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 931.444.5174       230 Tenth St Clarksville, TN 37040
TUE - SAT 11A - 6P
 


Circa 1932-34 Rickenbacker Rickenbacher Electro A-22 'Frying Pan' Lap Steel Guitar

Very good condition featuring, one piece cast aluminum neck, fretboard and circular aluminum body, 22 1/2 inch scale, 1 1/2 inch wide horseshoe magnet pickup with slot head mounting screws, two metal thumb screws and Pat. Pend. stamp, one volume control with brown Bakelite knob, recessed output jack on the bass side rim of the body, slotted headstock with gold metal 'Rickenbacher Electro' nameplate, string through body construction with raised bridge and steel saddle, three per side open gear tuning machines with small oval white buttons, gold lacquer finish and custom tweed hard shell carrying case. 

This Rickenbacher A-22 Electro Hawaiian lap steel is in overall very good vintage cosmetic condition showing signs of play wear throughout (see photos). The gold lacquer finish is pretty well worn and the tuning machines appear to be from the 1940s. There is a faint footprint from the original set of tuners (see photos) but no modifications were done to fit the current tuners. The tuning machines function smoothly and have been oiled. The electronics in this A-22 are fully original and fully functional.  The horseshoe magnet pickup sounds absolutely fantastic and this instrument is set up in outstanding playing order. This steel is housed in a recently made tweed hard shell carrying case with red plush interior. 

The Rickenbacher A-22 is a very significant piece of history that changed the way music could be heard, played and created forever. In 1928, the release of the Stromberg Electro was a monumental feat. Although it was a guitar that featured electromagnetic pickups, it was an acoustic bodied instrument. In 1931, the Rickenbacher Electro A-22 electric lap steel guitar was introduced making this the first solid-bodied six string electric guitar with a wound electric pickup and getting the first 'electric guitar' patent number in 1937. This example has been well loved and played over the past 89 years is ready for a new enthusiastic owner to tell its story.