FACTOIDS & TRIVIA

In 1931 Adolf Rickenbacker, along with Paul Barth and George Beauchamp, formed the Ro-Pat-In Instrument Company and produced the world's first electric guitar, known as the "Frying Pan" guitar since it looked like a frying pan.  In 1934 the company changed its name to the Electro String Instrument Company.  The company developed all styles of electric guitars in the 1930s and 1940s.  Adolf Rickenbacker sold the company to F.C. Hall in 1953.  In the years that followed, under the supervision of F.C. Hall (and later his son John Hall), Rickenbacker introduced a number of instruments which became legendary as a result of their use by such groups as The Beatles, The Byrds, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Smithereens, and R.E.M.  Beginning the early 1980s, Rickenbacker reissued some of its most famous models including the early style model 360 12-string made famous by George Harrison and the guitar shown here, an early '60s style model 360 6-string.  By virtue of their construction and pickups, Rickenbackers have a very unique "jangly" treble tone which was is a signature sound of much of the early British invasion music.  In the early 1980s, Rickenbaker began to reissue some of its most famous models.  In 1991, the company reissued the early style Model 360.  All the reissue models use a "V" in the model name to denote "vintage reissue."

Body:  Semi-hollow; maple, single bound top and back

Finish:  Natural ("Mapleglo"), conversion varnish

Neck:  3-piece maple/walnut, set-in

Fingerboard:  African rosewood, bound;  pearloid triangle markers

Number of Frets:  21

Pickguard:  1-ply white acrylic

Bridge:  Tune-a-matic style with trapeze tailpiece

Nut:  Plastic

Tuners:  Ric/Schaller "Kluson Deluxe" style, enclosed, nickel

Pickups:  Two, Rickenbacker "toaster" single coil

Controls:  Volume and tone for each pickup, blend control, 3-way pickup selector switch

Scale Length:  24 3/4 inches

Neck Width at Nut:  1 5/8 inches

Body Width at Lower Bout:  15 inches

Body Depth:  1 1/2 inches

Weight:  n/a