On a standard 12-string guitar, the fat low E string is second and the skinnier one is first. Just the opposite on a Rickenbacker. Does anybody know why?
Re: Rickenbacker 12 string placement
Posted by Glen Lambert on Tue, 06/13/2000 - 00:33.
The very first Rickenbacker 12 string made in '63 was strung the conventional way. The second one was made for George Harrison and it was the first with the inverted stringing. For this reason some say that George's one was the first true Ric 12. In any case they had discovered the signature Ric 12 sound by doing this and every 12 string made by Ric since has been made with this unique inverted stringing technique.
http://www.geocities.com/vintage325/
Posted by Chuck Kirkpatrick on Wed, 01/24/2001 - 18:15.
I bought my Rick 360 in 1967, and it was set up conventional strung. Wanting the reverse, I re-strung, but had to put tiny shims at the nut to correct some buzzing of the octave strings that were now deep in the grooves cut for the lower strings. I used the guitar for about 2 years in a vocal group. I began to play itless and less as the musical styles changed. The guitar became more of a hassle to play with tuning, etc, and I could never get the intonation perfect because of the bridge. About 5 years ago, in the middle of the night, I heard a loud "pop" from another room in the house. After a nervous search for what I thought was an intruder, I found nothing. Several days later, I opened the case of my Rick and gasped. At first, I thought the neck joint had failed, but upon closer inspection, I saw that the tailpiece had failed from metal fatigue. So much for the loud "pop" in the night - 1200 pounds of tension being relieved instantaneously. I ordered a new tailpiece and a 12 saddle bridge and restrung her conventionally. After years of not playing her, I was enjoying my Rick once again, taking her out on gigs for a 'Beatles set' ("Hard Day's Night", "Can't Do That", "Help", etc. Still not happy with the sound, I reversed the octave strings again and everything was fine. She's been my most prized guitar for 33 years and I will probably be buried with her!
Re: Rickenbacker 12 string placement
The very first Rickenbacker 12 string made in '63 was strung the conventional way. The second one was made for George Harrison and it was the first with the inverted stringing. For this reason some say that George's one was the first true Ric 12. In any case they had discovered the signature Ric 12 sound by doing this and every 12 string made by Ric since has been made with this unique inverted stringing technique.
http://www.geocities.com/vintage325/
Re: Rickenbacker 12 string placement
I bought my Rick 360 in 1967, and it was set up conventional strung. Wanting the reverse, I re-strung, but had to put tiny shims at the nut to correct some buzzing of the octave strings that were now deep in the grooves cut for the lower strings. I used the guitar for about 2 years in a vocal group. I began to play itless and less as the musical styles changed. The guitar became more of a hassle to play with tuning, etc, and I could never get the intonation perfect because of the bridge. About 5 years ago, in the middle of the night, I heard a loud "pop" from another room in the house. After a nervous search for what I thought was an intruder, I found nothing. Several days later, I opened the case of my Rick and gasped. At first, I thought the neck joint had failed, but upon closer inspection, I saw that the tailpiece had failed from metal fatigue. So much for the loud "pop" in the night - 1200 pounds of tension being relieved instantaneously. I ordered a new tailpiece and a 12 saddle bridge and restrung her conventionally. After years of not playing her, I was enjoying my Rick once again, taking her out on gigs for a 'Beatles set' ("Hard Day's Night", "Can't Do That", "Help", etc. Still not happy with the sound, I reversed the octave strings again and everything was fine. She's been my most prized guitar for 33 years and I will probably be buried with her!
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