<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Colors available </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Bare metal </Td> </Tr> <P> The "Fry - Pan" in 1931 / 1932 was the first successful electrified instrument of any kind and the first electric lap steel guitar ever produced, receiving its patent in August 1937 . A previous attempt, the "Stromberg Electro", introduced in 1928 by the Stromberg company, was transducer - based using a "vibration - transfer rod" from the instrument's sounding board attached to magnets inside the guitar itself and was not successful . George Beauchamp created the "Fry - Pan" in 1931, and it was subsequently manufactured by Rickenbacker Electro . The instrument--officially the Rickenbacker Electro A-22--earned its nickname because its circular body and long neck make it resemble a frying pan . </P> <P> It was designed to capitalize on the popularity of Hawaiian music in the 1930s . The instrument was made of cast aluminum, and featured a pickup that incorporated a pair of horseshoe magnets that arched over the strings . Beauchamp and machinist Adolph Rickenbacker began selling the Fry - Pan in 1932, but Beauchamp was not awarded a patent for his idea until 1937, which allowed other guitar companies to produce electric guitars in the same period . </P>

Why is the rickenbacker frying pan important to the history of the electric guitar
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