Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Wednesday Essay Question

A Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, well played, is the most beautiful sound occurring in nature. Discuss.



Still in DivShare Hell, BTW, but frequent commenter David Klein has thoughtfully provided us a brief but interesting set of lesser known 12-string songs -- including Glen Campbell's cover of Guided By Voices "Hope on Hold" -- to add to the fun.

Download it here.
ZIP FILE

16 comments:

Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary said...

Ahh, McGuinn.......

David said...

Actually Steve, that mix wasn't really ALL about Rickenbacker 12-strings...my main point was about the English Beat song ... the rest is just stuff I've been digging of late. Maybe it will be dug anyway.

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that the Rickenbacker series that included the 12-string was designed by a disgruntled (former) designer for Gretsch. What a luthier. There's a guy due a Nobel prize!

BTW, Glen Campbell's stuff in the Wrecking Crew documentary is fantastic.

AP

David said...

Speaking of Campbell, when I was in high school i traded a 12-string electric Guild guitar for an Ovation Breadwinner (which Campbell popularized) because i thought the Ovation looked really cool, shaped, as it was, like an ax. I still regret that decision. I would love to play that Guild again.

steve simels said...

I didn't know Guild made an electric 12-string.

My fave, however, was the one Andy had when we started the Floor Models. What we used to refer to as "that pig of a Hagstrom."
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=hagstrom+solid+body+12-string+electric+guitar&hl=en&sa=G&biw=1236&bih=476&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=jCbRWnx5esNaxM:&imgrefurl=http://guitargeek.com/gearview/1061/&docid=RPDqJ4siDswqOM&w=460&h=150&ei=arZnTsbnGebC0AHu4uTKCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=148&vpy=141&dur=1825&hovh=120&hovw=368&tx=188&ty=59&page=1&tbnh=73&tbnw=224&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

Anonymous said...

Yeah, really, my poor beleagured Hag . . . You guys practically stomped on its glasses and stole its lunch. Stayed in tune, though.

Here's a shorter url to it:

http://bit.ly/nO8GGD

Re: McGuinn and Campbell: both played on the early 60s LP Anthology of the 12-String Guitar, which probably deserves some credit for popularizing the instrument. Some tracks are turning up on YouTube.

AP

Anonymous said...

Forte & Pasternack for me on the 12 string!!!

ROTP(lumber)

FD13NYC said...

I had the Rick pictured. Played it from about 1979 til the early eighties. I bought, sold and traded many axes over the years. But I've always been a Fender man though. Have my American Strat and Tele with my Fender 65 amp sitting safely retired in storage. Waahhhh!!

Faze said...

but maybe it will be dug anyway.

I really took to that Apex Twin. And who knows, there might have been a 12-string mixed into all that swampy darkness.

steves said...

Sweet mix!

Speaking of Hagstroms... I had a Hagstrom III...my first guitar. A cool red one. Guess who wound up with it? ;)

Anonymous said...

One more thought about 12 string players.

I always felt Paul Kantner played the 12 string brilliantly sometimes and other times he was a total bumbler. When he was on the Airplane soared and when he wasn't he dragged them down.

Must have been the drugs.

ROTP(lumber)

Anonymous said...

I recall seeing Roy Clark on TV playing a 12-string Ovation Breadwinner (on Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago). Sounded pretty nice.

And to tie two threads together that may be Campbell playing the lead 12-string on "Dance Dance Dance"; I'm pretty sure he plays the main riff. I saw a TV doc where he explained he was trying to run through it, made a mistake and it was decided to keep the "mistake."

janglefever said...

If you want to hear a killer 12-string sound, check out the arpeggios and fills in the R channel of Brendan Benson's "Tiny Spark". Sounds like it's played through a barely-there vibrato or Leslie effect.
I tell everyone who'll listen that this is a power pop masterpiece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hniX0LLSVak

allen vella said...

the Ric pictured is a Roger McGuinn model, limited edition, made in 1989 I believe...only 1000 or so made...and I got one of em..really a work of art. Now if I could play like Roger....

Anonymous said...

the GBV tune ("Hold on Hope" BTW) is a great tune but in better hands with its author than Glen. Just my opinion

buzzbabyjesus said...

I was going to say something about my Korean 12 string LP knockoff, but instead will call attention to Roy Wood's contribution to "The Last Thing On My Mind from "Shazaam", which has got to be a Ric.