LIGHT SHOW GUITARS
THIS PSYCHEDELIC RICKENBACKER WAS BLOWING MINDS — AND LIGHT BULBS.
“Based on the 330, the 331 Light Show Guitar is part of the Capri series,” Martin tells us. “Rickenbacker also made a 4005LS bass and the 331-12 [12-string]. Roger McGuinn had one of only two 331-12s that were made. The idea was taken to F.C. Hall in 1969 by a couple of guys called Stephen Woodman and Marshall Arm. Hall was always keen on bringing in new ideas and the pair suggested, ‘What about making these speaker cabinets with lights inside them? They flash in time with what you’re playing.’ F.C. then suggested, ‘Yeah, that’s cool, but what if you put the bulbs inside the guitar?’ And that’s how the Light Show Guitar was born.
“Depending on what you’re playing, certain light bulbs will flash, which is quite a laugh if you’re running up a scale or something. They do work, but they’re incredibly temperamental and, unfortunately, the bulbs don’t tend to last. As you can imagine, they’re fraught with peril. Light Show guitars were only built for a year to 18 months, but they stayed on price sheets a fair bit longer. They had limited appeal at the time and sold in relatively low numbers.”