Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Richard,

I am wondering if you might be able me discover the year my Ric lap steel was made. I had been told that it might date to 1938. The following is a detailed description as I don't have access to posting a photo of it:

Body: Black Bakelite; Thru-body stringing; Patent #1881229 (found on body where the strings go thru). Body panels are white celluloid. There are both tone and volume controls found on the same side of the body. Control knobs are white celluloid. The peghead has a small metal label marked: "Rickenbacher Electro" with lightning bolts pointing toward a small circle with the letters "RE" in it. The name "Los Angeles" appears at the bottom of the label. The tuners are individual, open-gear style, with celluloid "buttons" The frets are bordered by white highlighting lines.

Pick-up: 1-1/2" wide horseshoe magnet with knurled thumbscrew adjusters. The patent #2089171 appears on pickup.

Tone control pot: Marked as "Stackpole 250M"; resistance is not known.

Volume control pot: Marked as "Centralab" Milwaukee, patents 1653745, 170415, 1660879, 1677288, 2007462, 2041380; resistance is not known.

Capacitor: Electrolytic, (from pickup to tone control) marked as "Cornell Dubilier" .05 microfarad, 400 VDC. All wires have fabric insulating jackets.

Case: Rectangular; black leatherette exterior, dark green plush-lined interior with a ribbon-style banner on the inside of lid, marked: "Rickenbacker Electro Guitar.

Also, when I bought this guitar (24 years ago) it came with a tone bar: Lead core covered in black smooth/shiney bakelite. 2-3/4" length. 3/4" O.D. at base tapering to a 10/16" O.D., radiused, flat tip. I believe the bar may be an original Black Raja".

Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and,

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Glenn,
This one could have been made as early as 1938, which is when they began placing the control knobs on the same side. To get any closer than that I need a better description or a photo of the knobs. It might also be helpful to know what kind of metal plates are on the body (chrome, black or white, metal or plastic).
Before 1939 Rickenbacher used several different kinds of knobs. Toward the end of 1939 or early 1940 they began using what are now called flying saucer knobs. The term is very descriptive of the appearance of these knobs. They were made in white and black and possibly red.
If you fill in these details, I might be able to get a little closer to the year of production.

Richard,

Thanks for responding. In my previous posting I mentioned that the body panels are white celluloid (plastic). You might have misunderstood my description.

As for the control knobs. Let me try to describe them more precisely. They are white celluloid (plastic) and are ribbed for better gripping. They flair slightly at the bottom where they meet the body panel. The top of each knob have a doubled-stepped, raised and beveled crown which is flat on top

Here is something I forgot to mention: On the top edge of the peghead is a stamped number (C2542). Is this a serial number? If so, maybe the year of manufacture can be more accurately dated.

Do you think the tone bar is an original "Black Raja"?

Thanks again and...
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
(steel guitarist for the Kevin Fowler Band)
http://www.kevinfowler.com

Glenn: Would you please send in a photo or two at [email protected] so that your instrument may be included on the Rickenbacker Registration Page. Also, do you use this instrument with the Kevin Fowler Band?

Hi Peter!

I don't have a picture of just the guitar. Just an old one of me and the guitar. Details aren't very good in the photo. Also, I don't have a scanner (I'm a "Lo-tech Redneck"). However, I can have a friend scan the photo that I have.

At this time, I'm not using the Ric in performance. I play a 14-string pedal steel with 8 pedals and 7 kneelevers. It's tuned to the E9/B6 universal tuning. (See a photo of me and this guitar at:
http://www.kevinfowler.com). This guitar is capable of playing anything I'll ever need to play. However, it weighs about 77 lbs. When I get too old to lug the PSG to gigs I'll probably play the Ric with the Leavitt tuning (a diminished chord tuning) and my resonator guitar.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

I'm by no means an authority on this topic but I seem to recall a thread on the Steel Guitar Forum a few years ago that mentioned that Rickenbacker received the patent (#2089171) for the horseshoe p/u in August (10?) 1937, so guitars with Pat. Pend on the pickup surround would be prior to this date, and those with the actual pat. # 2089171 were mfg. subsequent to August 1937.

Greg is quite right about the patent number. If there is a patent number on the pickup, it indicates that the earliest date that the instrument could have been produced was in August, 1937.
There is also another patent number located just below the bridge, 1,881,229. This patent was for molded musical instrument bodies and necks. It is present on all prewar bakelites I've seen.

Glenn: Thanks for the nice photo of your Rickenbacker B6 Lap Steel and its cool owner.

Peter,
You're welcome and thanks for the complement. That photo is about 22 years old and the owner ain't quite as cool as he appears there. The guitar still is....

Richard,
Do you think I can safely assume this B6 was made before Dec. 1941 if not sometime in 1938? Also, was my description of the control knobs of any help to you? How about the number on the head stock (C2542)?

Peter, Richard, and Greg, thanks for taking the time to help me with my inquiry. I'll appreciate anything else you would care to add about this guitar.

Best wishes and...
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Glenn,
The description of the knobs was good and perfectly describes the "flying saucer" knobs shown in the picture you posted. Those were not produced before 1939.
The number on the head stock is probably a serial number. Unfortunately, there are no remaining clues as to their significance.
If anyone has the key to early Rick serial numbers, please post them on this site.
Richard