TWANG! RICKENBACKER'S 1956 SALES PUSH

[jetglow]

TWANG! the 1956 sales push.
« on: Jan 21st, 2002, 9:39am »

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It could only happen in California, where inspiration, high-pressure sales techniques & kitsch excess are cosey bedfellows. For it was here in the mid 50's that the Rickenbacker guitar brand was reborn courtesy of a celebrated salesmen, an eccentric German luthier and a bevy of scantily-clad models.
Adolph Rickenbacker was one of the key figures in the invention of the solid electric guitar......his company was making radical baby sized electrics of Bakelite as early as 1935......but by the 1950's Adolph was well past retiremant age and his company was coasting along, making most of its money from it's tool & die operation. Francis Hall (FC to his friends), an old hand in the California electronics business, had set up the salesoperation for California's FENDER guitar company in 1953.
Certain that the electric guitar was the next big thing, FC called of Adolph and arranged a deal.
By December 1953 FC owned the company and, within a month or so, recruited Roger Rossmeisl to design a new range of guitars. Rossmeisl's unique ideas, many of them inspired by his apprenticeship making hand-carved instruments back in Germany, defined the Rickenbacker guitar as Paul Weller of Pete Townshend would know it today. Early Rickenbackers featured technically advanced features such as through-necks, humbucking pickups and hand carved tone chambers. These guitars would stand the test of time, but perhaps we wouldn't have heard of them today were it not for one of California's greatest salesmen. FC ensured that Rickenbacker had the hippest-looking sales literature of any musical instrument company, and it was undoubtedly FC's influence that made Rickenbacker;s stands the hottest attraction at many 50's trade show.
Kodachrome stills found in the Rickenbacker archives which date 1956-57 were found while searching for info for an upcoming book. (These photos are of beautiful women modeling with beautiful Rickenbacker guitars) Enthusiasts will recognize pioneering instruments such as the Combo 600 and the 4001 bass used by Paul McCartney. Historians relate that John Lennon bought a Rickenbacker after seeing one being played by jazzman Toots Thielmans. Maybe...
(This article was taken from the January 2002 MOJO magazine. These photos and more, are due out in the spring in "THE ELECTRIC GUITAR" published by Virgin Books)
I have seen many similar pictures in Rickenbacker "RITTOR" book.