These totals are from Rickenbacker factory rickenbacker serial dating and published by Richard Smith in his Rickenbacker book see my bibliography web page. Click on the one that appears to be the type you have on your instrument! When evaluating an instrumentplease keep in mind that the early Rickenbacher company was a young enterprise in a brand new industry, rickenbacker serial dating. posted 19 June AM profile send email edit Rickenbacker Related Patents. Probably because this idea was not very good for the player.
The Earliest Rickenbackers
Below are some guidelines and help for you who are interested to find rickenbacker serial dating the age of your Rickenbacker instrument. Rickenbacker International Corporation has used a number of various systems. Some of the earlier had no corresponding dates to the number, except for the invoices, rickenbacker serial dating.
Below are some of the most common serial number variations. Click on the one that appears to be the type you have on your instrument! The code for Rickenbacker hollow body guitars made from through December reveals some Model information. It does not tell you the date of manufacture. It is possible to find more information through factory invoices.
The first digit in the serial number stand for the number of rickenbacker serial dating. The letter 'T' is for non-vibrato tailpiece and the 'V' means vibrato tailpiece. Below are a few examples:. As so many times during the earlier periods, there are exceptions from the serial numbering system shown above. The first Capri guitars, like some Model didn't have the number of pickups in the serial number.
It only showed the tailpiece version, i. It also happened that a vibrato model could end up with a 'T' in the number as well as a 'V' on non-vibrato models. Here are some examples on the full size standard guitars, basses and mandolins. The first numbers tell us what model the instrument is. The letter following the first number s indicate the instrument style.
The first single digit after the letter tells us what year in the 50's. It works like this:. The Model usually had a 4 rather than a 45 in the part of the serial number. It ended with an 'A'. For example 4C A was a Model V often stood for Model or Model It could also be a Model The codes didn't tell us any specific model information, but it tells us that the instrument was one of the smaller student models. There was some minor exceptions from this, but the above mentioned system was the most common, rickenbacker serial dating.
Serial Numbers with a 'R', rickenbacker serial dating. The numbers with an 'R', rickenbacker serial dating, like in 2R was used in the early 60's for DeLuxe Hollow Body Models with the Rick-O-Sound output. The Model that has the serial number mentioned was a Model F made in July Rickenbacker Related Patents. O Kauffman 2 A. Young 3 George D. Beauchamp 4 Paul M.
Barth 5 Rickenbacker serial dating P. Sceusa 6 F. C Hall. Another numbering variation. Hand vibrato tailpiece. Molded musical instruments and necks. Frying Pan and horseshoe pickup, rickenbacker serial dating. Headless electric violin class instruments. Roller Vibrato Tailpiece. Vibrola Spanish Guitar. Tubular body electric violin class instruments. Detachable horseshoe pickup.
The Sceusa neck.
politely say no thank you online dating
V often stood for Model or Model It could also be a Model The codes didn't tell us any specific model information, but it tells us that the instrument was one of the smaller student models. There was some minor exceptions from this, but the above mentioned system was the most common. Serial Numbers with a 'R'. The numbers with an 'R', like in 2R was used in the early 60's for DeLuxe Hollow Body Models with the Rick-O-Sound output. The Model that has the serial number mentioned was a Model F made in July Rickenbacker Related Patents.
O Kauffman 2 A. Young 3 George D. Beauchamp 4 Paul M. Barth 5 Peter P. Sceusa 6 F. C Hall. Another numbering variation. Hand vibrato tailpiece. Molded musical instruments and necks. Frying Pan and horseshoe pickup. Headless electric violin class instruments. Roller Vibrato Tailpiece. Vibrola Spanish Guitar. Tubular body electric violin class instruments.
Detachable horseshoe pickup. Some of this, I suspect, at the personal request of pro-players too. So, don't be blended by a shiny set of plated body cover plates. Look at the body first; check the edges, the frets and the orientation of the plug, then the pick-up size and style and any patent information. Second generation and up models tend to have a glossier black.
That's probably because of the changed bakelite formula. Check the string attach, but remember that the late 's models had "string-thru-the-body" attach too but won't have the integrated bridge. I am in the process of collecting digital photos of B and A series Rickenbacher lap steels and all information catalog copies possible. If you can take pictures of your guitar s please e-mail them to me together with serial number info.
All this information shall help me help you better. From: Boston, MA posted 29 May AM profile send email edit Many thanks, JD, for taking the time and trouble to post this! As a fellow Bakelite fanatic, this is worth more to me than Richard Smith's entire book on Rickebac k her. From: Vancouver BC Canada posted 29 May PM profile send email edit JD Thanks ever so much for the information. Its much appreciated. Andy Alford Member From: Alabama posted 31 May AM profile send email edit Remember that there were Rickenbachers built after the war with mixed parts like pre war bodies and name plates combined with after war pickups.
I have played one of these and it really had the Rick. moan that people want in these bakelites. Herb Steiner Member From: Cedar Valley, Travis County TX posted 31 May PM profile send email edit JD, I own one of the anomalies to your list. Everything about it says "pre-August 37," except that there are two control knobs on the right cover plate.
Phonojack facing player, "pat pend. are all correct. Just the darn control panel. I have noticed on the Rickenbacker website of 's catalogs that the Rickenbacher and Rickenbacker spellings are both used even on the oldest literature.
Is this just peculiar to the catalogs or do some of the prewar guitars also have the Rickenbacker spelling? Gary Anwyl Member From: Palo Alto, CA posted 01 June PM profile send email edit Nice job JD. I have a "wartime-era" Rick with the white celluloid panels. There are a couple of things I have been wondering about it. Maybe this is a good time to bring them up. That panel is metal and painted white. Do all the celluloid panel Ricks have the control knobs mounted on a metal plate?
It's right where an endpin would be if it were an acoustic guitar. Some idiot ruined this vintage lap steel by stucking a strap button on it. I also noticed some National cast metal lap steels also have a strap button. Why did they install a strap button? I suppose it would protect the body if you were going to prop it up on it's end and lean it against something, but that doesn't seem like a wise thing to do.
I hope other Rick owners can chime in with their thoughts and observations. Gary Anwyl Member From: Palo Alto, CA posted 03 June PM profile send email edit To respond to Mark Durante question about the spelling of Rickenbacker. According to Smith's Complete History of Rickenbacker book, the spelling "Rickenbacker" was used in all of the sales literature, but the "Rickenbacher" spelling was used on the nameplates on the instruments until the 50's.
The catalogs marked as and are probably from According to the Smith book, in the Ro-Pat-In corporation changed its name to Electro String Instruments Corp and started refering to the instruments as "Rickenbacker Electros". The "" catalog says "Electro String Instruments Corp" on it and the "" catalog refers to Rickenbacker Electro.
Also according to the Smith book Rickenbacker didn't start producing lap steels until mid and only 13 were sold the first year, so it is unlikely that the brochure is from The catalog dated as "" is probably from the late 40's - it contains a post-war Bakelite Rick! From: Alabama posted 03 June PM profile send email edit I am enjoying reading all the post.
My problem is trying to figure out the Rickenbacher bakelite facts from the fiction. This is a story that may never end. I am in the dark. Gary Anwyl Member From: Palo Alto, CA posted 03 June PM profile send email edit Two more erroneous dates on the Rickenbacker catalog page. The "" catalog shows the Model 59 which was introduced in late '37 or early ' The "" catalog shows the Vibrola Spanish Guitar which was introduced in December ' Jim Landers Member From: Spokane, Wash.
posted 03 June PM profile send email edit Do any of you guys know for sure what year the first Bakelites were made? I had always heard the first ones came out in , but recently I have heard they may have made some in '34 or even earlier. I have number C18 which is obviously one of the very first, and I am curious as to what year it may have actually been built.
I'd appreciate your educated opinions on this. Jim Gary Anwyl Member From: Palo Alto, CA posted 03 June PM profile send email edit According to the Smith book Rickenbacker began commercial shipments of the bakelite lap steels in July ' In '34 they had started development of their first bakelite instrument, an electric violin.
The Smith book seems like a pretty credible source. He seems to have had access to the Rickenbacker archive. For the July '35 shipping date he quotes from a letter by Adolph Rickenbacher. He also cites some correspondence between Rickenbacker and the Bakelite Corporation in late '34 and a patent search on bakelite instruments that was done by Rickenbacker in early ' posted 04 June PM profile send email edit Thanks Gary.
wayne yakes md Member From: denver, colorado posted 11 June PM profile send email edit Don't think I ever "dated" Ricky. Don't know any guys who would admit to it! J D Sauser Member From: Traveling, currently in Switzerland, soon to be either back in the States or on the Eastern part of Hispaniola Island posted 13 June AM profile send email edit Herb Steiner.
Regarding your guitar's panels: What may have happened on Herb your guitar can only be guessed. The fact that it has the plug facing the player is comforting to know as it points towards a pre-war body How are the edges of your instrument? Evenly rounded or slightly beveled? If it's NOT rounded we'd have 2 indications that it in fact is a pre-war body Now, how about the neck? No grooves? My theory would be, that I could very well understand that some player came up with the idea of putting two controls on the treble side as Rick later did.
Maybe he had an early one with just the volume control and wanted to add a tone control after hearing what others could do with it to put it out of the picking hand made sense. But that's all just guesses. Now, about Gary Anwyl's celluloid plates They used to get brittle light sensitive and break.
It might have been replaced with a metal plate as it's the most likely one to break as the knobs stick out and may have been pushed in, breaking the celluloid plate But that again just an other guess I can not yet make a statement as to which period the celluloid plates where used. I would however guess it was war-times late '41 to '45 as it would make sense because of material shortages. As for the first "official" year of "B"-models: All I've found point towards at the earliest.
The "Vibrola" was a feature ADDED to the Spanish guitar model. I can't state any years but I believe the basic Spanish guitar model was introduced before Thanks for the nice comments. Buck Dilly Member From: Branchville, NJ, USA posted 17 June PM profile send email edit If anyone has a picture of the Bakelite Violin, would you mind emailing it to me? Gary Anwyl Member From: Palo Alto, CA posted 17 June PM profile send email edit Buck, if you follow the Rickenbacker catalog link in my earlier post and look at the catalog you'll see a picture of the Electro Violin on one of the pages.
It's a pretty radical design - it's basically just a neck and chin rest. Image link [This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 23 September at PM. From: Traveling, currently in Switzerland, soon to be either back in the States or on the Eastern part of Hispaniola Island posted 19 June AM profile send email edit and some 50 years later some very revolutionary Japanese company "invented" something just like it herb unregistered posted 19 June AM edit I dated a Rickenbacker once she drove me nuts and spent all my cash.
Wish I could remember her first name though H Steve Honum Member From: LosAngelesCa posted 13 July PM profile edit How rare are the 7 string bakelite Ricks? What is the tuning peg configuration on 7 strings?
Individual tuners or mounted on a plate? If a 6 string had been modified to a 7, I guess it would be pretty obvious?? I appreciate the information on bakelites that you guys provide, especially pointing out the errors on Rickenbakers own site regarding their catalog dates. Haere mai, Steve H. C Dixon Member From: Duluth, GA USA posted 13 July PM profile send email edit I own a prewar bakelite Rick 7 string. Keys are of the "butterbean" type. Keys are mounted a 4 key strip in the front and a 3 key strip on the back.
The pickup has 7 pole pieces. They manufactured 6 stringers over 7 stringer. The plug is on the players side. It has a tone AND a volume control on the the chrome plate away from the player. This is NOT the way it was built. Some owner removed the single tone control and plugged the hole with a chromed metal button and drilled two additional holes moving the original tone control to one of these drilled holes and installing a volume control in the other new hole. There is a "patent pend" stamp on the plate that supports the horseshoe magnet, so I know the guitar was built before August 10, As to when, I have NOT a clue.
The knobs look like old Philco radio knobs. Not the knobs that probably came with the guitat I don't imagine. I paid dollars for it about 5 years ago. I would not take anything for it, unless I was desparate.
No comments:
Post a Comment