What concert would you most like to see officially released?

[VoxMysteron]

That's cool you had a chance to play an Eko - it's not something you see turn up at the vintage shows or shops all too often, even though I have a few old guitar magazines with full page ads for Eko, circa 1967, so they were a prominent brand. I was a bit harsh on my description of the Eko, because a lot of those opinions like mine on the Eko are subjective and based on experiences shared. Based on my own experiences, I'd rate both the Mosrite Ventures model guitar and the Rickenbacker 12-string pretty low on the playability and quality scale, because the examples I played weren't too good, actually I've never held a 12-string Rickenbacker that played well and stayed in tune. But obviously they carry a reputation and so many swear by them, maybe i just had the worst of the brand. And the 12-string Rick is still high on my dream list! I also had a chance to play a mid-60's original Hofner violin bass before the prices went crazy, and apart from the fact it felt like really light wood and the neck felt unusual and a bit flimsy/cheap overall, as soon as I plugged it in I got the total Paul McCartney vibe and that thumpy tone from the early Beatles tracks. There is a certain mojo to some instruments! I'd play a Hofner anytime for that reason alone. I'd like to road test an Eko bass as well, if one ever turns up around this area.

Wonder if Bruce still has that bass somewhere...

Depends on which 12 string Rickenbacker you're talking about. A 330/12, 360/12, 620/12, the C series George Harrison reissue, the Mike Campbell model...

I've got the Harrison model, as well as a '78 360/12 (rounded top, with high-gain pickups). I love them both, but I'd give the edge in overall quality to the C, simply because some of the Klusons that Rickenbacker was using in the 70s had too much play / slippage in them. Not all though - I've played plenty of mid 60s 330/12s and 360/12s that have stood up to hard playing. The big problem with Rickenbacker 12s for lots of folks is that the necks are narrow on the semi-hollow models. The solid body versions (620/12 and 660/12) have slightly wider necks and may be more comfortable for many players. My only problem with a Ricky 12 per se is the "R" tailpiece - it's a huge PITA to change strings with that thing (much easier with the Harrison model, since it has a trapeze tail.

[pancakerecords]

1. I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one picture of Al playing the Hofner bass

Not strictly in concert but there are photos of Bruce sporting a Höfner bass during rehearsals in England circa 1966 in LLVS.

I honestly don't know why they'd choose an Eko over the Fender P-Bass which was their main bass axe no matter who was playing bass at the time:

Maybe because of the shorter scale neck (30" as opposed to a P bass' 34")?  For someone who doesn't play bass all the time, that big fender neck can be a pain to wrestle with for an entire show.

[ukulelejesus]

^^
That's why before I had to pawn it for groceries, I loved my Gobson EB-0. Not just the SG styling, but the fret board was the perfect size for my short, ukulele-happy fingers.

[guitarfool2002]

That's cool you had a chance to play an Eko - it's not something you see turn up at the vintage shows or shops all too often, even though I have a few old guitar magazines with full page ads for Eko, circa 1967, so they were a prominent brand. I was a bit harsh on my description of the Eko, because a lot of those opinions like mine on the Eko are subjective and based on experiences shared. Based on my own experiences, I'd rate both the Mosrite Ventures model guitar and the Rickenbacker 12-string pretty low on the playability and quality scale, because the examples I played weren't too good, actually I've never held a 12-string Rickenbacker that played well and stayed in tune. But obviously they carry a reputation and so many swear by them, maybe i just had the worst of the brand. And the 12-string Rick is still high on my dream list! I also had a chance to play a mid-60's original Hofner violin bass before the prices went crazy, and apart from the fact it felt like really light wood and the neck felt unusual and a bit flimsy/cheap overall, as soon as I plugged it in I got the total Paul McCartney vibe and that thumpy tone from the early Beatles tracks. There is a certain mojo to some instruments! I'd play a Hofner anytime for that reason alone. I'd like to road test an Eko bass as well, if one ever turns up around this area.

Wonder if Bruce still has that bass somewhere...

Depends on which 12 string Rickenbacker you're talking about. A 330/12, 360/12, 620/12, the C series George Harrison reissue, the Mike Campbell model...

I've got the Harrison model, as well as a '78 360/12 (rounded top, with high-gain pickups). I love them both, but I'd give the edge in overall quality to the C, simply because some of the Klusons that Rickenbacker was using in the 70s had too much play / slippage in them. Not all though - I've played plenty of mid 60s 330/12s and 360/12s that have stood up to hard playing. The big problem with Rickenbacker 12s for lots of folks is that the necks are narrow on the semi-hollow models. The solid body versions (620/12 and 660/12) have slightly wider necks and may be more comfortable for many players. My only problem with a Ricky 12 per se is the "R" tailpiece - it's a huge PITA to change strings with that thing (much easier with the Harrison model, since it has a trapeze tail.

I'd definitely still want one, and have for a long time, but it was a let-down for me to actually play some of these Rickenbackers that I always looked at from a distance and always wanted to own, and find some of the quality issues that I saw on them. I'd always wanted a 12-string Rickenbacker, but at the time I was really lusting over one, there were simply none available in my area, and some of the local shop owners seemed to get hostile when I'd walk in and ask if they had any Rickenbackers! To this day, I don't know why.

So when I did move to a major city with a lot of music happening and a lot of vintage and new guitar shops, I would travel around and try out the Rickenbackers I always wanted. At one place, "Wurlitzer's", they had a group of several brand new Rickenbacker 12-strings, I think they were the more deluxe 360's but maybe 330's...this was close to 20 years ago, I don't recall. But I picked one of them up, it was in tune, but there were notes fretting out and buzzing, the finish on the fretboard was flawed, and the frets themselves were rough and had not been dressed/smoothed out as they should have. Simple quality control and inspection issues, I couldn't believe it! And the other Rickys there had similar issues, if not exactly the same. Another shop had the John Lennon model 325, which just did not play or feel very well, but that was mostly due to the short scale. Another shop had one of the used 70's solidbody 12-strings similar to what would be the Petty model, but the tuning machines were terrible and there were other issues with the condition. I'd plug in 330's, 360's, to Fender amps to test them, and they didn't have that magic I expected.

I'm a Telecaster guy, so I'm sure that had something to do with it! I do have a "Venus" 12-string that I found at a pawn shop (basically an Electric XII with a different body), and it plays and sounds great. The McGuinn model would be a real find, because of the built-in compressor but the price of those is too high. The best Rickenbacker I ever played was a fellow bandmate who had a 330 6-string in the 90's, and played it through one of those mid-90's Fender reissue Vibrolux tube combos...great sound, great feel, and it was a killer setup. Then he traded the whole setup in on a new Epiphone Sheraton semi-hollow and a Marshall...big Oasis fan.

[pancakerecords]

^^
That's why before I had to pawn it for groceries, I loved my Gobson EB-0. Not just the SG styling, but the fret board was the perfect size for my short, ukulele-happy fingers.

I hear that.  I have a Hofner  and a Gretch Electromatic Jet Jr.  I don't have the wingspan to fight with the bigger ones for hours at a clip.