Adolph Rickenbacker founded Rickenbacker with two partners in 1932. Rickenbacker was first named Ro-Pat-In. In 1963 Rickenbacker developed an electric 12-string with an innovative headstock design that enabled all twelve machine heads to be fitted onto a standard-length headstock by alternately mounting pairs of machine heads at right-angles to the other. The first prototype was ultimately sold by then Rickenbacker CEO/Owner F.C. Hall to Suzi Arden, a Las Vegas C&W music entertainer in 1963. A second, slightly different electric 12 string prototype was given by F.C. Hall to Beatle George Harrison in 1964.