The Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar is a musical instrument known for its distinctive chiming sound and unique design. It was first introduced in the early 1960s by the Rickenbacker company, and quickly became popular with guitarists looking for a brighter, more jangly sound than what was possible with a traditional 6-string electric guitar.
One of the key features of the Rickenbacker 12-string is its unique "Rick-o-Sound" wiring, which allows the guitar to be split into two separate output signals - one for each pick-up. This allows the player to control the tone and volume of each signal separately, giving them a great deal of flexibility in creating their sound.
In terms of its design, the Rickenbacker 12-string is characterized by its distinctive "shark fin" inlays on the fretboard, its distinctive headstock shape, and its unique "slash" soundhole. It is available in a variety of finishes, including natural, black, and the iconic "Fireglo" sunburst finish.
Some notable guitarists who have used the Rickenbacker 12-string include George Harrison of the Beatles, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Tom Petty, and Johnny Marr of the Smiths.
The talk box is a guitar effect that creates a distinctive vocal-like sound by shaping the guitar's tone through the player's mouth. It was first popularized in the 1970s by musicians such as Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh. The effect can be heard in songs such as Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do," and Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way." In the 1980s, Richie Sambora used the effect on Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."
The talk box works by routing the guitar's signal through a small speaker driver connected to a plastic tube that is inserted into the musician's mouth. The musician then shapes the sound with their mouth, producing vowels and consonants to create the desired sound. The resulting sound is then amplified by a vocal microphone through a guitar amp or PA system.
The talk box can create a variety of sounds, from a classic wah-wah effect to more vocal-like sounds. It is often used in funk, rock, and electronic music, and is a popular effect among guitarists. After the success of his album "Frampton Comes Alive!", which featured the talk box extensively, Peter Frampton marketed a version under his "Framptone" brand.
It is important to note that the talk box requires some practice and skill to use effectively, as it involves both playing the guitar and shaping the sound with the mouth simultaneously.
The Fender Precision Bass, also known as the P Bass, is a popular electric bass guitar that was first introduced by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation in 1951. It was the first commercially successful electric bass guitar, and it revolutionized the music industry by providing bass players with a more practical and versatile instrument that was easier to play and amplified better than upright basses.
The Fender Precision Bass features a solid body made of ash, alder, or other tonewoods, a bolt-on neck made of maple, and a fingerboard made of either maple or rosewood. It has a scale length of 34 inches and typically comes with 20 or 21 frets. The instrument is equipped with one split-coil pickup that is positioned in the middle of the body and controlled by a volume knob and a tone knob.
One of the key features of the Fender Precision Bass is its ability to produce a wide range of tones, from warm and mellow to bright and punchy, thanks to its pickup and control configuration. It is commonly used in a variety of music genres, including rock, pop, jazz, and blues, among others.
Over the years, the Fender Precision Bass has undergone several changes and modifications, including the addition of a second pickup, changes to the body shape and materials, and improvements to the hardware and electronics. Today, it remains one of the most popular and highly-regarded bass guitars on the market, favored by both professional musicians and amateur players alike.
The Les Paul Junior is an electric guitar model that was introduced by Gibson in 1954 as a more affordable option for players who wanted the distinctive Les Paul sound and style without the additional features and costs of other Les Paul models. The Les Paul Junior became one of the most popular and recognizable guitars of the 1950s and has remained a classic instrument in the decades since.
The Les Paul Junior (1954-1958) features a single-cutaway mahogany body and neck, with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. It has a simple, no-frills design with a single P-90 pickup, a single volume and tone control, and a wraparound bridge/tailpiece. In 1958, it was redesigned with a double-cutaway body style. This initial run of the model lasted through 1963.
The P-90 pickup is known for its distinctive and powerful sound. The simplicity of the guitar's design belies its ability to produce a variety of sounds, especially through a high-gain amplifier. Even when played through an overdriven amp, its sound "cleans up" well when the volume control is rolled back slightly. Coupled with a variation in picking attack, the Les Paul Junior can be a formidable and versatile weapon in the arsenal of blues, pop and rock players.
The Les Paul Junior has been used by many notable guitarists over the years, including John Lennon, Mick Jones of The Clash, Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Leslie West of Mountain, and Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke. Martin Barre of Jethro Tull recorded the entire Aqualung album with a 1957 Les Paul Junior, including the extended guitar solo of the title track.
The LP Junior remains popular with musicians who value simplicity and a classic rock and roll sound.
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar model that was first introduced by Fender in 1964. It was initially designed to be a student model guitar, but it has since gained popularity among many different types of guitar players.
The Mustang features a shorter scale length of 24 inches, which makes it easier to play for those with smaller hands or for players who prefer a shorter neck. It also has a unique offset waist body shape that sets it apart from other Fender models like the Stratocaster or Telecaster.
In terms of electronics, the Mustang typically features two angled single-coil pickups, each with an adjacent on-off-on switch, and a master tone and volume control. Some models also include a tremolo bar or vibrato system, which allows players to create unique pitch-bending effects.
The Mustang was a popular choice for surf music groups in the 1960s. It was eventually discontinued in 1982. Over the years, the Mustang has been used by many notable guitarists, including Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who famously played a Fender Mustang during the band's early years, and whose embrace of the model was likely the impetus for its reissue in 1990. Today, Fender offers a variety of Mustang models with different features and finishes to suit different players' preferences.
The Gibson ES series of electric guitars is a line of semi-hollow and hollow body electric guitars manufactured by Gibson. The ES in the name stands for "Electric Spanish" and the series was introduced by Gibson in the late 1940s as a response to the growing popularity of electric guitars.
The ES series has been used by many famous guitarists, including B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Wes Montgomery, among others. The guitars are known for their warm, rich tone, which is due in part to their semi-hollow and hollow body construction.
The ES-335 is perhaps the most iconic model in the series. It features a semi-hollow body construction with a center block that runs down the middle of the body, which helps to reduce feedback and increase sustain. The ES-335 has a warm and full-bodied tone that is perfect for blues, jazz, and rock music. Legendary guitarist Larry Carlton is affectionately known as "Mr. 335" owing to his association with that particular model.
The ES-345 and ES-355 are similar to the ES-335, but they include additional features such as stereo outputs, varitone circuits, and multiple pickups. These guitars have a more complex sound and are well-suited for players who want more tonal options.
The ES series has undergone various changes and updates over the years, with different models featuring different pickups, hardware, and finishes. Gibson continues to produce the ES series today, and the guitars remain popular among musicians of all genres.
Trivia: While it's easy to assume that ES guitar models are numbered according to their feature set (they mostly are), the numbers actually directly correspond to the original list prices, in dollars, of the various models at the time of their introduction.
The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar model manufactured by Rickenbacker International Corporation. It was first introduced in 1961 as an upgrade to the Rickenbacker 4000 bass, and quickly became popular among bass players for its distinctive sound and sleek design.
The Rickenbacker 4001 features a solid body made of maple or walnut, with a neck-through design for improved sustain and resonance. The neck is made of maple and features a rosewood or maple fingerboard with dot inlays. The bass is equipped with two single-coil pickups, each with its own volume and tone controls, as well as a 3-way pickup selector switch.
One of the most notable features of the Rickenbacker 4001 is its distinctive "cresting wave" body shape, which has become a trademark of the Rickenbacker brand. The bass also features a unique bridge design, which allows for individual string height and intonation adjustment.
The Rickenbacker 4001 has been used by many famous bass players over the years, including Paul McCartney of the Beatles, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Geddy Lee of Rush, and Chris Squire of Yes. Its distinctive sound and unique design have made it a favorite among bass players in a wide range of musical genres, from rock and metal to jazz and funk.
The Mellotron is an electronic musical instrument that was invented in England in the 1960s. It is an early example of a sampler, which means that it is capable of playing back pre-recorded sounds, or "samples", at different pitches and speeds to create musical melodies.
The Mellotron works by using a set of tape loops for each note on its keyboard. When a key is pressed, the tape loop for that note is played back, producing a sound that corresponds to the instrument or sound effect that was recorded on the tape. The tape loops are designed to be interchangeable, so the Mellotron can be used to emulate a wide variety of instruments, such as strings, flutes, brass, and choir voices.
The typical model Mellotron has a small keyboard spanning three octaves. A control pad at the left of the keyboard allows adjustment of volume, tone, and pitch as well as selection of available instrument sounds. More advanced models may have additional controls and/or a second keyboard.
The Mellotron was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s by progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, The Moody Blues, and Genesis, among others. Its distinctive sound, which is characterized by a slightly grainy and lo-fi quality, has been used in countless recordings over the years, and it continues to be used by musicians and producers today.
While the Mellotron was eventually surpassed by more advanced sampling technology, it remains a beloved instrument among musicians and collectors, and vintage Mellotrons are highly sought-after by enthusiasts.
The Hammond B-3 is an electronic organ first introduced by the Hammond Organ Company in 1954. It used mechanical rotating tonewheels coupled with electro-magnetic pickups to create its signature sound. It quickly became popular in jazz, blues, and gospel music, and was eventually adopted by many classic rock musicians in the 1960s and 1970s.
Its unique sound has contributed to some of the most iconic songs in rock history. Many notable rock musicians, including Jimmy Smith, Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Gregg Allman (The Allman Brothers Band), and Jon Lord (Deep Purple), have used the Hammond B-3 organ.
One of the most famous uses of the Hammond B-3 in classic rock is on the song "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum. The song features a prominent organ riff that is instantly recognizable and has become one of the defining sounds of the era. The distinctive organ riff played by Al Kooper on Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" is another memorable example.
One of the reasons why the B-3 organ is so popular in classic rock is its ability to produce a wide range of sounds. The organ has two keyboards, or manuals, and a set of pedals that are played with the feet. The B-3 has two sets of nine drawbars that allow the player to adjust the sound of the organ by controlling the levels of the different harmonics. This gives the player a lot of flexibility to create different sounds and textures.
In addition to its versatility, the B-3 organ is also known for its warm, full-bodied sound. The organ's rotating tonewheels produce a distinctive vibrato and chorus effect that gives the instrument a rich, lush sound that is perfect for rock music. When paired with a Leslie speaker cabinet, with its rotating speakers providing a variable tremolo effect, the B-3 produces the signature sound familiar to fans of classic rock.
In the 1970s, the Hammond Organ Company abandoned the use of tonewheels in favor of integrated circuits. These organs were less popular, and the company went out of business in 1985. The Hammond name was acquired in 1989 by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation, which then manufactured digital simulations of the most popular tonewheel organs. This culminated in the "New B-3" in 2002, a recreation of the original B-3 sound using digital technology. Other companies such as Korg, Roland, and Clavia have been successful in producing more lightweight and portable emulations of the original tonewheel organs.
The Gibson Modernist Series is a group of electric guitars that were designed and released by Gibson in the late 1950s. Gibson president Ted McCarty led a team of designers to come up with guitars with futuristic appeal. The series consisted of three models: the Futura, the Flying V, and the Moderne.
Futura
The Gibson Futura, designed in 1958, had a a unique angular body shape with long, sharp horns. It was originally intended to be a futuristic-looking guitar that would appeal to young players. Only a handful of prototypes were allegedly made, and it was eventually rebranded, with some modification to the body proportions, and released as the Gibson Explorer. However, the Explorer was not well received at the time and only a small number were produced.
The Flying V, which was also introduced in 1958, has a distinct V-shaped body. The guitar was said to be inspired by the tailfins of 1950s automobiles. Like the Explorer, the Flying V did not sell well initially and fewer than 100 were made. Dealers who stocked them were seen using them as pointing arrow store window display props. It was reissued in the 1960s in a slightly different configuration, and has since become an iconic instrument, known for its distinctive look and powerful sound.
The Moderne was intended to be the third model in the series. However, the Moderne was never actually produced at the time and remained a mystery for many years. Perhaps the oddest shape of the three, the upper body was like half of a Flying V, with the lower half having a small horn and an atrophied tail. In the 1980s, Gibson finally released a limited run of Moderne guitars, but these were not true replicas of the original design. The original patent application shows the Moderne with the "Gumby" headstock seen here.
Explorer
The Explorer and Flying V have become iconic instruments in the world of rock music. They are often associated with heavy metal and hard rock, and have been used by many famous guitarists over the years, including Jimi Hendrix, The Edge of U2, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Both guitars are highly sought after by collectors and players alike, and original examples can command high prices on the vintage market.
In recent years, Gibson has released various reissues and custom shop versions of the Modernist Series guitars. Despite their initial lack of popularity, they have become an important part of Gibson's history and have influenced guitar design for decades.
