 330 and 360 Series are built in Santa Ana, California, have kept their original shapes and styles. Rickenbacker also make their own pickups and their guitars often feature two truss rods. They ignore trends in technology, making sure these hand made guitars are as good as the classics from the 60s. While a variety of colours are available, red is perhaps the most popular choice.

With many options for 12-strings and semi-hollow bodies these are great guitars for jangly pop, rock n roll and indie, as evidenced by the guitarists who have played a Rickenbacker guitar. Considering how distinct they are sonically and physically, it is interesting to note how many players from different genres love 'Rickies'. From punk to jangly pop to stadium rock, there is a diverse list of artists who have used Rickenbacker electric guitars, including John Lennon, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, Tom Petty, Thom Yorke, Jimmy Page and Paul Weller.

Many of the more famous Rickenbacker guitar models are semi hollow and have a very distinct 'jangle' quality to their sound. It is fair to say that Rickenbackers are the definitive guitars for this type of sound. Their electric 12 string guitars more than solidify this point.

What Makes a Rickenbacker Guitar Different?

• Unique sound
• One of the oldest electric guitar brands in the world, founded in 1931
• Stylish, distinct and still classic
• Known for their eccentric designs, most of which have remained unchanged for 50 years or more
• High quality USA made instruments
• Have been played by artists including George Harrison, John Lennon, Johnny Ramone and Jeff Buckley