The grand irony is that these five watt world videos make me want to buy more guitars.

As a bass player who pretty much worshipped Chris Squire in my youth, my first major purchase was a new 1976 4001 bass. Still have it. Fast forward 35 years and the one glaring hole in my sound palette was filled with a 1980 360/12. It's everything they are made out to be. Plays like butter, sounds like sugar. Thanks Keith. Great job.

Man just woke up and a new short history video dropped, this is gonna be a great day

Would love to see an episode of short history on the mosrite

Now you got me wanting a 4001/4003 episode

My Rickenbacker Story: I was eleven years old in the summer of 1967 and already had many dozens of singles in my record collection going back to around 1960. That summer my parents rented a bungalow in a bungalow colony upstate New York. One Saturday afternoon I decided to walk up to the recreation hall and watch a NY Yankees baseball game. As I approached the Rec building I could hear live loud rock n roll music for the very first time in my young life. As I got closer, I realized that the band was playing Turn Turn Turn, a Byrds song that I absolutely adored. The band was doing what today we would call a soundcheck although I don't recall a soundboard or a sound engineer there. They were probably simply rehearsing a few songs after they had set up their gear. There was a low stage and I was standing in the doorway on the left side of the stage; probably the same door that the band had loaded into an hour before I got there. I was transfixed. They played a few more songs including I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher and Happy Together by the Turtles. I never got back to the actual show later that night because the band was there to play for the teenagers and I was simply too young to hang out. The band was called The Lonely Souls and my older brother told me that he knew them from our neighborhood in the Carnarsie section of Brooklyn. I looked them up a few times over the last twenty years but there seems to be nothing ever published about the band. They might have only existed for that single moment in time but that moment changed my life. I went on to have a career in and around the making of post punk, new wave, and indie rock dance music as well as time served as a club booker, live sound engineer, and NYC club owner. The three clubs that I owned and co-owned were Sanctuary (1981-1986), MISSION (1988-1993), and Luna Lounge (1995-2005). In the 1970s, I once talked to my older brother about this experience. He remembered the band. He told me that the lead singer in the band had been killed in Vietnam. Heartbreaking. If there could be one time in my life when I could go back in time knowing what I now know, I would go back to that one hour of my life...

after watching this I feel compelled to share this; when I was a young, up-and-coming musician, I played in a band originally based in Asbury Park, New Jersey called The Shakes; The band was led by the very talented Bob Campanell who wrote catchy songs that suited his incredible voice which I have described as a cross between Roy Orbison and James Brown! (Sadly Bob passed away a few years ago but at least he was onstage at the time) Bob had a ‘60s Rick 12 string that featured prominently in our sets; he & I would share it so I got to play that great instrument many times; one time Bo Diddley sat in with us, proceeded to break a string on my Telecaster (I was playing harp), then broke a string on Bob’s Stratocaster; Bob and I both ran to protect the Rick 12 as Bo headed towards it!

Two yrs ago, I bought my first Ric 360/12 after falling in love with them decades earlier, while playing a gig in Phoenix with a 360 on loan to me. The Rick-O-Stereo hookup with 2 amps filled the hall that night, with shimmering chiming harmonics that I never forgot! I also just purchased a 660, love the 1.75 nut width, and looking forward to enjoy that fine quality instrument for as long as I can play!

I know you have already done the strat but, id love to see a history of the superstrat video😎😃

Nothing sounds like a Rickenbacker! Southern California, land of Rickenbacker, The Beach Boys, The Doors, and Van Halen, that’s a whole lot of talent!

Another big user of Ricks from the Alternative era was the Smithereens in their early years, RIP Pat Dinizio

The reason John Lennon is said to have wanted a Rickenbacker is that Jazz harmonica player, guitarist, and whistler Toots Thielemans owned Rickenbackers and Lennon was a fan of Toots.

So the rickenbacker through a vox ac30 is the sound i think of during the 60s.....

Great to see you mention R.E.M. and The Smiths

It was Jim/Roger McGuinn who imprinted the 12-string sound in me. Nobody else actually played solos on a 12 back then.

I didn't know i wanted a Ricky 12 short history until i saw this. Thanks again Keith for knocking it out of the park like you always do.

So, after all these years what I thought was a German guitar brand turns out to be an American company with roots every bit as deep as Fender or Gibson. Great video, thanks!

Love the sound of a Rick 12! ❤️

The 360/12 is one of those few guitars in the world that makes me tear up every time I see it. Not only is it a thing of absolute perfection and beauty, but many of my favorite songs as a child had one in the recording. Thanks again for the great history lesson, can't wait for what's next!

I have an 'illegitimate' Roger McGuinn 370/12 Mapleglo. I inherited it when my dad passed away in 1999, and I have no idea where or how he got it. It's a full RM signature model with the built-in compressor electronics and signature pickguard.... BUT..... no Rickenbacker nameplate on the headstock. It's not just missing.... There are no screw holes! So I know that a nameplate was never installed at the factory. I was told by someone at RIC that this may have been an overrun guitar made up of leftover parts after the 1000 official RM guitars were made, and maybe taken home by an employee at the time. For just me, I don't care about the certificate. I'm not such a great player, but I love it, and it plays and sounds amazing. If anyone reading this has any idea how this guitar came to be.... please reply.

My favorite Rickenbacker song is The Byrds rendition of Mr. Tambourine man!

Brilliant clip, so happy you referenced XTC's Dave Gregory with his extensive use of the 12 on English Settlement. A Ric 330 was my all time dream guitar but being a south paw the chance of owning one was unlikely. Then in mid 1993 I called the New Zealand importers and asked what I'd need to do to order a left hand 330 and they advised they had one already in the country! Twenty eight years later, I still love and cherish my left hand 330 Fire Glow and despite my very crude and hard playing in the day, she still is immaculate. If there was one thing that has always bugged me, it's the upside down "R" tailpiece, I'd like to replace it with the plain flat steel version soon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love Rickenbackers. You and Chris Buck are the only two who have extolled the virtues of Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker only need to do one thing: they need to make an entry model. They are so expensive for younger players.

The music paper The Recyclier was also where a guy named James met a guy named Lars and they formed a band called Metallica.

Enjoyed the docu-vid on the Rickenbacker story. Jason's 12 string Ric tone is spot on. Thanks.

It is really impressive how quickly youre able to complete such polished, entertaining, and long videos. keep up the good work.

The Smithereens made good use of their Rickenbackers.

Peter Buck used Mitch Easter’s Fender XII on Murmur and Reckoning. He’s also used Epiphone and Danelectro 12 strings. The Mapleglo Ric in the screenshot from a live gig was apparently a rental. I have yet to verify whether or not he used a 12 string Ric on Fables and the earliest photos I have of him with a 12 string Ric is the Roger McGuinn model, and it’s the only 12 string in the studio photos from Out of Time circa 1991. By then, he could afford as many as he wanted.

Oh dear lord, THANK you for mentioning Carl Wilson, as well as Paul Kantner!! I really appreciate that Keith

This is a bit embarrassing. I was a teenager when the Beatles and the Byrds started using the Ricky 12s. Problem was, I didn't know they had 12 strings. I saw a 360 six string in a local music shop. That's what McGiunn plays! So I bought it. It had that Rick-o-sound jack. That must be how he got that sound. I turned myself inside out trying to figure out and play unisons and octaves. Id see them on T.V. and saw that they sure as hell weren't working as hard as I was at playing. My results were lame at best. After a year of that frustration, I sold it. About five years later, I saw a 360 12 up close and could finally see the six other tuners being at right angles. DOH! Ingenious. Ricky 12s were hard to come by so I bought a Fender XII. Loved this particular post as it flew me back in a time machine. I hope I wasn't the only teen dolt that was fooled by this Ricky trickery.

Props for the Marty Willson-Piper reference. He uses the Rick in so so much of The Church’s catalog.

George got his 425 in 1963 while visiting his sister who had moved to the USA. It was purchased from Red Fenton’s guitar store in Southern Illinois

My favorite Ric player is Mike Mills from R.E.M. He played a '71 Rickenbacker on the first two albums and the tone is incredible.

Steve Howe plays a 360/12 on Awaken from the Going for the One album. Live he uses a Steinberger, because it's easier to keep in tune, but he says it doesn't sound as good as the Rick.

Thanks Keith, the rich story of the Rickenbacker is both compelling and telling. What a niche her jangle has carved in guitar and music history. "To everything there is a season And a time to every purpose, under heaven"

I love my 1998 Rick 360 12. Such a beautiful instrument.

YAY!!👍👏 I had a 360/12-64 (Harrison model reissue). I also had the pick guard on it signed by Roger McGuinn!! Oh, you forgot CCR (John Fogerty) as a Ric user. Oops - how could I forget the Smithereens?!

My Rickenbacker 360/12 is a 1963 model with the flat “trapeze” tailpiece (no “R” here!) in Fireglo Red - identical to the one seen at both ends of this Five Watt World video. I found it at Guitar Center Hollywood, where they actually had TWO OF ‘em! So I picked up both and took them into the Platinum Room. I plugged each one into a spiffy new Orange amp they had in there, and A/B’d them to see which one was better, as both guitars were used. The first one was okay. But the second one was STUNNING! Guess which one I bought?! I’d wanted this exact model since “A Hard Day’s Night”, so you can imagine how blown away I was having TWO of this exact model to choose from!!! It required a bit of work, so it got to live with my Luthier, the amazing Troy for a little over a week. But when I got it back, Troy had worked his usual magic on it. Now it’s absolutely STELLAR! So even though I got it used, it’s one of the most KILLER instruments I’ve EVER owned! It looks and sounds like brand new. Thanks, Rickenbacker, and THANK YOU, TROY!!!

Fun fact: those iconic chiming Rickenbackers you hear on the first Smiths album, including This Charming Man, are actually a blackguard Telecaster owned by the producer. Fascinating video as always, Keith

This is the scene -- , I am a 15 year old Texan. My dad has been transfered to London,1966. I had been playing for maybe a year. I am learning to play. Exiled to a boarding school and had better players than the rest of us, Saved my pence and went to Rose Morris in ' 67 I am guessing. Almost bought a short-scale but thought that was cheating, ( How dumb can you be? I have small hands) Bought my 2 pickup Rick ( I don't even remember the model #) and loved it. :Long story but lost it 40 years ago, Anyway... Fell in love with the Byrds and the 12 which has caused me to play a 12 most of my life. And , No, I don't own a Rick 12. My job has required me to travel so much it would have stayed under the bed but when I was looking at one about 20 years ago the salesman at the Guitar Center said "It looks really good on you". He had no idea. I have played every day of my life since I started. Wish I had my original. Long Live RICK! Thanks for the video. I have just returned to my youth. Do the math. I am 70 now. And yes, I still play every day. I also have been writing for the past 50 years. There are bands out there playing my music.

There's something about that 12 string sound that I love. I grew up in the era of Beatles and Byrds and everytime I hear a chimey glistening arpeggio from a 12 string I'm right back there. Thanks for the short history. Makes me want to go out and buy a Rick, but I've settled for a Dano 12 string and a Dano doubleneck 6/12 model, which are quite wonderful in their own right. But the Rick 12 will always be the gold standard for electric 12 strings.

Always makes my day to see a new short history..this is a fantastic subject...lesser known to most myself included

Back in the mid 90's, I was part of a touring band showcasing a brother duo "The Elwell Brothers". When we had a free day one of my dear friends from the band and I rented a car and sought out the Rickenbacker offices. We were and are big fans. I have a 66' 360 6-string and a 98' 360 12-string. We went into the front office requesting a tour or access to whatever we might be allowed to see. While waiting for the verdict an old gentleman shuffled through the office. I asked the receptionist if that was...and yes, it was Mr. F.C. Hall. Well between my friend's boyish good looks and my silver tongue, we persuaded a reluctant office manager to give us access to "the museum" of ALL of their fabulous displayed instruments. However, the room was under renovation. Unbelievably this amazing collection of vintage instruments was sitting in the midst of the project with sawdust, power tools, and plastic tarping. We got photos of us each holding and playing some amazing instruments including a picture of the "frying pan". Then it happened a questioning and curious John Hall (President of RIC) stepped in wondering what we were doing there. The office manager that had accompanied us was told it was probably time for us to leave. On our exit, we were able to purchase stickers and shirts and the kind office staff gave us a collection of the signature artist posters. What a marvelous adventure. Loved this video.

In a previous video, I commented about buying my Fender 12-string Stratocaster back in the 80's because I wanted a Rickenbacker 12-string, but either couldn't find one, or couldn't afford the one I wanted. Keith read and gave me a nice comment back. Now he made this video. Today is a very good day. Thank you Keith!

I'm not crazy about Rickenbackers, but their impact is undeniable and the number of tracks I've loved that utilize is immense. A deserving review of this guitar's history from the mountain top guitar guru that is Keith Williams.

"From the Frying Pan in to the Fireglo" is the title of a 99.9% total Rickenbacker bible. The research never stops. Hats off to a company that refuses to offshore production, introduce a line of imports, or lessen quality to suit market segments. Thank you, Mr. Hall.

Probably the coolest episode you have done, even a cameo by the bassist and guitarist and singer of my current favorite band All Them Witches, I know it isn't a guitar but an episode of the 4001/4003 would be cool too it's just an under appreciated bass but the few who do get it.

Great short history Keith. It’s easy to forget what a large part of the music we love was made on those instruments. It’s just part of the soundtrack of our lives.

I have ADHD, so I find it really hard to watch long KZfaq videos all the way through, but literally every video of yours I can sit and watch the full length in one sitting. They keep me totally engrossed.

Awesome History lesson, thanks a million. Many years ago, my brother bought a Rickenbacker 360/6 with his lawn mowing money,$175.00 the guitar was a 65' He sold regetting it to this day, he said the Rickenbacker is in Japan and has been keep track of it, trying to buy it back, but with no luck as of yet, hopefully he finds it in his collection again. ✌

My one and so far only E-Bay purchase was a 660-12 maple glow. Tried for a short time to play a 360-12 but my hands are too big. I like the 660-12 with more real estate on the fret board. The 660 is a great guitar. I've used it for gospel to pit band in musicals to some petty great sounding blues. Great vid!

Jim Beattie from very early Primal Scream really influenced me as a teenager, he seems to have had a unique aggresive style which brought the whole 60's Rick thing into a new dimension for me, especially his live playing.

Thank you for doing this. Rickenbackers are completely under appreciated and have an enormous sound pallet. The 12 is a little narrower, in terms of what it can do, but nothing touches it at what it's best at.

I’ve been waiting all week for this, thanks

I saw the Church live in San Diego in the early 1990's. I didn't know who they were at the time, but they were great live! I had no idea they used a Ric.

Great video and story about my favorite guitar. I have owned most Rickenbacker models over the years, and really you cannot beat them for tone and build quality. I am never confused by what model I see (unlike with F and G brands) because RIC keeps it simple. And thanks for the long Peter Buck segment, his sound for me has always been the best example of what a Rickenbacker can do.

This makes me want to own a 12 string 😩 hope i can afford one soon. awesome series!

Slammed that notification alert so fast. Love your videos!

Picked up a Ric 360 / 12 In a pawn shop near downtown Santa Monica California, next to the Promenade. It was Fire Glow red and I paid $195 for it. Of course that was about 1970 LOL. Should have never sold a thing. But I was young and dumb and you know the rest of the line...

FASCINATING. I own a 1966 Hagstrom solid body electric, made in Sweden. Plywood body, covered in vinyl and heavy duty industrial plastic. It sat for decades in its original case, like some kind of mummy, waiting for me to buy it in 2023. Actually I first met this guitar in 1972, but had to sell it, and by some magic the exact same model and year and even color (black and white and silver) found its way back to me. Something about the neck, straight as a straight-edge, the pickups and unique tremolo bar, that puts this guitar in a league of its own. Maybe one day you’ll do a deep-dive history of Hagstrom, in the way that only you can do…

Man I hope we get the short history of the 4001 soon. Great job once again Keith.

All of your Short Histories of… are great, but this is absolutely incredible. You packed an amazing amount of detailed and fascinating information into a really short amount of time. I love Rickenbackers and their unique sound and feel. Thank you so much.

As an Australian, I'm glad to see the Church mentioned. Their song Almost With You is Rickenbacker jangle heaven!!!

Well done Keith, another one for the books, I love when a short history comes out on a Sunday, they fit so well together, thanks!

Great history video. Thank you for posting. I love my ric.

Great to see a new history here! I’ve realized these short histories go beyond the specific guitar or topic, shining light on the rich context of the people, music, personal connections, and artists famous surrounding the guitar. I’ve never played a Rickenbacker, but appreciate the cool role they’ve played over time.

Great show! Sure Les Pauls, Strats and Teles each have a distinctive sound, but nothing stands out to my ears like a 12-string Richenbacker. Thank you.

I've been waiting for this one since I discovered this channel!! Rickenbackers are amazing guitars and I'm proud to own one. Wonderful video as always and I can't wait to see more in the future.

Yessssss today is the day!! If there is one short history I’ve been waiting for, it is this one. Thanks for the awesome content!!

Great video; you meant ADOLPH Rickenbacker...😉 Paul Mc Cartney used his refinished natural 4001 bass all throughout the ‘70’s with Wings. Truefire is GREAT!

Back from a long weekend in the hinterlands, and the first thing I see is a Short History from Keith. Serendipity, baby! There's nothing better than learning while being entertained. Thanks as always, Keith.

These videos will be played again and again for years to come. That's how good they are.

Well done as always! You're short history videos a very well-thought-out and planned. Good work and I appreciate it. You are the Ken Burns of Guitar History thank you!

Keith, you are probably the most interesting guitar-related guy on the internet. But what do I know? I've only been playing since 1961. Keep it up sir!

I can't hear a rickenbacker without tambourine man playing in my head.

Its the little details like "the Washington football team" that make this channel. Love it.

My first Ricky was the McGuin signature blond one! I payed $1400. For her when they came out in 1987. I loved that guitar, but it was just too beautiful to be playing out with it. I sold it 12 years later to a gentleman in NY for $4050. Then bought a 330-12 . A few years later I traded it in for a 1995 360-12 and will keep that one til the end. I love my Rickenbacker !! 🇺🇸👍🙋‍♂️🖖🏻

I met F. C. Hall in the early 80s when I visited the Rickenbacker factory to try and resolve a warranty issue with a bass I'd bought a few months before. He proudly told me that the Beatles played their (Rickenbacker) instruments. I didn't have the heart to reply "well, not in a while." I also learned that changing strings to a different brand than those supplied from the factory (as I had done) voided the warranty, which specified the use of Ric "parts" only, and that the white finish (as on my bass) was not warrantied either, as it had a tendency to change color (often to yellow) over time. That being said, I found Mr. Hall to be a true gentleman, and he went out of his way to make good on my bass, even though I was a nobody.

This was outstanding. I always wish Short Histories were longer. I'll watch this a couple more times and glean more. Thank you for all the labor of love. 😁👍

Most awesome.. thanks for saying something about supporting musicians thru this hard time... it has been a very hard year for us all.

So great! So comprehensive! Absolutely gorgeous guitars and I am so thankful to Keith for putting the massive time and effort producing this much longed-for history of one of my life-long favorite guitars. Sadly, I sold my 360/12 years ago and regret every day since. This video has reminded me that I need to bring RIC back into my life. Yeah. Great. Thanks, Keith. 😔😊🌹

I've have owned and played three Ricks over the past 45 years, a 4001 Jetglo, a 620 / 12 Aqua custom color, and at present a 330 / 12 Fireglo. The 4001 I played continuously in bands for 22 years. No one can argue the level of build quality of Ricks, but to me Rickenbacker did some things that just didn't make sense. I traded the 620/12 and some money for the 330/12 because it was so difficult to chord some chords at the nut end of the neck. I gave up on the 4001 because of several reasons. One, the body shape for me had just become to uncomfortable to deal with, no matter at what height I wore the bass at. Also, I had caused deep grooves in the frets by using Rotosound round wound strings all the time. Apparently the metal the strings are made from is harder than the fret metal. And finally, I just tired of shouldering a bass as heavy as the 4001. As for the 330/12, re-stringing is a nightmare because Rickenbacker didn't see fit to fully slot the headstock all the way through.

Great work, Keith. Thanks for making these histories incredibly informative & entertaining.

These were the ones I knew the least about, so this has been my favorite video so far, for that reason. You’re videos are always awesome!

Well done as always Keith! Great quality content that looks like it should be on tv. You’ve really inspired my playing and my hunt for gear, in a good way 😉

Thank God! Right when I sat down at my computer and saw that there's, a new episode of 5 Watt World...YAHAY!! Nice and perfect!

Informative, entertaining and perfectly presented. What more can one ask? Brilliant! Thanks Keith, we appreciate your work, cheers!

That sound is really magical. “A Hard Days Night” is my favorite Beatles album

Yet another enlightening and entertaining history, Keith. Thank you!

Time to tune up the Ric 12 and get the jangle on. Thanks for the inspiration Keith - as always!

Until next time, thanks so much for this great video! I always look forward to the next one!

My most hotly anticipated edition of Five Watt. Ah, the perfect end to the weekend! Thanks Keith.

Fantastic work Keith! Thank you. I have consistenly owned Rickenbackers since 1998 and you have really done them justice. Chapeau bas, Monsieur, chapeau bas.

I never have played. I found this short story informative. It's also sad to see someone so talented to leave so soon.... Much love to his family. Thanks for putting this together

Love seeing All Them Witches get mentioned, such an incredible band! Parks also kills it with that facked up 4001

Probably one of my favorite sounds is the rick 12 string. Gotta get coffee ready before I continue with this! Thanks for the great content as always.

Finally! It has arrived! The video i have been waiting for

Excellent video. I have wanted a Rickenbacker 360/12 for many years. Thanks for making this video.

Another great video. Never realized so many songs that I like used these guitars. I guess I’ll have to look into adding one into the collection.

Thanks for this one Keith, had to wait a few days to view it uninterrupted, but well worth it!