DATING RICKENBACKER GUITARS BY REFERENCE OF SERIAL NUMBERS
Dating Rickenbacker guitars was more difficult in the periods before 1998, as with many other guitar brands. However, nowadays, their dating method is much more common. For the first instruments, determining the exact year of construction using the serial number is virtually impossible.
Where to find the serial number
Typically, the serial number can be found on the jackplate, although it may also be punched onto the neck plate or the bridge plate.
To determine the production year of your Rickenbacker guitar, you can use Rickenbacker serial numbers decoder or refer to the explanation of the dating system PROVIDED BELOW.
Rickenbacker is a long-standing and still active guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company was founded by Adolf Rickenbacher, who was born in Switzerland in 1886 and emigrated to the United States in 1891. In 1931, he established the company “ElectRo-Patent-Instruments” together with the American inventor George Beauchamp. They specialized in the construction of electric steel guitars until the 1950s. Later, the company was renamed the “Rickenbacker Manufacturing Company,” and Adolf also changed his last name to Rickenbacker as a German name was not very popular at the time.
Beauchamp obtained an American patent on an electric guitar in 1934, and the first model was called the Frying Pan because of its resemblance to this kitchen utensil. In the mid-1950s, the company switched to producing acoustic and electric standard guitars. Rickenbacker was the first company to successfully market electric guitars.
Rickenbacker introduced the “neck through body” construction in 1956, which became a standard feature of all following Rickenbacker models. The first guitars in which this feature was applied were the Combo 400 and 4000 bass. In 1958, Rickenbacker introduced the “Capri series,” later known as the 300 series.
In 1964, Rickenbacker developed an electric twelve-string guitar with a unique construction. The tuner system had extra tuning mechanisms at the back of the headstock for the six additional strings. The string converter from Rickenbacker was also unique, which was introduced in 1966. Six strings were pulled down by a lever and pressed against the frets.
With their years of experience in innovative sound techniques combined with beautiful designs, Rickenbacker guitars will continue to be popular for many years among collectors and guitarists.
Serial numbers
Before 1954 the serial numbers did not serve as a direct indicator for the production date of the guitar. Serial numbers from this era are therefore unreliable. Some instruments have patent numbers on different parts. These patent numbers offer some indications for a production date, since the instrument will be made after the date of the patent grant.
1954-September 1959 (Solidbodys) The number is stamped on the jackplate or bridge. Example: 65C5281 The first digit(s) indicates the model number. [4 = 400 or 425, 6 = 600, 65 = 650, 8 = 800] The letter indicates the type of instrument. [C = combo (guitar), B = bass, M = mandolin, V = 3/4 size] The first digit after the letter is the last digit of the year of the fifties. The last three digits is the production number. Serial number 65C5281 is a combo 650, Serial number in 1955 with the production number 281.
September 1959-October 1960 (Solidbodys) Also here are the first digit(s) for the model number. The letter A stands for this period and the first digit after the letter is a 9 (from September 1959) or a 0 (up to and including October 1960).
1961-1986 On the jackplate the letters are above jack output, the numbers are below the jack output.
Example: BB177 De first letter is the year. [A = 1961, B = 1962, C = 1963, ….. Z = 1986] An important exception is the letter J, which can mean 1970 or 1960. De second letter is the month. [A = January, B = February, ….. L = December] Serial number BB177 is built in February 1962 with the production number 177.
1987-1996 Here on the jack plate is a letter and a number above the jack output, and numbers below the jack output. Example: F21254 The letter stands for the month. [A = January, B = February, ….. L = December] The digit after the letter is the year of construction. [0 = 1987, 1 = 1988, 2 = 1989, 3 = 1990, ….. 9 = 1996] Serial number F21254 was built in June 1989 with production number 1254.
1997-1998 After 1996 there was a small hitch in the numbering system, here the ‘0’ is reused for 1997 and ‘1’ for 1998. The month format also jumped a few letters forward in the alphabet, from ‘M’ to ‘Y.’ This means that ‘M’ now stands for January and ‘N’ for February. The letter ‘O’ was skipped, probably to avoid confusion with the ‘0’ (zero) of the year 1997. [M = January, N = February, P = March, Q = April, ….. Y = December]
1998-2022 From 1998 it will be a lot easier. They did not apply codes anymore but just used the last two digits of the year with the week number.
Example: 1718017 The first 2 numbers (top jack output) represent the year of manufacture. The first 2 numbers (bottom jack output) represent the week of that year.
1718017 is produced in May (week 18), 2017 with production number 017.
Patent information related to Rickenbacker instrument
1.839.395
Hand vibrato tailpiece
5 January 1932
C.O. Kauffman
1.881.229
Molded musical instruments and necks
4 October 1932
A.P. Young
2.089.171
Frying Pan and horseshoe pickup
10 August 1937
George D. Beauchamp
2.130.174
Headless electric violin instruments
13 September 1938
George D. Beauchamp
2.152.783
Roller vibrato tailpiece
4 April 1939
Paul M. Barth
2.241.911
Vibrola Spanish guitar
13 May 1941
C.O Kauffman
2.310.199
Tubular body for electric violin
9 February 1943
George D. Beauchamp
2.310.606
Detachable horseshoe pickup
9 February 1943
Paul M. Barth
3.091.150
The Sceusa neck
23 May 1963
Peter P. Sceusa
DES. 208.329
Bantar
5 January 1932
F.C Hall
FAQ
How can I tell what year my Rickenbacker guitar was made?
Dating Rickenbacker guitars was more difficult in the periods before 1998, as with many other guitar brands. For the first guitars, determining the exact year of construction using Rickenbacker serial number is virtually impossible. However, nowadays, their dating method is much more common. To date the production year of your Rickenbacker guitar, you can use the serial number decoder or refer to the explanation of the dating system.
How do I find Rickenbacker guitar serial number?
Rickenbacker serial number can be found on the jackplate, although it may also be punched onto the neck plate or the bridge plate.