Rickenbacker A-22 Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar, c. 1934, made in Los Angeles, gold plated top, silver-gold lacquered back finish, cast aluminum, black original hard shell case.
This early A-22 Electro Hawaiian Guitar, or "Frying Pan", has the celebrated pre-war 1 1/2 inch horseshoe magnet pickup with the coil wrapped in blue cloth-covered wire. Equipped with a single volume pot with an octagonal Bakelite knob.
The fingerboard has raised ridges for frets and green, red, blue, and black dot markers. Entire instrument one piece cast aluminum, with strings through body, and separate chromed metal nut and saddle. Six-string slotted headstock with open gear plastic button tuners.
Metal name-plate is stamped "Richenbacher Electro, Los Angeles" with "RE" between mirrored lightning bolts. Serial number is 00144 but the first 4 is stamped over a preceding 0, likely a factory error.
The A-22 is certainly a historically significant guitar. With its longer scale brother, the A-25, this is the earliest commercially made guitar with an electromagnetic pickup.
Although marketed as a Hawaiian guitar, the neck is round, and with a different nut this instrument could also have been played Spanish style; something designer George Beauchamp alludes to in the patent application.
This example appears all original and is perfectly playable.
Overall length is 28 3/4 in. (73 cm.), 7 in. (17.8 cm.) wide, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.).
Structurally fine and fully functional. Noticeable wear and flaking of the plating on the front; hand wear down to the metal on part of the face of the "pan". Back and sides have only light wear. Some pitting on chrome on pickup magnets, primarily on the bass side. Case exterior edges well worn; interior and lining very nice. Very Good + Condition.
