1991 Rickenbacker Tom Petty 660/12 Limited Edition
Maker
Rickenbacker International Corporation
(American, founded 1931)
Date1991
ClassificationsMusic
Description1991 Rickenbacker Tom Petty model 660/12 limited edition guitar, serial number E47713, in Fireglo finish. The guitar features 12-string cresting wave style body, checkered body binding, gold bi-level pickguard with Tom Petty signature, pearl triangle fingerboard inlay, gold peghead logo plate, six-per-side tuners, two pickups and five knobs. In a hardshell vintage style Rickenbacker case.Adolph Rickenbacher (later Anglicized to Rickenbacker) and George Beauchamp co-founded what later became the Rickenbacker guitar company in 1931 as the Ro-Pat-In Corporation (ElectRO-PATent-INnstruments). The company is credited as the first maker of electric guitars and were originally known for their steel guitars.
In the early 1930s, lap steel guitarist George Beauchamp created the first electric guitar pickup, which allowed for lap steel electrification and the removal of the resonance chamber. This innovation revolutionized the guitar world, making the lap steel guitar the first electric stringed instrument and allowing for the amplification of all guitar styles. In 1932, Rickenbacker began selling the first commercially available electric lap steel, the Electro A-22, also known as the “Frying Pan."
By the 1960s, the Rickenbacker designs had expanded into conventional electric guitars, and the brand's popularity was catapulted when John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney of The Beatles began using their instruments. The Beatles spurred interest among other musicians, including John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Tom Petty, and Geddy Lee (Rush).
Rickenbacker International Corporation
c. 1939
