Electro-Spanish Ken Roberts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rickenbacker Electro Instrument company electric Spanish Ken Roberts Model | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Rickenbacker |
| Period | (1931–1938 production) Official Release 1935[citation needed] |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Hollow, Semi-hollow |
| Neck joint | Set neck |
| Scale | 25" |
| Woods | |
| Body | Mahogany (with binding) |
| Neck | Usually Mahogany or Maple(with binding) |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Vib-Rola |
| Pickup | Horseshoe pickup |
| Colors available | |
| Sunburst | |
The Ken Roberts is an early model of the electric guitar made by Electro-Spanish, the precursor to the Rickenbacker brand.[1] The first electric instrument to be named after an endorser, the Ken Roberts model anticipated several features that would become popular in future electric guitar design, like the use of a vibrato bridge and a neck joined to the body at a higher fret to aid access to higher notes.[2]
Produced between 1931–1938,[citation needed] the instrument line was officially released in 1935 and was terminated in 1938. It is estimated that less than 50 total quantity were produced & sold between 1935–1938. Less than 10 are known to survive as of 2017[update].[2] It was the first electric guitar to offer players an extended neck that joined the body at the 17th fret, enabling extended playability on the 22 fret neck; a design element that persists in the current day electric guitar. Another key element found on the Electro-Spanish Ken Roberts, was the stock equipped hand-operated “Vib-rola” vibrato device produced by patent holder Clayton Doc Kauffman.[3]