"Originally, Electro String Instrument Corporation (ESIC) was the
     name of the parent company that produced "Rickenbacker" brand
     products.  The "Electro" name was the main name, while it was
     "Rickenbacker" that was the pseudonym!
  
     Other product names which were often made by ESIC include Ryder,
     Symphonia Grand, Academy, NHF, and Contello, but these were
     private label goods which might also have been made by other
     suppliers as well.
  
     The only direct brand names that I recall being owned by the
     company are Rickenbacker, Electro, and Road (now owned by
     Celestion of England).
  
     By the way as an historical aside, ESIC remains in existence
     today, as it's name was changed to Rickenbacker International
     Corporation as part of a series of corporate mergers, which
     happened only about 2 years ago, to reunite the various pieces of
     our guitar business."

    [John Hall, jhall@rickenbacker.com, 10/27/1999]