In 1925, John Dopyera (and brothers) joined up with George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker and formed National to build resonator guitars. Beauchamp´s attitudes over spending money caused John Dopyera to leave National and start the Dobro company. While at National, Beauchamp, Rickenbacker and Dopyera´s nephew, Paul Barth, designed the Frying Pan electric lap steel. In 1929 or 1930, Beauchamp was either forced out or fired from National - and so allied himself with Adolph Rickenbacker (National´s tool and die man) and Barth to form Ro-Pat-In.
In the summer of 1931, Ro-Pat-In started building aluminum versions of the Frying Pan prototype. Early models have "Electro" on the headstock. Two years later, "Rickenbacker" (or sometimes "Rickenbacher") was added to the headstock, and Ro-Pat-In was formally changed to the Electro String Instrument Corporation. Beauchamp left Electro sometime in 1940, and Barth left in 1956 to form his own company.
In December of 1953, F.C. Hall bought out the interests of Rickenbacker and his two partners. The agreement stated that the purchase was complete, and Electro could "continue indefinitely to use the trade name Rickenbacker." Hall, founder of Radio-Tel and the exclusive Fender distributor, had his Fender distributorship bought out by Leo Fender and Don Randall. The Rickenbacker company was formed in 1965 as an organizational change (Electro is still the manufacturer, and Rickenbacker is the sales company). Rickenbacker instruments gained popularity as the Beatles relied on a number of their guitars in the 1960s. One slight area of confusion: the model names and numbers differ from the U.S. market to models imported to the U.K. market during the short period in the 1960s when Rose Morris represented Rickenbacker in the U.K (at all other times, the model numbers worldwide have been identical to the U.S. market).
In 1984, John Hall (F.C. Hall´s son) officially took control by purchasing his father´s interests in both the Rickenbacker, Inc. and Electro String companies. Hall formed the Rickenbacker International Corporation (RIC) to combine both interests (source: John C. Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Rickenbacker International Corporation; and Tom Wheeler, American Guitars).
Instruments currently produced in Santa Ana, CA. Distributed by Rickenbacker International Corporation of Santa Ana, CA. Rickenbacker instruments have been produced in California since 1931.

RICKENBACKER Electric Guitars Models

RICKENBACKER 650A ATLANTIS Image

RICKENBACKER 650A ATLANTIS

- double cutaway sweeping crescent maple body, maple neck, NTB, 24 fret maple fingerboard with dot inlay, maple headstock with three-per-side tuners, fixed bridge, two humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone) and a three-way switch m...

RICKENBACKER 220 HAMBURG Image

RICKENBACKER 220 HAMBURG

- double cutaway maple body, through-body maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlay, fixed bridge, three-per-side tuners, two humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone), three-position switch, available in Firegl...

RICKENBACKER ELECTRO SPANISH Image

RICKENBACKER ELECTRO SPANISH

- folk style, maple top, f-holes, bound body, maple back/sides/neck, 14/19-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, rosewood bridge/trapeze tailpiece, pearl veneer on classic style peghead with metal logo plate, horseshoe pickup, ava...

RICKENBACKER COMBO 600 Image

RICKENBACKER COMBO 600

- offset double cutaway maple body, carved top, black pickguard, maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome hardware, single coil horseshoe pickup, volume/tone control, two-position switch, available...

RICKENBACKER 310 Image

RICKENBACKER 310

- offset pointed double cutaway semi hollow 3/4 size maple body, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/trapeze tailpiece, chrome hardware, 2 covered pickups, volume/tone control, 3-position switch, available...

RICKENBACKER COMBO 800 Image

RICKENBACKER COMBO 800

- offset double cutaway maple body, carved top, black pickguard, maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome hardware, double coil horseshoe pickup, two volume controls, two selector switches, availab...

RICKENBACKER 1997 Image

RICKENBACKER 1997

- offset double cutaway semi-hollow maple body, f-style soundhole, white bi-level pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/trapeze tailpiece, 3-per-side tuners, chrome hardwa...

RICKENBACKER 2030GF GLENN FREY LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 2030GF GLENN FREY LIMITED EDITION

- double cutaway maple body, chrome pickguard with Glenn Frey signature, through-body maple neck, 20-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome peghead logoplate, two-per-side tuners, black hardware, two humbucker pic...

RICKENBACKER 230GF GLENN FREY LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 230GF GLENN FREY LIMITED EDITION

- based on the 200 Series 200, double cutaway maple body, chrome pickguard with Glenn Frey signature, through-body maple neck, 24-fret maple fingerboard (finished in Gloss Jet Black) with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome peghead logo p...

RICKENBACKER 4000 Image

RICKENBACKER 4000

- cresting wave style maple body, white pickguard, through-body mahogany neck, 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, cresting wave peghead with maple laminate wings, two-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, horseshoe...

RICKENBACKER 400 COMBO Image

RICKENBACKER 400 COMBO

- tulip style maple body, gold pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, covered pickup, volume/tone control, two-position switch, available in Blue Green, Golden, or Jet Black finish, mfg. 1956-...

RICKENBACKER 1996 Image

RICKENBACKER 1996

- reissue of the 325 with export features, semi-hollow maple body, single f-hole, rosewood neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, matching headstock with white Rickenbacker truss-rod cover and three-per-side tuners, roller bridg...

RICKENBACKER 2020 HAMBURG BASS Image

RICKENBACKER 2020 HAMBURG BASS

- double cutaway maple body, through-body maple neck, 20-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlay, fixed bridge, small white pickguard, two-per-side tuners, two humbucker pickups, two knobs, three-way toggle switch, chrome hardware, avai...

RICKENBACKER 325C58 HAMBURG Image

RICKENBACKER 325C58 HAMBURG

- semi-hollow alder body, alder neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, matching headstock with three-per-side tuners, Vintage Repro Roller bridge, Kauffman Vib-rola, three Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top pickups, gold pickguard,...

RICKENBACKER 362/12 Image

RICKENBACKER 362/12

- offset double cutaway semi hollow checkered bound maple body, bound wedge-shaped soundhole, white pickguard, through-body maple/walnut laminate necks, 24-fret bound rosewood fingerboards with pearl triangle inlay, tune-o-matic bridges/R s...

RICKENBACKER KEN ROBERTS ELECTRO-SPANISH Image

RICKENBACKER KEN ROBERTS ELECTRO-SPANISH

- concert style, laminated bound mahogany top, f-holes, laminated mahogany back/sides, mahogany neck, 17/22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, compensating bridge/Kauffman vibrato tailpiece, pearloid peghead veneer with b...

RICKENBACKER 650C COLORADO Image

RICKENBACKER 650C COLORADO

- double cutaway sweeping crescent hardwood body, maple neck, NTB (non see-through), 24 fret maple fingerboard with dot inlay, matching headstock with three-per-side tuners, fixed bridge, two humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone)...

RICKENBACKER 610 Image

RICKENBACKER 610

- cresting wave style maple body, bi-level pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/R-style trapeze tailpiece, three-per-side tuners, two single coil pickups, five knobs (two...

RICKENBACKER COMBO 850 Image

RICKENBACKER COMBO 850

- offset double sharp cutaway maple body, carved top, pickguard, maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, double coil horseshoe pickup, volume/tone controls, two switches, available in Natural or Turquois...

RICKENBACKER 325JL JOHN LENNON LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 325JL JOHN LENNON LIMITED EDITION

- offset double cutaway semi-hollow 3/4 size Eastern rock maple body, white bi-level pickguard with John Lennon signature and graphic, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/vintage v...

RICKENBACKER COMBO 420 Image

RICKENBACKER COMBO 420

- cresting wave style maple body, white pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome hardware, chrome bar pickup, volume/tone control, two-position switch, available in Sunburst...

RICKENBACKER 1997 Image

RICKENBACKER 1997

- offset double cutaway semi-hollow maple body, (violin) f-hole, white bi-level pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/trapeze tailpiece, three-per-side tuners, chrome hard...

RICKENBACKER 325C64 MIAMI Image

RICKENBACKER 325C64 MIAMI

- semi-hollow maple body, maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, matching headstock with three-per-side tuners, Roller bridge, Accent Vibrato tailpiece, three Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top pickups, white pickguard, five...

RICKENBACKER 4080 Image

RICKENBACKER 4080

- four-string bass/six-string guitar configuration, cresting wave style bound maple body, two-piece black pickguard, maple necks, bound rosewood fingerboards with pearl triangle inlay, fixed bridge for bass neck, tune-o-matic/R style trapez...

RICKENBACKER 230 HAMBURG Image

RICKENBACKER 230 HAMBURG

- double cutaway maple body, through-body maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, six-saddle fixed bridge, two shielded single coil pickups that act like humbuckers, four knobs (two v, two tone), thre...

RICKENBACKER 4001CS CHRIS SQUIRE LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 4001CS CHRIS SQUIRE LIMITED EDITION

- cresting wave Eastern rock maple body, white pickguard with Chris Squire signature, through-body maple neck, 20-fret vermilion fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, white peghead logoplate, two-per-side tuners, chrome hardware,...

RICKENBACKER 2030 HAMBURG BASS Image

RICKENBACKER 2030 HAMBURG BASS

- double cutaway solid maple contoured body, through-body maple neck, 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, two-per-side tuners, two single coil pickups, four knobs, toggle switch, active electronics, available in...

RICKENBACKER 350SH SUSANNA HOFFS LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 350SH SUSANNA HOFFS LIMITED EDITION

- offset sharp double cutaway semi-hollow maple body, bi-level pickguard with Susanna Hoffs signature, checkered body binding, through-body maple neck, 24-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl triangle inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/R-styl...

RICKENBACKER 4001 Image

RICKENBACKER 4001

- cresting wave style checkered bound maple body, white pickguard, through-body maple/walnut neck, 20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl triangle inlay, fixed bridge, cresting wave peghead, two-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, bar/...

RICKENBACKER 360/12C64 12-STRING Image

RICKENBACKER 360/12C64 12-STRING

- 12-string configuration, semi-hollow maple body, double bound body, maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with trapeze inlays, matching headstock with six-per-side tuners, six-way split saddle bridge, trapeze tailpiece, two Vintage Sin...

RICKENBACKER 650D DAKOTA Image

RICKENBACKER 650D DAKOTA

- double cutaway sweeping crescent walnut body, maple neck, NTB, 24 fret maple fingerboard with dot inlay, three-piece maple/walnut headstock with three-per-side tuners, fixed bridge, two humbucker pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone) and...

RICKENBACKER 900 Image

RICKENBACKER 900

- tulip style 3/4 size maple body, white pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with white dot inlay, fixed bridge, chrome hardware, single coil pickup, volume/tone control, two-position switch, available in Black,...

RICKENBACKER 320 Image

RICKENBACKER 320

- offset pointed double cutaway semi-hollow 3/4 size maple body, bi-level pickguard, through-body maple neck, 21-fret padauk or rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/R-style trapeze tailpiece, three-per-side tune...

RICKENBACKER 4001V63 Image

RICKENBACKER 4001V63

- cresting wave style maple body, white pickguard, through-body maple neck, 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, two-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, single coil/horseshoe pickups, four knobs (two v, two tone),...

RICKENBACKER 650F FRISCO (650E EXCALIBER) Image

RICKENBACKER 650F FRISCO (650E EXCALIBER)

- double cutaway sweeping crescent African Vermillion body, maple neck, NTB, 24 fret maple fingerboard with dot inlay, three-piece maple/African Vermillion headstock with three-per-side tuners, fixed bridge, two humbucker pickups, four knob...

RICKENBACKER 355JL JOHN LENNON LIMITED EDITION Image

RICKENBACKER 355JL JOHN LENNON LIMITED EDITION

- offset double cutaway semi-hollow Eastern rock maple body, white bi-level pickguard with John Lennon signature and graphic, through-body maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/trapeze tailpiece,...

RICKENBACKER 4001C64 Image

RICKENBACKER 4001C64

- similar to 4001 except has horseshoe pickup, Kluson style tuners, neck-through body, available in Mapleglo or Fireglo finish, mfg. 2001-09.