Rickenbacker Lap Steel Serial Numbers

There are various nicks and marks about the body.

Rickenbacker lap steel serial numbers.

Serial number as you can see is b 8. Generally with this system the first digits before the letter indicate the model series such as 6 for 600 model guitar. To the right and below you will find some images that will hopefully help you to locate the complete serial number on your instrument. 1954 1960 serial numbers.

Old adolf rickenbacker was so happy that on that very day all guitars had the patent number clearly. Pickup effective august 10 1937. Used 1951 rickenbacker model b 8 string lap steel guitar serial number 2089171. The following information is courtesy carl dixon as posted on the steel guitar forum.

Rickenbacker did not keep serial to date records until after the second world war. 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. Additional details for bakelite fans. Please be aware that some instruments manufactured in the late 50s cannot be interpreted by this decoder.

With the first instruments it is virtually impossible to find the exact year of construction by using the serial number. As with many other guitar brands the dating method of rickenbacker are much more common nowadays. Dating rickenbacker guitars by reference of serial numbers. In the periods before 1998 it was made a lot more difficult.

Dating rickenbacker lap steels. Starting in 1954 rickenbacker introduced a series of serial number formats that can reveal the approximate year of production of a specific instrument. I hope this adds to the knowledge and theories surrounding the murky world of pre war serial numbers.