United States · Est. 1932
Rickenbacker Amplifiers
Rickenbacker amplifiers are pure history: among the first commercial amplifiers, built to accompany the first electric guitars of the 1930s.
About the brand
Rickenbacker began manufacturing amplifiers in 1932, when the electric guitar was still an emerging technology. The first Rickenbacker amplifiers were designed to accompany the Frying Pan, the first commercially produced electric guitars in history. At that time, Rickenbacker was simultaneously a pioneer in guitars and in amplification.
Rickenbacker amplifiers from the 1930s and 40s are museum pieces that document the birth of the amplified electric guitar. Their design was simple and their components reflected the available technology of the era: cast-iron transformers, early 6L6 valves and low-voltage circuits producing modest but sufficient power for the music of the moment.
Rickenbacker stopped manufacturing amplifiers in the 1960s to focus exclusively on guitars and basses. Surviving amplifiers are collector's rarities that occasionally sell at specialist auctions. The company has no plans to relaunch the amplifier line.
Key facts
- First amplifiers manufactured in 1932 — among the oldest in history
- Designed for the first commercial electric guitars
- Production abandoned in the 1960s to focus on guitars
- Survivors are high-historical-value collector's rarities
Iconic models
M-8
Rickenbacker's small 1950s practice amplifier that accompanied the brand's early electric guitars, with a warm and simple tone characteristic of the era.
RG30
A 30-watt Rickenbacker amplifier that was a standard model for the brand in the 1950s, prized for its robust construction and clean, open sound.
RG50
The 50-watt version within Rickenbacker's vintage amplifier range, with greater headroom and volume for live performance in the golden age of rock and roll.
Transonic 200
Rickenbacker's most advanced solid-state amplifier of the 1960s, a futuristic design with powerful sound that aimed to push technology to the forefront of its era.