Paul Bigsby was not the first man to make a solidbody guitar. Rickenbacker introduced a Spanish-neck version of its style B Bakelite guitar in 1936. While this instrument had small, hollow chambers to reduce weight, it functioned essentially as a solidbody guitar. Slingerland had a wood solidbody Songster model in its catalog in the late ’30s. The prototype Rickenbacker Frying Pan made in 1932 had a round neck with functional frets. The fact that there is wear on the fingerboard of the guitar indicates somebody was well aware that it could be played Spanish-style as well as being used as a steel. Bigsby, however, built the first modern-looking solidbody guitar used onstage by a major performer when he built Merle Travis’ Bigsby guitar, circa 1947. Merle had sketched a pattern and had Bigsby produce the instrument. This guitar was seen by numerous other performers as well as by makers such as Leo Fender.

By George Gruhn