The Combo 600 and 800 guitars, were largely designed by Rickenbacker’s factory manager, Paul Barth, and were introduced in 1954. Sharing a common design, with a single cutaway and “German carve” top, each model differed only in its electronics. The 600's horseshoe pickup was a single coil unit. Whereas the 800, had a dual coil, humbucker, pickup. Standard finishes available at the time were Cloverfield green, natural maple, (gold-tinged) Montezuma Brown, and Black Diamond (not as yet referred to as Jetglo). Although almost any colour was available by special order. In the late 1960s the standard colours included Azureglo and Burgundyglo.

The Combo 400 was a relatively short lived model, introduced in 1956 and then removed from the price list in 1958, when the new “Capri” semi acoustic models were launched. It had what was referred to as a “Tulip” shaped body, neck through construction, with the classic Rickenbacker shaped headstock, 21 frets, a large gold anodised pickguard, one DeArmond style pickup - in the neck position, one tone and one volume control and a 1/4” jack socket on the front face of the pickguard. Standard colours were again Cloverfield Green, Montezuma Brown and Jet Black.

The 425 model was first introduced in 1958. It had the new “cresting wave” body style, large white plastic pickguard, a 21 fret neck with the classic Rickenbacker shaped headstock, one “Toaster” style pickup - in the bridge position, one tone and one volume control and a 1/4” jack socket on the front face of the pickguard. The body thickness was slimmed down in 1961. The example shown here is the student model which had a slightly modified pickguard, to accommodate the vibrato unit and the pickup is in the mid-body position. It also has the non adjustable bar style, compensated bridge

In 1957 Rickenbacker introduced the combo 650 and 850 models. A natural progression from the 600 and 800’s, again, each shared a common “double cutaway” body shape. The model number identified the number of pickups it had (or coils on the very first horseshoe equipped example 850’s). The 650 was a double cutaway single horseshoe pickup model and the 850 was a two pickup version; one horseshoe bridge pickup and the now familiar “toaster” pickup in the neck position. Like the 600 and 800 models, they also had a “German carved” top. They also had the alternative “saxophone” strap fixing (a circular chrome disc on the back of the upper horn, mounted over a recess). By 1958 they had a slightly thinner, lighter body and a flatter neck profile.

The Combo 1000 model was a short scale student model, first introduced in 1957. It had an 18 fret neck, one pickup and the “Tulip” style body. The early versions had similar features to the Combo 400, i.e. a large gold anodised pickguard, one DeArmond style pickup - in the middle of the body, one tone and one volume control and a 1/4” jack socket on the front face of the pickguard. The model I have here dates from 1965. The pickguard changed from gold anodised to solid white plastic in around 1962-1963. It also has the “toaster” pickup, first introduced in 1957.

Rickenbacker made several other solid body styles, which I don’t own. Namely the 230, 250, 420, 430, 450, 460, 470, 480, 483, 490, 615, 625, 650 and 950 models. Although I do have 3, non production models, featured below. The blue and walnut solid body guitars were made in the late 80’s by Rickenbacker staff craftsman, John Quarterman, as ideas for new designs. They never went into full production. The 481/12 featured, was a factory “one-off” made in 2011. It is “through neck” construction, birds-eye maple wings (leftover factory stock from the 4002 model), flame maple 21 fret neck, wider than normal, with deluxe inlays and unfinished fretboard, two toaster pickups in hi-gain cases, checkered binding to the front only, one tone and one volume control, single toggle switch and black hardware.

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