The "Frying Pan" was the first electric guitar ever produced. The instrument was created in 1931 by George Beauchamp, and subsequently manufactured by Rickenbacker Electro. The Frying Pan is so called because of its shape: it has a flat, circular body, and the neck represents the "handle;" it is also known by its official model number, A-22. It was a lap steel guitar designed to cash in on the popularity of Hawaiian music during the 1930s. It was made of cast aluminum, and featured a pickup incorporating a pair of horseshoe magnets that arched over the strings. Beauchamp and machinist Adolph Rickenbacker began selling the Frying Pan in 1932; however, Beauchamp was not awarded a patent for his idea until 1937, a fact that allowed other guitar companies to produce electric guitars during the same period.