1941 lap with a fender headstock
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:54 pm
Hi
I've just looked at a 1941 Rickenbacker steel guitar body with an older than dirt neck that has a headstock which looks like a early Fender strat headstock except a little thicker. This isn't a homemade job, it was defiantly made and fitted into the body. I'm affraid to pull the neck off to see if there's any writing or dates on it because the fitting is so exact and with age the woods have swelled a little on top of everything else the neck is tapered and fitted into the body.
I was told the serial numbers on the body shows it was made between 1939 to '41. The horseshoe pickup also has a serial number and I was told those serial numbers were put on the pickups only one year-1941.
I'm going back Friday to take close up pictures of this thing. The lady who owns it is in her '70s. The guitar belonged to her father way back when.
Here's my problem story, I was also told that Les Paul, Leo Fender and Bixby all three worked for Rickenbacker. Les and Leo were in sales and Bixby was doing his thing - his story is well documented. I can't find anything that says Les & Leo worked there which according to this story would have been around 1938 to 1941.
I was also told that these three got permission to work in the Rickenbacker after hours. Next I was told they developed three guitars (one for each of them) that this is one of the three. It looks like the Rickenbacker lap but you can also put a strap on the thing and play it standing up.
Have you ever heard of such an animal? I will take photo Friday and if I can figure out how to glue them onto this message I'll do so.
Thanks for your time
I've just looked at a 1941 Rickenbacker steel guitar body with an older than dirt neck that has a headstock which looks like a early Fender strat headstock except a little thicker. This isn't a homemade job, it was defiantly made and fitted into the body. I'm affraid to pull the neck off to see if there's any writing or dates on it because the fitting is so exact and with age the woods have swelled a little on top of everything else the neck is tapered and fitted into the body.
I was told the serial numbers on the body shows it was made between 1939 to '41. The horseshoe pickup also has a serial number and I was told those serial numbers were put on the pickups only one year-1941.
I'm going back Friday to take close up pictures of this thing. The lady who owns it is in her '70s. The guitar belonged to her father way back when.
Here's my problem story, I was also told that Les Paul, Leo Fender and Bixby all three worked for Rickenbacker. Les and Leo were in sales and Bixby was doing his thing - his story is well documented. I can't find anything that says Les & Leo worked there which according to this story would have been around 1938 to 1941.
I was also told that these three got permission to work in the Rickenbacker after hours. Next I was told they developed three guitars (one for each of them) that this is one of the three. It looks like the Rickenbacker lap but you can also put a strap on the thing and play it standing up.
Have you ever heard of such an animal? I will take photo Friday and if I can figure out how to glue them onto this message I'll do so.
Thanks for your time