About
Rickenbacker is the oldest manufacturer of electric guitars (electric guitar) and inventor of the electromagnetic pickup. Their semi-acoustic guitars in the 1960s made famous by the Beatles. In the 1970s and the Rickenbacker bass guitars were very popular. The Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC) is now the only major U.S. guitar manufacturer that manufactures exclusively in the U.S.. The manufacture and at the same company is based in Santa Ana, California.
History
The company was founded in 1931 as the Electro String Instrument Corporation by Adolph Rickenbacher and George Beauchamp, of Beauchamp, designed to sell electric Hawaiian guitars (English lap steels). These instruments, which had for their long necks and round orchestras nicknamed "frying pans" (frying pans), were the first electric guitar with solid body, so-called solid body guitars. Large pickups had a pair of horseshoe magnet that has the edge of the strings enough.
The Swiss Rickenbacher (who changed his name to Rickenbacker to avoid anti-German attitudes derived from the world wars) until the 1950s focused on the production of Hawaiian guitars. came to the employees of those years was one of German luthier Roger Rossmeisl. With the incipient success of rock 'n' roll it to a reorientation towards the standard in both the acoustic guitars as well as the electric models. Rickenbacker 1956, a two instruments with the so-called neck through body construction. This design should be a trademark. These were the models Combo 400 Bass Guitar and Model 4000.
E-Bass 4001 model JG
Rickenbacker 1958 brought his "Capri" series on the market, with this in this series was also a semi-acoustic model with double-cutaway, which later emerged the famous 300 series. In Hamburg in 1960 the then unknown John Lennon bought a 325 Capri, which he played consistently during the early years of the Beatles. 1963 George Harrison bought a 425, but he preferred to play his Gretsch Country Gent mainly. 1964 developed a Rickenbacker twelve-string guitar, the new arrangement of the vocal mechanism made it possible to fix all twelve vertebrae in a normal-sized head plate. The second instrument ever built this model 360/12 was given to George Harrison. Excited about the good playability and sound, Harrison used the 360/12 intensively in the years 1964 and 1965. The influence on the sound of the Beatles can be heard on the albums A Hard Day's Night and Help! well recognized, such as the opening chord of the song A Hard Day's Night. Almost all electric guitars by Rickenbacker are characterized by a rich in overtones, bright sound ("Jingle-Jangle Sound") that is not accessible by other guitar manufacturers in this form, especially when a Vox AC30 tube amp is connected. This combination Rickenbacker and Vox AC30 is considered by many guitarists to be optimal to bring the strength of a Rickenbacker advantage.
The Model 4000 was the first Rickenbacker bass guitar. The Model 4000 was followed the very popular model 4001 (in 1961), model 4002 (in 1977), Model 4003 (about 1980) and ultimately the model 4004th This bass (alongside the Fender bass of the brand) was dominant in the rock music of the 1970s and 1980s.
Rickenbacker sound
Rickenbacker basses of the 4000 series (in contrast to the 3000 series) have a continuous and not, as was customary at a screwed neck. This has a decisive influence on the sustain and the sound of the instrument. In addition, Rickenbacker basses have an unusual scale length of 84.5 cm (33 1 / 4 inch), which also contributes to the unique sound and playability of the special.
Many of Rickenbacker guitars and basses are equipped with the so-called "Rick-O-Sound" stereo jack, which allows to connect the various pickup of the instrument to different effects units or amplifiers. Known is Chris Squire, who taps the neck pickup of his bass with a regular bass amplifier, the bridge pickup but with an amplifier for electric guitars. This particular sound is referred to as bi-amping.
Known user
Guitars by Rickenbacker arrived quickly a favorite among rock musicians of the 1960s. to call would include John Lennon and George Harrison from the Beatles, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds and Pete Townshend of The Who. In the early 1970s, the guitars were out of fashion, but Rickenbacker basses remained popular. Paul McCartney played, for example, until the 1980s, his specially built for left-handed Rickenbacker bass guitar. In later years discovered guitarists like Tom Petty, Paul Weller, The Jam, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Per Gessle of Roxette, Marty Willson-Piper of The Church, Brix Smith of The Fall, Peter Buck of REM 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 play a guitar that mark.
Among the most famous bass players who play a bass of the brand Rickenbacker or played include, for example, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush, Lemmy Kilmister of Moto"rhead, Roger Glover of Deep Purple, Hellmut Hattler of Kraan, Cliff Burton of Metallica, Joey DeMaio of Manowar, Carl-Johan Fogelklou by Mando Diao, and Paul McCartney.