Rickenbacker
Latest Rickenbacker guitar news, new electric and acoustic guitars, signature models, artist collaborations, and releases tracked by Guitar Radar.
Guitar Radar follows Rickenbacker through 2 stories, covering new gear, launches and company news as they happen. Most of it sits under players and gear. The most recent story, from Sep 18, 2026, is “Johnny Marr's guitar collection sells for £3.65 million at Christie's”. Coverage here goes back to Apr 27, 2026.
About Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker traces its roots to the early 1930s, when George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker's Ro-Pat-In company produced the "Frying Pan" electric lap steel, one of the first electric guitars; dates of 1931, 1932 and 1935 are all given by sources. The company later became Electro String and then Rickenbacker, helped by a distant family link to the aviator Eddie Rickenbacker.
In the 1950s it turned to hollowbody and solidbody guitars, and the Hall-Rossmeisl era brought the Capri models in 1958 and the Rickenbacker 360 around 1959 or 1960, with its crescent-moon cutaway and R-shaped tailpiece. The 330 followed in 1966.
The brand rose with the 1960s British Invasion: George Harrison played a 360/12 twelve-string, John Lennon a 325 Capri, and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds built a folk-rock sound around the 360/12. The chiming twelve-string tone remains the brand's signature. Guitar Radar follows Rickenbacker's limited editions, anniversary models and reissues.
Sources: Reverb: A brief history of Rickenbacker · Wikipedia: Rickenbacker 360 · Guitar Guitar: Brief history of Rickenbacker
Stories
Johnny Marr's guitar collection sells for £3.65 million at Christie's
The 111-lot London sale more than tripled its estimate, led by Marr's Smiths-era 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo at £358,400.
Sep 18, 2026
Rickenbacker built Geddy Lee a one-off bass for Rush's reunion tour
The custom 4000V CB TB in Turquoise Blue mixes vintage Rickenbacker parts with specs Lee asked for himself, ahead of the Fifty Something Tour's June 7 opener.
Apr 27, 2026