Rickenbacker Guitars
& Basses

From the first electric guitar in 1932 to the iconic 4003 bass — how one family-owned factory in Santa Ana shaped the sound of rock for nearly a century.

• 1931: Founded by Adolph Rickenbacker & George Beauchamp in Los Angeles as the Ro-Pat-In Corporation
• The Frying Pan: First magnetic pickup built on a dining table using a washing machine motor to wind the coil
• 1953: F.C. Hall purchased the company and pivoted from lap steels to standard electric guitars and basses

• 4000 (1957): First Rickenbacker bass — single pickup, pioneered neck-through-body construction for superior sustain
• 4001 (1961): Added second pickup and Rick-O-Sound stereo output — the model played by McCartney, Squire, and Lemmy
• 4003 (1979–present): Improved truss rods, higher-output pickups, handles roundwound strings — still in production today

• Paul McCartney — Used 4001S from 1964 on Beatles recordings from Rubber Soul through Abbey Road
• Chris Squire — Pioneered stereo Rick-O-Sound with Yes, splitting bridge and neck pickups to separate amps
• Lemmy Kilmister — Played Rickenbacker exclusively with Motörhead, "I play bass like a guitar"
• Geddy Lee, Peter Hook, Cliff Burton — Extended the Rickenbacker legacy across prog, post-punk, and metal

• Neck-through maple body — Single piece from headstock to tail delivers exceptional sustain and brightness
• High-output single-coil pickups — Emphasise upper mids and treble, producing the signature "clank" and "ring"
• Rick-O-Sound stereo output — Each pickup can run to a separate amp, enabling layered clean + distorted tones

• One factory, since 1964: Every Rickenbacker is built in Santa Ana, California — no overseas production
• Hand-sprayed finishes: No paint robots — craftsmen spend 75+ minutes per instrument on finishing alone
• Batch production: One model, one colour at a time — creating wait times of 6 to 24 months for customers

• Supply vs. demand: Deliberate scarcity or artisan integrity? Wait times frustrate dealers and customers alike
• Dealer relations: Severed ties with Guitar Center over counterfeits and trademark disputes
• Succession: Owner John Hall is in his late 70s — next generation's vision remains unclear

• Vintage appreciation: 1960s–70s 4001 models regularly sell for $4,000–$15,000+, sustaining brand prestige
• Limited editions: Collector-focused runs of 30+ units maintain exclusivity and demand
• Generational transfer: Ben Hall and Dan Beighley represent a potential new era for production and strategy
• Cultural endurance: Rickenbacker basses continue to appear in indie, metal, and alternative — not just nostalgia