Rickenbacker became the technical head of the national company, beauchamps business. Jan 27, 2002 adolph rickenbacker had maintained other interests throughout electro strings short history. The word luthier, meaning stringed instrument maker, is also derived from the french. The first commercially successful model, the socalled frying pan. Rickenbacker guitars rickenbacker guitar history ed. Rics history now spans 85 years in business on the leading edge of music trends that have changed popular culture forever. Make educational timelines or create a timeline for your company website.
Name for the company credited with producing the first commercially available electric guitar in 1931 ten years before les pauls innovations. Founded in 1931 by adolph rickenbacker and george d. May 29, 20 ringo starr shows how to play ticket to ride, come together and back off boogaloo duration. The rickenbacker international corporation ric grew out of the first company founded for the sole purpose of creating and manufacturing fully electric musical instruments and. With 26 aerial victories he was americas most successful fighter ace in the war.
Adolph rickenbacker had maintained other interests throughout electro strings short history. Banz friedli takes a candid look at adolph rickenbacker and the history of the company bearing his name. The roughneck from motorhead, a legendary heavy metal bass player, has himself chauffeured down to santa ana from l. Please email the name of any additional artist along with the appropriate model or models. In the 2004 novel the godfather returns, nick geraci is reading eddie rickenbacker s autobiography. Hall overhauled the business and began focusing on standard electric and acoustic guitars rather. Adolph rickenbacker april 1, 1886 march 21, 1976 was a swissamerican electrical engineer who cofounded the rickenbacker guitar company along with george beauchamp and paul barth rickenbacker was born in basel, switzerland as adolf rickenbacher. Beauchamp and machinist adolph rickenbacker began selling the frying pan in 1932. He shot down 26 german fighter planes in the first world war, came to be known as the ace of aces and was awarded the congressional medal of honor. Early life adolph rickenbacker was born in basel, switzerland on april 1st, 1886. A guy named adolph rickenbacker as the story goes, a fellow named george beauchamp, who was the general manager of the national guitar corporation, along with paul barth, the vice president, actually designed the first electrically amplified guitar in 1931. In 1931 the electro string company was founded by paul barth, george beauchamp and adolph rickenbacker, and developed the first electric guitars marketed to the general public. When he was fourteen years old, his father died after sustaining a head injury in a workplace altercation.
Adolph rickenbacker was born in 1886 in basel switzerland. History of the solid body electric guitar chasingguitars. He immigrated in 1891 to the united states with older relatives after his parents died. After this tragedy, rickenbacker dropped out of school and sought work. Played by hawaiian musicians of the 1930s to jazz bassists of the 1990s, by. After later improvements, this guitar would end up being the backbone to almost all of rock and roll.
Rickenbacker was born in basel, switzerland as adolf rickenbacher. The acoustic guitar, on the other hand, has a very long history stretching back thousands of years. In late 1931, beauchamp, rickenbacker, and partners formed the ropatin corporation for the purpose of developing electric guitars. Four lists are currently available, a master list, a bass list, a 6 string list and a 12 string list.
The electro string instrument company was founded in 1931 by adolph rickenbacker and george beauchamp. The rickenbacker family name was found in the usa between 1880 and 1920. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars in. Adolph rickenbacker produces the first cast aluminum versions of the electric lap steel guitar, also known as the frying pan. Fang cochran quinn lewisgonzalez martina borquez 2nd hour science career and invention family sadness strikes early life adolph became an engineer in 1920 and later meets george beauchamp. Rickenbacker continued to specialize in steel guitars well into the 1950s, but with the advent of rock and roll, f. His company was the first in the united states to produce solidbodied electric guitars. The rickenbacker international corporation ric blossomed from the first company founded out of the sole purpose of creating fully electric instruments and amplifiers, the l. Eddie rickenbackers 18901973 parents emigrated from switzerland. In 1880 there were 59 rickenbacker families living in south carolina. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading play it loud. This 256page softcover book gives a complete and illustrated history of the development of rickenbacker instruments from 1931 to the present. The elctric guitar is invented by adolph rickenbacker.
Adolph rickenbacker 3 april 1886 march 1976 was a swissamerican who cofounded the rickenbacker guitar company along with george beauchamp and paul barth. Played by hawaiian musicians of the 1930s to jazz bassists of the 1990s, by the beatles and byrds to the mostcurrent rock groups on mtv, the ringing sound of rickenbacker instruments has helped define music. The beatles in particular were responsible for the popularity of rickenbacker in the 1960s. Hall overhauled the business and began focusing on standard electric and acoustic guitars rather than the steel guitars the. He started experimentation with amplifying instruments as early as 1925 and played a major role in the national guitar company. The company name was purposely chosen for the association with eddie rickenbacker. An epic history of the style, sound, and revolution of the electric guitar kindle edition by tolinski, brad, di perna, alan, santana, carlos. Rickenbacker international corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in santa ana, california.
Radiotel, purchased the electro string company from adolph rickenbacker in 1953. Timetoasts free timeline maker lets you create timelines online. The electric guitar was invented in the united states in the 1930s. Eddie rickenbacker history of world war i ww1 the great war. In 1932 the first iron steel electric guitar was made. Eddie rickenbacker simple english wikipedia, the free. Adolph rickenbacker 1 april 1886 march 1976 was a swissamerican today remembered as one of the cofounders of the rickenbacker guitar, and one of the key people that were responsible for the creation and adoption of electric guitars that managed to change the shape and sound of the modern music industry altogether. Today the distinctive sound of rickenbacker guitars and basses figure prominently with artists such as ezra koenig and chris baio of vampire weekend, chris martin and guy berryman of coldplay, james iha of smashing pumpkins, eric judy. His father encouraged rickenbacker through his words. In this year, adolph rickenbacker invents the first amplifiable electric guitar. In 1932, adolph rickenbacker and his business partner george beauchamp produced the first cast aluminum versions of the electric lap steel guitar, also known as the frying pan. This 12string semihollow electric was made popular by george harrison of the beatles.
Eddie rickenbacker, adolph s famous second cousin, was the hero of american aviation par excellence. Adolph rickenbacker 18861976 was a germanamerican guitar manufacturer who in 1931 founded the electro string instrument corporation. Adolph rickenbacker had supplied metal bodies for national guitars when george beauchamp was there. The first electric guitar was invented by george beauchamp and adolph rickenbacker, his business partner. In 1999, a body template marked les paul in what appears to be les own. Rickenbacker claims the invention of the electric guitar. Mar 06, 2012 the beauchamprickenbacker pickup was first released on a lapsteel known as the frying pan in 1931. Hall overhauled the business and began focusing on standard electric and acoustic guitars rather than the steel guitars the company pioneered. Fender was started by leo fender in 1946 in fullerton, ca.
Scarbee rickenbacker bass captures the unmistakable sound of a rickenbacker 4003 for the first time in software. Nevertheless, he continued instrument making until 1953 when he sold the company to f. Adolph rickenbacker april 3, 1886 march 21, 1976 was a swissamerican electrical engineer who cofounded the rickenbacker guitar company along with george beauchamp and paul barth. Adolph rickenbacker created the electric guitar in 1931. Then, in 1931, rickenbacker and beauchamp founded the rickenbacker international corporation ric and created the first modern electric guitars. Adolph rickenbacker originally made the metal components for dopera brothers.
You can filter them based on skills, years of employment, job, education, department, and prior employment. Rickenbacker s 36012, introduced in 1963, was a revolutionary design. Beauchamp, this pioneering firm produced rickenbacker electro instruments, the first modern electric guitars. Inventions the electric guitar was one of his most famous inventions. Adolph rickenbacher 18871976 by banz friedli swiss journalist lemmy just shows up from time to time. Adolph did not attend college in switzerland or the united states. Billboard puts out its first record sales chart in 1936. Hall, a leading figure in the postwwii southern california music business. By the end of the 1930s, other manufacturers had begun experimenting with using electromagnetic pickups on traditional hollowbody spanishstyle guitars. He immigrated in 1891 to the united states with older relatives after his parents died, settling in columbus ohio. Eddie was a distant cousin of adolph rickenbacker, cofounder of rickenbacker guitars. This is the company that created what is believed by most musical instrument historians to be the worlds first true solid body guitar, the a22 lap steel. As far back as 3000 bc, the concept of a stringed instrument has been popular. The history of rock and roll parent key course description.
They made their guitars from cast aluminum and were played on a persons lap using a steel slide much like todays steel guitar. Eventually, he cofounded the ropatin corporation with adolph rickenbacker and paul barth, and later national stringed instruments corporation and rickenbacker guitars. This changed how music has been played ever since and is one of. The frying panadolph rickenbacker attached a electromagnetic pickup to their aluminum lapsteel guitar, dubbed it the frying pan. Adolph rickenbacker had a metal working shop and produced metal bodies for national. Social security administration public data, the first name rickenbacker was not present. Make a s l i d e a b o u t e d i s o n with an audio clip. Discussion in the hokey ass message board started by gigantor, jan 1, 2012. It was initially called the electro string instrument corporation. The invention of the germanium transistor by employees of bell telephone laboratories would change the world of music technology. Edward vernon rickenbacker october 8, 1890 july 23, 1973 was an american fighter ace in world war i.
Rickenbacker, also known as rickenbacher in their earliest days, is an electric string instrument manufacturer based in santa ana, california. Beauchamp was awarded the first patent for a guitar with an electric pickup. Rickenbacker, eddie international encyclopedia of the first. The bd is regarded as among the finest steels ever produced. Finally, by the late 1960s we had amps that could go to 11. Get comprehensive information on the number of employees at rickenbacker international corp. Adolph rickenbacker his company was the first in the united states to produce solidbodied electric guitars. The company became the worlds first to produce electric guitars and eventually produced an iconic range of electric guitars and bass guitars. As a last name rickenbacker was the 46,811 th most popular name in 2010. The most rickenbacker families were found in the usa in 1880. Pete johnson and joe turner cut their first boogie records in kansas city.
The iconic models of the 60s had fender, gibson and rickenbacker on. Transistors are much more robust than valves, have much lower operating voltages and waste less energy as heat. That was how beauchamp entered the business world and met adolph rickenbacker, an engineer and owner of a tool business close by where beauchamp and the dopyera brothers set up their tricone factory. Pronunciation of adolph rickenbacker with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 translation and more for adolph rickenbacker. During his career as a race car driver in the nineteenteens he set a new speed record of. We guitar players have always had the need to turn it up. Rickenbacker international corporation born to rock guitar exhibit at harrods, london, february 2007, featuring the 1931 rickenbacker frying pan. At the time, it was expensive and didnt work very well. This created a field that amplified the strings vibrations. The 21 most important music technology innovations of all. Save money on used rickenbacker guitars at guitar center.
The national string instrument corporation was one of his customers, eventually engaging adolph to make metal bodies for its resonator guitars. This is where the man behind the brand name, adolph rickenbacher. Do you know who patented the first electric guitar. Rickenbacker is the largest guitar company to make all of their guitars within the united states. An epic history of the style, sound, and revolution of the electric.
South carolina had the highest population of rickenbacker families in 1880. Ropatin included beauchamps electric lap steel guitar and electric guitar in catalogues going back to 1932, though beauchamps hollowbody electric guitar wasnt patented. He was anxious to manufacture the instrument and called on his friend adolph rickenbacker to help out. The company is still in existence making guitars in the usa. The goal of these early innovators was to amplify the natural sound of the guitar, but the signal was too weak. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. They are known for their electric guitars and basses.
The first patent for the electric guitar was awarded to george beauchamp for a guitar he made with partner adolph rickenbacker in 1931. Rickenbacker simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Known as the frying pan, it was a lapsteel guitar with an electromagnetic pickup, created by adolph rickenbacker and george beauchamp, in which a current passed through a coil of wire wrapped around a magnet. Adolph rickenbacher and george beauchamp founded the company in 1931 along with as the ropatin corporation. Beauchamp with the original name being the electro string. It was only when engineers utilized a more direct pickup system, in which the electromagnet registered string vibration from the strings themselves, that the modern electric guitar became a reality. Telefunken helps develop magnetic tape for use with tape recorders. During the 30s, rickenbacker made models like the frying pan model a25 and model bd lap steel, with its bakelite an early plastic construction. The rise of the electric guitar by the end of the 1930s, electronic amplification proved to be one of the most successful innovations for building a louder electric guitar, despite the misgivings of some traditionalists about the new technology. Rickenbackers 36012, introduced in 1963, was a revolutionary design. Les paul modifies an ampex tape recorder allowing him to record overdubs. At a young age, rickenbacker had an interest in mechanical devices. Beauchamp, this pioneering firm produced rickenbacker electro instruments, the first modern. Adolph rickenbacker biography adolph rickenbacker 1 april 1886 march 1976 was a swissamerican today remembered as one of the cofounders of the rickenbacker guitar, and one of the key people that were responsible for the creation and adoption of electric guitars that managed to change the shape and sound of the modern music industry altogether.
Today the distinctive sound of rickenbacker guitars and basses figure prominently with artists such as ezra koenig and chris baio of vampire weekend, chris martin and guy berryman of coldplay, james iha of smashing pumpkins, eric judy of modest mouse, and roger waters of pink floyd. Quarterly rock history timeline timetoast timelines. Jun 9, 2017 inventor of the electric guitar adolph rickenbacker was a swissamerican machinist and engineer of great skill who cofounded the famous rickenbacker guitar company. Delivering meaty, low end thunder and the crisp, defined midrange that has shaped rock and pop history, rickenbacker bass is the first software instrument to be officially approved by rickenbacker. This page is comprised of a list of names of those artists who have used or owned rickenbacker guitars and the specific models that they played or owned. It was in the year 1931 that adolph rickenbacker and george beauchamp decided that the world needed a fully electric musical instrument. Adolph rickenbacher later spelled rickenbacker produces a working. The design isnt perfect and the sticker price is high.
Beauchamp reached out to a local instrument maker, john dopyera, for help. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Rickenbacker had developed a great deal of interest in machines since he was a child. Rickenbacker guitars rickenbacker guitar history ed roman. Adolph rickenbacker biography, list of adolph rickenbacker. In the following years, musician les paul will try to improve. The family settled in wisconsin, later relocating to california, and adolph set up an engineering shop in. He was orphaned as a youngster and emigrated to the usa with relatives in 1891. The first solid body electric guitar was invented by les paul in 1941. This was about 92% of all the recorded rickenbacker s in the usa. The rickenbacker electro string this electric guitar was called the bakelite spanish guitar.
The company was founded by adolph rickenbacker wwi flying legend eddie rickenbacker s cousin and george d. Aug 18, 2016 the earliest years of rickenbacker saw the company developing a range of designs. This changed how music has been played ever since and is one of the most important events in all of rock history. Rics history now spans 89 years in business on the leading edge of music trends that have changed popular culture forever. See more ideas about rickenbacker guitar, guitar and steel guitar. The evolution of the electric guitar truefire blog. The rickenbacker international corporation ric grew out of the first company founded for. Rickenbacker is the only book of its kind to chronicle the history of the company who in 1931 introduced electric instruments to the world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
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