This love affair began in Hamburg, Germany in 1960 when he bought a natural-blonde Model 325 with a Kauffman vibrato. Lennon's third Rickenbacker conformed closely to the features of the English distributor's Model 1996. Generally, they had F-holes instead of cat's eye slashes or solid tops. Paul McCartney used a Hofner bass in the early years of Beatlemania but soon had a Fireglo twin-pickup Rick bass, an early Model 4001S with dot inlays and no bindings. Its features closely resembled those of the Rose, Morris Model 1999 later played and made even more famous by Chris Squire of Yes.
Good ideas are timeless.
Thus the Beatles created unprecedented, international interest in Rickenbackers, which many fans actually believed came from Britain. Soon Rickenbackers created the sound and image of bands on both sides of the Atlantic. The Who's Peter Townshend, Creedance Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty, Steppenwolf's John Kay, and many other well-known 1960s guitarists became faithful Rickenbacker users. This rapid growth in demand led to changes in the company. Before 1964 all Rickenbacker guitars had been made at the original Electro String factory in Los Angeles.