Hump Day History

 

On this day in 1937, the first electric guitar patent was awarded on this, the Rickenbacker Frying Pan.

Adolph Rickenbacker of Electro Swing Instrument Corp partnered with GD Beauchamp to transform the acoustic guitar.  Among brass bands, it was simply too quiet.

The unique design is the Frying Pan's "pickup," a heavy electromagnet that surrounded the base of the steel strings like a bracelet.  This converts the vibrations of the strings into electrical signals, which can then be amplified.

Commercial production began before the patent though, in 1932.

By 1936, Gibson was producing their ES-150 (Electric-Spanish), so by the time the patent went through for Beauchamp, his innovation was obsolete.