Rockin' with The Beach Boys

[bossaroo]

what a tool

[SMiLE Brian]

That cover is accurate with the guitar being unplugged.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

What a handsome, rich, lucky tool!
Life must be tough.

[Cabinessenceking]

That guy is many things. Not rock n roll though.

[c-man]

Wish I had a tool like that.
The Gibson, not the Greek.

All kidding aside, it's a pretty good interview where he basically says if he were us, he'd despise him too.
Great story about Foskett leaving him alone in a hotel room to teach "Barbara Ann" to Jimmy Page.

[guitarfool2002]

Gibson ES-295, one of my dream guitars. I think he played that on the Fallon show a few months ago. He removed the floral-design pickguard.

Some trivia: The "295" referred to how much it cost from the factory when it was new, "ES" was "electric-Spanish" to describe the style. The finish was inspired by Les Paul, who was visiting a wounded veteran in a hospital who had mentioned how he'd like to see a Gibson hollowbody finished in gold like the original Les Paul "goldtops", and the result was that tricked-out rockabilly 295...note the Bigsby.

But the gold paint they used has a nasty habit of cracking, checking, and turning green in some cases, as you can see on that cover. 

Give me a 295, a Gretsch White Falcon, and an Echoplex and I'm set for life. 

[Mikie]

Give me a Rickenbacker 325C64 Miami.  Or a Rickenbacker Carl Wilson Signature Model 360CW.  Or an Al Jardine '62 Fender Strat repro.  Then I'm set for life.

[guitarfool2002]

Give me a Rickenbacker 325C64 Miami.  Or a Carl Wilson Rickenbacker Signature Model 360CW.  Or an Al Jardine '62 Fender Strat repro.  Then I'm set for life.

 

I should have added those would be in addition to what I have now, like the Telecaster which I'll never part with. But I'll join you Mikie and add at least any model Rickenbacker to the dream list. You'd take the 60's style "Miami" 325 over the 50's style "Hamburg" 325 with the Bigsby?

I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

[Mikie]

Give me a Rickenbacker 325C64 Miami.  Or a Carl Wilson Rickenbacker Signature Model 360CW.  Or an Al Jardine '62 Fender Strat repro.  Then I'm set for life.

 

You'd take the 60's style "Miami" 325 over the 50's style "Hamburg" 325 with the Bigsby? I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Actually I had the '58 Rick Capri in my post then deleted it and opted for the '64. Both of them are great. Sacrafice the Bigsby though. And those toaster pickups! And even though it wouldn't be true to form like Lennon's, I think I'd want a full length neck, not a 3/4. Rick made that '64 model to accomodate Lennon's short arms and it fit him perfectly. He turns up the bridge in the Vox amp and check out "You Can't Do That" on a Hard Day's Night. Just a fantastic sound.

[Smilin Ed H]

He's a c*ck.

[c-man]

Give me a Rickenbacker 325C64 Miami.  Or a Carl Wilson Rickenbacker Signature Model 360CW.  Or an Al Jardine '62 Fender Strat repro.  Then I'm set for life.

 

You'd take the 60's style "Miami" 325 over the 50's style "Hamburg" 325 with the Bigsby? I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Actually I had the '58 Rick Capri in my post then deleted it and opted for the '64. Both of them are great. Sacrafice the Bigsby though. And those toaster pickups! And even though it wouldn't be true to form like Lennon's, I think I'd want a full length neck, not a 3/4. Rick made that '64 model to accomodate Lennon's short arms and it fit him perfectly. He turns up the bridge in the Vox amp and check out "You Can't Do That" on a Hard Day's Night. Just a fantastic sound.

A had a Rick 12-string solid-body (Tom Petty style) 20 years ago...I loved it, but traded it (and paid the difference) for a Carl Wilson 360/12.  Now I wish I'd have kept the solid-body and waited a few years til I could afford the 360/12, so that I could have both. 

[Lonely Summer]

I wish I could be as big a tool as this guy - getting to share the stage with Carl Wilson....I'd sell my soul for the chance to do that.

[bossaroo]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

[Alan Smith]

I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Is that (the Rick scale neck) why Lennon moved onto the Casino (which is my preferred item - love the balance when playing jingly-jangly stuff close to the bridge)?

[startBBtoday]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

Yeah, because since you don't like Stamos and you do like Carl, Carl must not have liked Stamos. Let's ignore the fact that Carl, as the band leader, allowed Stamos to play with the Beach Boys for nearly 10 years.

[JohnMill]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

Yeah, because since you don't like Stamos and you do like Carl, Carl must not have liked Stamos. Let's ignore the fact that Carl, as the band leader, allowed Stamos to play with the Beach Boys for nearly 10 years.

Band leader does not equal complete and total autonomy though.  Carl Wilson in order to appease his constituents (i.e. Mike Love) may have put up with Stamos or perhaps thought it was good business to put up with Stamos because of the exposure it got the band on "Full House".  Then again it's equally as possible that Carl Wilson liked John Stamos.  It's pretty obvious that Stamos was/is a huge Beach Boys fan and maybe Carl Wilson enjoyed having a fanboy in the band.  I doubt we'll ever hear anything truly revelatory on the subject matter going forward anyway.

[bossaroo]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

Yeah, because since you don't like Stamos and you do like Carl, Carl must not have liked Stamos. Let's ignore the fact that Carl, as the band leader, allowed Stamos to play with the Beach Boys for nearly 10 years.

no, because I've heard that Carl was less than enthusiastic about Stamos and his onstage antics

[lee]

A had a Rick 12-string solid-body (Tom Petty style) 20 years ago...I loved it, but traded it (and paid the difference) for a Carl Wilson 360/12.  Now I wish I'd have kept the solid-body and waited a few years til I could afford the 360/12, so that I could have both. 

How does the Carl Wilson 360/12 play? I used to have a Rick 330 six string and it played well but I always felt that the frets were a bit small. I'm curious if the 12 strings is a tight squeeze on the neck or not.

[startBBtoday]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

Yeah, because since you don't like Stamos and you do like Carl, Carl must not have liked Stamos. Let's ignore the fact that Carl, as the band leader, allowed Stamos to play with the Beach Boys for nearly 10 years.

no, because I've heard that Carl was less than enthusiastic about Stamos and his onstage antics

From?

[Jay]

too bad Carl likely thought he was a tool too

Yeah, because since you don't like Stamos and you do like Carl, Carl must not have liked Stamos. Let's ignore the fact that Carl, as the band leader, allowed Stamos to play with the Beach Boys for nearly 10 years.

no, because I've heard that Carl was less than enthusiastic about Stamos and his onstage antics

From?

I think some guy on here called Doe once posted about it.

[Lonely Summer]

[quote author=guitarfool2002 link=topic=16668.msg412894#msg412894 date=1383411403

I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Is that (the Rick scale neck) why Lennon moved onto the Casino (which is my preferred item - love the balance when playing jingly-jangly stuff close to the bridge)?
[/quote] A friend of mine had the Lennon Rick, and it was one of my favorite guitars to play. It just felt right. He also had a Hofner violin bass, and that was definitely an easy to play bass for someone who doesn't play bass very often.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

A had a Rick 12-string solid-body (Tom Petty style) 20 years ago...I loved it, but traded it (and paid the difference) for a Carl Wilson 360/12.  Now I wish I'd have kept the solid-body and waited a few years til I could afford the 360/12, so that I could have both. 

Is that this guitar? My dad has one but sadly the guy he got it off lost the cert. of authenticity.

[guitarfool2002]

I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Is that (the Rick scale neck) why Lennon moved onto the Casino (which is my preferred item - love the balance when playing jingly-jangly stuff close to the bridge)?

I've heard several reasons given why Lennon switched to the Casino as his primary guitar. Keep in mind Paul had bought his, the story goes, after hearing Jimi Hendrix and going in search of a guitar which he could more easily get the kinds of feedback sounds he wanted to try. Obviously a semi-hollow guitar of any type will start howling much faster than a solidbody, and I think the music shop just sold him on the Casino as an option.

The best theory on Lennon's choice I've heard was that as a songwriter, he wanted an electric guitar which he could grab on a whim when a song idea hit him and he could hear the guitar more like an acoustic, without having to plug it in, and without the "feel" of an acoustic as a songwriter. So he could write, say, an electric-based riff like "She Said She Said" or whatever and be able to hear it better than if he picked up an unplugged solidbody like his Ricks or his Strat. Makes sense.

Lennon and Harrison both got Casinos like Paul's, maybe it was a case of liking what their bandmate(s) had and getting one of their own.

But the theory of Lennon wanting an electric feel yet being able to hear it better with a thinner semi-hollowbody guitar as he worked on songs made the most sense to me.

Lennon's choice of the Rick Capri model in the first place was that he had seen Toots Theilemans playing Rickenbackers, no one else had them and they were very unique (also important to Lennon to 'stand out' from the other Liverpool bands), so when he saw one he bought it and went into debt. It just happened to be a 3/4 scale guitar, I don't think that was as much of an issue in him buying it as it was simply not being able to buy Rickenbackers all that easily and grabbing the first one he had actually seen for sale.

Same with George's original Gretsch Duo-Jet, a Gretsch was nearly impossible to find in Liverpool but when a sailor offered one for sale he grabbed it right away, even though I've heard his preferred model was one of those Chet Atkins tricked-out country themed models, at that time the orange finish "Country Gentleman" with the G brand imagery on the top. When Harrison started making money, he bought the then-newest "Country Gentleman" available from Gretsch, and that was his main guitar in the mid 60's, the original double-cut which got destroyed as it fell off a moving car on the highway and the later "Help" model singlecut.

[JohnMill]

A had a Rick 12-string solid-body (Tom Petty style) 20 years ago...I loved it, but traded it (and paid the difference) for a Carl Wilson 360/12.  Now I wish I'd have kept the solid-body and waited a few years til I could afford the 360/12, so that I could have both.  

Is that this guitar? My dad has one but sadly the guy he got it off lost the cert. of authenticity.

Did TP sign his own guitar?  Looks like it.  The guy allegedly has one of the largest guitar collections around.  Houses them in a warehouse in Van Nuys including some of George Harrison's guitars.

[Alan Smith]

I mentioned this in the Beatles thread, but back in '92 or '93 I played the Lennon model Rick 325 and had a hard time with the 3/4 scale neck. The frets were tiny! Compared to what I normally play, that is. Yet it worked brilliantly for Lennon, one of the best rhythm guitarists in the 60's for my money.

Is that (the Rick scale neck) why Lennon moved onto the Casino (which is my preferred item - love the balance when playing jingly-jangly stuff close to the bridge)?

I've heard several reasons given why Lennon switched to the Casino as his primary guitar. Keep in mind Paul had bought his, the story goes, after hearing Jimi Hendrix and going in search of a guitar which he could more easily get the kinds of feedback sounds he wanted to try. Obviously a semi-hollow guitar of any type will start howling much faster than a solidbody, and I think the music shop just sold him on the Casino as an option.

The best theory on Lennon's choice I've heard was that as a songwriter, he wanted an electric guitar which he could grab on a whim when a song idea hit him and he could hear the guitar more like an acoustic, without having to plug it in, and without the "feel" of an acoustic as a songwriter. So he could write, say, an electric-based riff like "She Said She Said" or whatever and be able to hear it better than if he picked up an unplugged solidbody like his Ricks or his Strat. Makes sense.

Lennon and Harrison both got Casinos like Paul's, maybe it was a case of liking what their bandmate(s) had and getting one of their own.

But the theory of Lennon wanting an electric feel yet being able to hear it better with a thinner semi-hollowbody guitar as he worked on songs made the most sense to me.

Lennon's choice of the Rick Capri model in the first place was that he had seen Toots Theilemans playing Rickenbackers, no one else had them and they were very unique (also important to Lennon to 'stand out' from the other Liverpool bands), so when he saw one he bought it and went into debt. It just happened to be a 3/4 scale guitar, I don't think that was as much of an issue in him buying it as it was simply not being able to buy Rickenbackers all that easily and grabbing the first one he had actually seen for sale.

Same with George's original Gretsch Duo-Jet, a Gretsch was nearly impossible to find in Liverpool but when a sailor offered one for sale he grabbed it right away, even though I've heard his preferred model was one of those Chet Atkins tricked-out country themed models, at that time the orange finish "Country Gentleman" with the G brand imagery on the top. When Harrison started making money, he bought the then-newest "Country Gentleman" available from Gretsch, and that was his main guitar in the mid 60's, the original double-cut which got destroyed as it fell off a moving car on the highway and the later "Help" model singlecut.

Thanks for the great info, good read!  Both pretty good theories, and interesting notes about the immediate availability of a Rick.

:I asked the question assuming Lennon probably was more likely looking something with a grittier sound reflecting the noisy bluesier path he was going down.

:One of the things I love about semi-hollow bodies is indeed the ability to get some sound without plugging it in - I prefer to play acoustic (in terms of feel) and the semi is usually a good middle ground.