Free Bird! The Gecko Gets A 12-String!
This is what passes for news in Lizardland this week, I guess: the Gecko playing guitar in his basement (with bedhead)
I’d been planning to replace my ruined electric-acoustic with a new guitar for a while when I stopped by Don’s Pawn Shop in Dayton to look at his 12-string acoustics…. and this electric 12-string caught my eye. It’s a beauty without even a scratch. Whoever pawned it either never touched it or loved it dearly.
I cranked it up on a Vox Valvetronix in the shop and got everyone over to listen as I played “Turn turn turn.”
What can I say about it? It’s a Dean Boca (I suppose named after Boca Raton, Dean being a Florida company, I believe). The guitar has great action and a bright tone. I had to lower the bridge pickup to tame the beast, though. If I ever modify this guitar it will be to change the pickups, in fact. They don’t quite get the vintage tone of a Rickenbaker. The guitar is also really top heavy from the 12 grover tuners on the headstock. Could use a heavier body to balance things out. But I love the vintage vibe.
Overall, however, this is a cool guitar. I’m looking forward to adding some 12-string sonics to future LFA music.
January 10, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Send me a sampling of what it sounds like. Maybe it will inspire me?
January 10, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Yeah, I’ve yet to record anything. Mostly just getting used to the guitar. Then there’s the “no time” thing, of course. My only real time to record music is when the kids are asleep, but it turns out this guitar is very loud acoustically: the semi-hollow body projects the sound, not as well as an acoustic, but far more than your average solid-body electric guitar.
btw, as far as I can tell, the guitar is made from three pieces of mohagany (probably very cheap stuff): a central solid piece and two partially hollowed pieces on each side. Then there’s a maple top bound on to it.
Thought of recording your “Armor” tune using this thing.
January 11, 2010 at 11:10 am
I think you should…along with some of the suggestions I had presented.
January 11, 2010 at 11:26 am
Should what? Record Armor?
When are you going to be able to play drums again, O Weak One?
January 12, 2010 at 7:16 am
You don’t need a 12 string. I need a 12 string. Rickenbacker if possible.
January 12, 2010 at 8:20 am
Why do you need one?
At any rate, as I mentioned to the guy in the pawn shop where I got this one, the Dean is nice, but if I’d thought to buy a 12-string before I got married and had kids, I’d have a Rickenbacker, the sine qua non of coolness. But now I can’t spend $3k on a guitar. Maybe if I get another good job I’ll someday have one. Like in retirement.
But you’re a rich kid, aren’t you, Chops? Just go out and buy one with your pocket change. You can get one for the next LFA tour.
This is the one, right: http://www.rickenbacker.com/images/33012.jpg
What I find amusing is that Dean has a heavy metal image, yet this guitar is so not heavy metal. Don’t know what possessed them to build it. The only thing metalish about it is the ugly, overly hot humbucker pickups. Those things need changing as soon as I can scrape together the dough, preferably for a pair of tv jones.
January 16, 2010 at 3:13 pm
My spamming other WordPress blogs about LFA has finally gotten me blacklisted. I can’t post anything on any other blog!!
January 16, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Well, I’m sure that will harm our drive for world domination.
January 17, 2010 at 9:45 pm
And when everyone gets a few minutes, they should hop over to:
http://kulick.net
Listen to Bruce Kulick’s song HAND OF THE KING. This is Bruce’s third album. (His first two…meh.) However, this song kinda rocks. It features Nick Simmons (son of Gene Simmons) on vocals.