Rickenbacker Lap Steel Serial Numbers

As with many other guitar brands the dating method of rickenbacker are much more common nowadays.

Rickenbacker lap steel serial numbers.

Rickenbacker serial numbers have been issued in a number of formats. I did nothing to disabuse a retailer of the tag s proclamation that this is a 1950s rickenbacker bakelite but we know better don t we. To the right and below you will find some images that will hopefully help you to locate the complete serial number on your instrument. There is some bakelite repair on the back of the headstock at the 1st tuning gear.

This lap steel is in very good condition. Please be aware that some instruments manufactured in the late 50s cannot be interpreted by this decoder. Generally with this system the first digits before the letter indicate the model series such as 6 for 600 model guitar. Starting in 1954 rickenbacker introduced a series of serial number formats that can reveal the approximate year of production of a specific instrument.

Dating rickenbacker guitars by reference of serial numbers. 1954 1960 serial numbers. With the first instruments it is virtually impossible to find the exact year of construction by using the serial number. Rickenbacker did not keep serial to date records until after the second world war.

Pickup effective august 10 1937. I hope this adds to the knowledge and theories surrounding the murky world of pre war serial numbers. Serial number as you can see is b 8. There are various nicks and marks about the body.

Dating rickenbacker lap steels. In the periods before 1998 it was made a lot more difficult. The following information is courtesy carl dixon as posted on the steel guitar forum.