Maker
Rickenbacker
United States electric guitar maker
Rickenbacker is an American maker of electric guitars and basses founded in California in 1931. A pioneer of the electric guitar, it is known for its bright, jangly tone and instruments such as the 360 guitar and 4001 bass.
Models
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Rickenbacker 600 Series
United States
Rickenbacker's solid-body electric guitar line, built around the maple 'cresting wave' body with neck-through construction and twin single-coil Hi-gain pickups. The 600 Series includes the six-string 620 and its variants.
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Rickenbacker 360
Electric guitar · United States
A deluxe semi-hollow with rounded, bound body edges, the 360 is one of Rickenbacker's best-known guitars and is especially famous in its twelve-string form. Its shimmering tone helped shape the sound of the Beatles and the Byrds.
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Rickenbacker 4000 Series
United States
Rickenbacker's electric bass line, defined by neck-through-body 'cresting wave' instruments with dual single-coil pickups, distinctive treble-punch tone, and mono/stereo (Rick-O-Sound) outputs. The series includes the original 4001 and its long-running successor, the 4003.
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Rickenbacker 4003
Electric bass · United States
The long-running successor to the 4001, introduced around 1979 and still in production, the 4003 is Rickenbacker's signature neck-through 'cresting wave' bass. It carries two single-coil pickups, a maple body and neck, full-length skunk-stripe neck-through construction, deluxe triangular inlays, and mono/stereo output, delivering the ringing sustain and treble punch heard on countless rock recordings.
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Rickenbacker 480
Electric guitar · United States
A solid-body electric guitar Rickenbacker produced in the 1970s and early 1980s, built on a body shape borrowed from the company's 4001 bass. It offered a more conventional solid-body alternative within Rickenbacker's largely semi-hollow line.
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Rickenbacker 330
Electric guitar · United States
A thinline semi-hollow electric and one of Rickenbacker's signature models, the 330 is known for its chiming, jangly tone and distinctive looks. It has been a defining instrument of jangle pop and folk rock.
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Rickenbacker 325
Electric guitar · United States
A short-scale semi-hollow electric most famous as the guitar John Lennon played in the Beatles' early years. Its compact body and bright, jangly voice are central to the band's early sound.
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Rickenbacker 4001
Electric bass · United States
Rickenbacker's classic electric bass, the 4001 features through-body neck construction and a bright, cutting tone with strong treble definition. It was played by influential bassists including Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee.
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Rickenbacker 300 Series
United States
Rickenbacker's 300 series, launched as the Capri line in the late 1950s, comprises the company's thinline semi-hollow electric guitars. Models such as the 325, 330, and 360 are known for their bright, chiming, jangly tone and distinctive looks, famously played by the Beatles and the Byrds.
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Rickenbacker 620
Electric guitar · United States
The six-string anchor of Rickenbacker's 600 Series, the 620 is a maple 'cresting wave' solid-body with neck-through construction and twin single-coil Hi-gain pickups. It pairs an R-style tailpiece with a six-saddle bridge, triangular inlays, and standard stereo output, giving the bright, chiming Rickenbacker voice in a solid-body format.
Sources
Categories
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Electric Guitars
Solid-body, semi-hollow, and hollow electric guitars.
Representative model
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Rickenbacker 360
Electric guitar · United States
A deluxe semi-hollow with rounded, bound body edges, the 360 is one of Rickenbacker's best-known guitars and is especially famous in its twelve-string form. Its shimmering tone helped shape the sound of the Beatles and the Byrds.