The Rickenbacker-Jackson connection?

[scott_s]

I read recently that Grover Jackson had worked for Rickenbacker for a stretch, and it's interesting to me how much mingling there has been between guitar companies out in California. Had he worked for Rickenbacker before starting his Jackson line of guitars, or just after? Were Ric's triangle inlays a direct influence on his use of triangular/sharkfin inlays?

The connection between Rickenbacker and Fender in the 1950's makes sense as it was a smaller market, and these companies had allied distribution, but I never would have suspected that the classic 60's and pointy guitar worlds would ever interact!

- Scott

[8mileshigher]

There's a picture of Mr. Jackson helping out on the soundboard at the Hautewerk gig celebrating JH's Birthday, in April, on Page 2 of this RRF thread
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=394767&start=15#p618840

[jps]

Grover's work with RIC is more recent, the inlays came long before him, but I think the current FWI are a result of his influence/expertise.

[hieronymous]

He appears briefly in this video:

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I was wondering if it was the same Grover Jackson!

[kennyhowes]

Grover did work here for a while in the '90s, and after a period of other endeavors, came back, a couple of years ago. I see him nearly every day.

He sold the Jackson company to Fender (before coming here in the '90s, I think), so there's technically no connection between pointy headstocks and triangle inlays and Ric!

Grover's knowledge is diverse and mind-boggling. For example, before coming back to Ric, he built high-end ukuleles for a while!

[collin]

The inter-mingling of guitar companies in California goes way back.

It was even more active back in the 50s and 60s when guys like Leo Fender, F.C. Hall, Roger Rossmeisl, Forrest White and George Fullerton all knew each other well (especially being large makers right in LA/Orange County).

Plus, all the other companies in CA at the time (even Mosrite up north.).

[elreydlp]

Right you are Collin. In fact, F. C. Hall owned Radio-Tel, which was Fender's distributor until they had a falling out.

[jfine]

You can't leave Paul Bigsby out either. Apparently he and Leo Fender knew each other back then, and when Les Paul was living in Southern California, all three of them would get together. Semie Moseley apprenticed with Bigsby, and he worked at Rickenbacker at one point too. Sounds like a very small group of people was responsible for a lot of the development of the modern electric guitar. Then there's Paul Barth, with the National-Rickenbacker-Magnatone connection--and Bigsby designed some guitars for Magnatone in the '50's.
That clip with John Hall and Grover Jackson is very cool! Nice shots of the production process and the Rick museum. In '88, I went to the Rickenbacker factory--at that time, the museum upstairs was open to the public by appointment only, so I made my appointment and got to hang out up there and play the guitars. (Thanks, Rachel!) I wasn't able to see the production area--they don't allow civillians on the factory floor, and I don't blame 'em...but it's a pretty small facility as guitar manufacturers go--a far cry from a huge operation like the Fender factory, which resembles a Ford or GM plant!