Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anyone around who can tell me in what year did Rickenbacker change the name Excalibur to Frisco on the 650 series?

Dan. A most interesting question. The following information was kindly provided by RIC Quote:There are two trademark conventions worldwide, the Paris Septie which covers most countries and the Madrid convention which covers only a few. Excalibur was registered in most of the world by Rickenbacker but in a few backwater countries by Vigier. We decided since we didn't think the name was particularly great to begin with to sell it to Vigier to minimize confusion in the marketplace. It was a good move for us strategically and economically. A guess would be that the name was sold in 1995 or 1996. This brought into conformity our naming system where all guitars correspond to a geographical place.

Thanks Peter, I've been looking all over for that answer!!! Since Ric sold the name, do the 650 guitars made before 1995 still called Excalibur or does Ric want us to go by the name of Frisco. Not that it's really important but I'm curious as to know how to call my newly acquired (1992) guitar!!!!

If you ask me, if you've got a '92, then it would be a 650E...

Think of it this way, if you were born in a city that no longer exists (it got annexed, let's say) you were still born IN the now vanished city.

Sorry for the idiotic geography lesson, but I hope you see my logic.

Dan: I would be inclined to refer to this instrument as a Frisco, especially given the 1992 date of manufacture.

Well I tend to think like Corey but I was wondering if Ric, by selling the name to another company, were in the obligation of not using the name anymore...even the guitars that came before?
It's just a matter of knowing how goes the law in the States?

Yeah, my point was just that, even if the guitar name has changed, if you've got one from the licensed Excalibur years, then it's still that guitar. There might be the issue of resale here as well - some folks might pay more to get a "discountinued name" guitar over the currently available Frisco name. That sort of thing of course raises the issue of whether it's legal to market "Excalibur" since Ric no longer owns that trademark. I'm not a lawyer, but I'd say it makes sense for Ric to be allowed to say they made Excaliburs until the mid 90's and then had the name changed. Any selling of an Excalibur instrument now would obviously be done in music stores and places like Ebay, and that's well out of Ric's responsibility and spectre of control.

As an EX-resident of the San Francisco Bay area , I will attest to the fact that the peoples, of that area , do NOT call San Francisco ...."FRISCO".
EVER, no way !
They do call it 'the City' , but never Frisco .

As an EX-resident of the San Francisco Bay area , I will attest to the fact that the peoples, of that area , do NOT call San Francisco ...."FRISCO".
EVER, no way !
They do call it 'the City' , but never Frisco .

....I've been waiting for you to bring this up
Mark.....

Mark and Don: I have never read a statement by RIC as to the origin of the name of Frisco. I am not familiar with many US cities, however I am wondering if RIC may have been referring to this Frisco.

OF COURSE !!!!


Frisco Texas , a true hot bed of fabulous music


.........NOT

Mark: Here is some more background information on the origin of the nickname Frisco. P.S. Ronny Spears may take issue with your characterization of the Frisco music scene.

Of course the people in THAT city don't call it "Frisco" ... they seem to despise that word!

...All the more reason why us folks in the L.A. area ENJOY referring to it as Frisco!

FRISCO - FRISCO - FRISCO

All that beautiful wood with the natural low gloss finish.... reminds me of something you'd see around Frisco, Colorado on the shores of scenic Lake Dillon just down the road a piece from several old mining towns and ski resorts. That town has the same musical heritage as Frisco, Texas

It's been 3 weeks that I'm in Denmark for a business trip and it's my first time on the net to check what's new on the forum and I see that I was missing a good show!!! I didn't expect my question to raise such a topic on San Francisco, but believe me, guys, I've been pissing in my pants of laughing so much. What a good relief, just when I was home sick!!! I'm coming back home next weekend and just can't wait to go back to the forum!! FRISCO-FRISCO-FRISCO!!! LoL
Danny boy