COVER FEATURE RICKENBACKER


hole and the 24-fret rosewood fingerboard forms part of a neck that is easily accessible due to the full double cutaways. Rickenbacker claims that the 360/12 is the


world’s most popular 12-string electric guitar and it has been a recording guitar benchmark for more than 30 years. Offering a deluxe hollow body, complete with a special contour around the perimeter, the 360/12 still has the head turning appearance that caused the original 360 model to cause a stir when it was introduced in the 1960s.


RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? Having brought us the first ever electric guitar, Rickenbacker would have enjoyed a competition-free existence back in the good old days of 1931. But, with the emergence of countless new brands over the last 80 years, is the company’s current situation still as positive as it once was? “We are in a strong position globally,” adds Hall. “2009 was our best year ever;


we were hiring instead of firing people and to be honest it’s


difficult to explain why. We’ve had the same problem for 14 years, whereby we cannot generate enough product. We don’t manufacture anywhere else except this factory in California. “The demand is eight times what we can


A NEW ERA When FC Hall retired in 1984, it was down to the current CEO John Hall and his wife Cindalee to become the sole owners of the company. Since then, Hall has overseen a lot of changes within the company. “It’s been vastly modernised since 1984,” he


says. “We’re successful, but not overly efficient, although manufacturing has greatly improved using computerisation. In fact we were the first to utilise computers online in production. “We’ve introduced cost efficiencies, we have


the right goods when we need them, there’s improved quality and reliability, the finishing systems have evolved and we abide by California air quality standards.” “We can probably be described as a


maverick,” states Hall. “We haven’t followed the other trends, we’ve done our own thing and kept our market clear of unintended competition. We also don’t have companies mimicking us, like they do with brands like Fender and Gibson.” The manufacturing processes may have


stayed as true as possible to its past traditions, but with the designs of the instruments themselves – many of which have been in production for several decades – there have been, of course, a few changes that have been necessary over the years in order to keep up with the times. “The originals are not the same as what we


produce today. Our guitars are a bit like the VW Bug, they’ve inexplicably evolved over time,” explains Hall. “The tolerances are much


24 miPRO JANUARY 2011 “


The demand for our guitars is eight times what we can produce and this is why you don’t see enough of them hanging on walls – they’re sold straight way.


higher, the materials are far more superior and tiny details have changed to make them better. They are still handmade, but now it’s fairly automated. “The precision we are able to put into it now is obviously an advantage, too.” As well as its obvious historical advantage,


Rickenbacker has also become renowned for its 12-string offering, ever since John Lennon received his fourth guitar from the company, the Model 325. The presence of the 330/12, 360/12, 381/12V69, 620/12 and 660/12 models in its current line-up proves that Rickenbacker’s commitment to this sector of the market is still as strong as ever.


The 330/12 is one of the most popular models in this series, the current model being the result of careful acoustic research that has helped create the full, rich and warm sound that it has become known for. A pair of single coil pickups is attached to a body that features the instantly recognisable slash-shaped sound


John Hall and his family handle the iconic Rickenbacker brand from their HQ in California


produce and this is why you don’t see enough of our guitars hanging on walls – it’s because they go straight away. This is good for distributors, but perhaps not so much for retailers.” Like most other guitar makers which deal in both guitars and basses, Rickenbacker’s sales figures seem to operate in cycles. Its bestseller award has been passed back and forth between the 330 and 360 models, as well as the 4003 bass and the company currently finds itself in a bass cycle. It’s certainly refreshing to see a manufacturer that has resisted the temptation to switch to either Far Eastern or machine-based manufacturing and it’s clear that under the guidance of John Hall this will continue for the foreseeable future. Futhermore, with his children, Benjamin and Sarah already very much part of the furniture over there in California, Rickenbacker’s philosophy doesn’t look like changing any time soon. For what is now almost 20 years, this iconic


brand has been distributed in the UK by Rosetti, a supplier that has certainly proved itself capable of handling brands with a pretty huge reputation. And back when it picked up the brand, it represented a major coup for the supplier, as Rosetti’s marketing co-ordinator Bjorn Gladwell reveals. “We were offered the UK distribution in the


early 1990s, which we were delighted to accept,” says Gladwell. “Rickenbacker is not only a prestigious brand, it was also a personal favourite of many of the staff at Rosetti and still is today. Not only does Rickenbacker have such a rich heritage, but its build quality, fan base and reputation are second to none, so it’s a great honour to be able to include Rickenbacker in the Rosetti catalogue.” The brand’s notoriety in the UK and Europe


partly stems from the rich roster of artists that have been drawn to the company over the


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