Carl's 63 Fender Jaguar

[Rocker]

This is not about the Jag but I didn't want to open another thread and maybe it can give some inside look, I don't know.

Taken from this site: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5592

Here's what must be one of the very few existing photos where The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson can be seen with his (prototype) Electric XII :



I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

[Jon Stebbins]

When did the Rickenbacker 360/12 first appear?  Might have Carl just come to prefer that?  I'm not as crisp on my guitar history as I once was.

Carl got the Rickenbacker right after he saw A Hard Days Night, probably August '64.

[Jon Stebbins]

This is not about the Jag but I didn't want to open another thread and maybe it can give some inside look, I don't know.

Taken from this site: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5592

Here's what must be one of the very few existing photos where The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson can be seen with his (prototype) Electric XII :



I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

The photo is from January 27th '65 during their Portland gig, not at a soundcheck. We have a few photos from this show in our upcoming book. Carl used this Fender Electric XII at a bunch of gigs around this time, we probably have photo evidence of him using it during at least three months worth of gigs, January to March '65. By April '65 he's back to a Rickenbacker 12.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

That is a sweet photo. 

[DonnyL]

This is not about the Jag but I didn't want to open another thread and maybe it can give some inside look, I don't know.

Taken from this site: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5592

Here's what must be one of the very few existing photos where The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson can be seen with his (prototype) Electric XII :



I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

The photo is from January 27th '65 during their Portland gig, not at a soundcheck. We have a few photos from this show in our upcoming book. Carl used this Fender Electric XII at a bunch of gigs around this time, we probably have photo evidence of him using it during at least three months worth of gigs, January to March '65. By April '65 he's back to a Rickenbacker 12.

Do you know any sessions where Carl may have used this guitar? I have one of these, and I've always wondered which BB songs it may feature on. I know Billy Strange played one on 'Sloop John B'. I always thought the intro to 'CA Girls' sounds like the Fender XII.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

This is not about the Jag but I didn't want to open another thread and maybe it can give some inside look, I don't know.

Taken from this site: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5592

Here's what must be one of the very few existing photos where The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson can be seen with his (prototype) Electric XII :



I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

The photo is from January 27th '65 during their Portland gig, not at a soundcheck. We have a few photos from this show in our upcoming book. Carl used this Fender Electric XII at a bunch of gigs around this time, we probably have photo evidence of him using it during at least three months worth of gigs, January to March '65. By April '65 he's back to a Rickenbacker 12.

Do you know any sessions where Carl may have used this guitar? I have one of these, and I've always wondered which BB songs it may feature on. I know Billy Strange played one on 'Sloop John B'. I always thought the intro to 'CA Girls' sounds like the Fender XII.

The CG intro is at least two twelve-strings playing at the same time.  I always figured it was Carl on Rickenbacker and one of the other guitarists on a XII.

[DonnyL]

The earlier one(s) may have been rented. Brian's bass is a different  color than the one he owned later on. Olympic White was a pretty common color on early '60s Jags.

Its well documented that Brian owned a sunburst Fender bass until early 1964 when he switched to the Olympic white model. Al also used the sunburst Fender when subbing for Brian in '63.

ah, good info.

[DonnyL]

When did the Rickenbacker 360/12 first appear?  Might have Carl just come to prefer that?  I'm not as crisp on my guitar history as I once was.

yeh, seems like Carl didn't take to the Fender XII for some reason. it is a peculiar sound, not so much a traditional 12-string sound ... more like a rich, swirling thing, not very aggressive like the Rics. Although ultimately, he settled on the Epiphone/Gibson, which I think is somewhere in between. I've always guessed that he used the Fender XII on the live '65 medley on Endless Harmony.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

At the risk of turning this into some sort of Carl picture thread, I've long thought this photo is under-ratedly valuable.




It gives you a great picture of what it looked like in the booth, for this session, which I really am not sure what it is, but if you imagine different personnel, plenty of other sessions where two guitarists were in the booth.  And also nice evidence that the single cutaway dano bass was in use as well as the longhorn.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

And then, yep, he got into these:



Would love to know where all the Beach Boys equipment has got to over the years.

[guitarfool2002]

At the risk of turning this into some sort of Carl picture thread, I've long thought this photo is under-ratedly valuable.




It gives you a great picture of what it looked like in the booth, for this session, which I really am not sure what it is, but if you imagine different personnel, plenty of other sessions where two guitarists were in the booth.  And also nice evidence that the single cutaway dano bass was in use as well as the longhorn.

That is a cropped version of what one source labeled the solo Dennis Wilson "I Don't Know" session, Jan. 67...there is a version of that showing a girl to the right. And another shot i think we've seen elsewhere is Carl wearing those same shades as a camo-wearing Dennis is playing him something at the piano.

All I want is those Jasper/Guy Smile era studio photos in one cohesive collection. That's not much to ask.

[guitarfool2002]

I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

Depending on when exactly the Beach Boys picked up the Fender endorsement/sponsorship, this is *exactly* the kind of instrument they would put into one of their endorser's hands to try out or hopefully be seen playing by a lot of potential Fender customers.

The fact that it appears to be a a prototype sort of nailed it for me, if in fact the endorsement was happening at the time of the photo. They would sometimes put prototype instruments like this out there to be road-tested, previewed, showcased, etc.

This is the very guitar and photo I alluded to in an earlier reply to Jon Stebbins' post about Fender on page 1.

[guitarfool2002]

Do you know any sessions where Carl may have used this guitar? I have one of these, and I've always wondered which BB songs it may feature on. I know Billy Strange played one on 'Sloop John B'. I always thought the intro to 'CA Girls' sounds like the Fender XII.

Don't know about Carl but one of the most famous appearances of the Electric XII was Jimmy Page on Stairway To Heaven. That, and a set of photos taken at Columbia showing Roger McGuinn with both his familiar Rickenbacker 12 and the Fender Electric XII, and some suggest the Fender is heard more often than most would assume. That's speculation, but the photo proves it was in the studio with the Byrds.

I like Fender-style electric 12's over Rickenbacker, for the most basic reasons: They stay in tune better, they feel more natural, and they record fantastic, either DI or through an amp. Gotta compress the heck out of them for that classic tone, right? I have one of those Courtney Love-designed "Venus" electric 12's and it great.

[Emdeeh]

Would love to know where all the Beach Boys equipment has got to over the years.

Justyn Wilson told me Carl's equipment is being stored with the other Beach Boys' stuff in a climate-controlled warehouse.

[guitarfool2002]

This is not about the Jag but I didn't want to open another thread and maybe it can give some inside look, I don't know.

Taken from this site: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5592

Here's what must be one of the very few existing photos where The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson can be seen with his (prototype) Electric XII :



I've been informed that Carl used this XII during a couple of dates on a Beach Boys-tour in 1965, but this is the only photo (possibly taken during a soundcheck) I've ever seen where he can be seen using it...the guitar is definitely a (great-looking!) prototype, as it's missing a selector switch, but does feature a pearloid pickguard (which was never officially used on this model by Fender), white control knobs (ditto) as well as a (Olympic?)  White body with a non-matching headstock, and it also almost appears as if Wilson's XII has a couple of Mustang-type (roller) switches on the bass-side of the pickguard...

For those interested in the smaller trivia behind these photos...that is a KISN "Good Guys" shirt that Carl is wearing. KISN was the Beach Boys-friendly AM radio station in Portland, and the "Good Guys" was a schtick that certain station affiliates would tag onto their on-air personalities. The more famous "Good Guys" were on WMCA in New York, and I say famous because there are multiple Beatle-related photos with the Good Guys or even wearing those shirts.

Here's the cool trivia...at the time of the Beach Boys earlier visits to Portland and KISN, one of the Good Guys DJ's working his way through Portland was "The Real Don Steele". He would be hired in 1965 by Ron Jacobs as one of the first KHJ Boss Radio DJ's, second to Robert W. Morgan. So once again, there was a DJ in Steele who knew the Beach Boys from his time in Portland and then wound up on KHJ where he'd run into Brian obviously more often! Steele is in the back row, on the far left, wearing the shirt:


This is a photo that's shown up in other places (maybe even here, too lazy to look) of Carl (minus the t-shirt...) and David at KISN's studios, back in '63 for their KISN-sponsored concert. KISN had a DJ studio similar to "The Today Show" where you could walk by the station and look through a window to see your favorite "Good Guys" doing their broadcasts:


And two from that '63 Portland show...notice the banner logo is the same Good Guys logo from Carl's shirt:

[Mikie]

That's Dennis standing up front. Unusual that he was standing up front in '63. I know he came out front in '65 for "Do You Wanna Dance" while Brian played drums. For this one, I think I see Al, Carl, Dennis, and Mike. Maybe Brian is on drums or not there. First time I've seen that picture from Portland. Wonder what song it is.

[guitarfool2002]

That's Dennis standing up front. Unusual that he was standing up front in '63. I know he came out front in '65 for "Do You Wanna Dance" while Brian played drums. For this one, I think I see Al, Carl, Dennis, and Mike. Maybe Brian is on drums or not there. First time I've seen that picture from Portland. Wonder what song it is.

I don't want it to seem like I'm poaching stuff from other boards (non-BB's), I just grab and collect and share photos I come across and like, most often. But as a disclaimer some of those photos have shown up in a few places and blogs since, and on one board a guy who was actually at that show had a great thread about it - including some pictures from KISN and his own shots, and a caption about that one shot of Dennis at the mic. It said Dennis was singing a song called "Silly Boy"...I have no idea what that is! Maybe someone can fill in some details.  You can't see him but the guy also posted that David was on drums during that song. And Brian was not present at that show - note Al on the Fender P-bass, Carl on Jaguar, and David on Strat.

There is another photo of David singing at the mic at one of these shows.

Maybe the guy who posted all that is a member here, too! If so I hope he posts - it's fascinating info from a '63 show.

[guitarfool2002]

OH! BTW, just for fun, in the shot of Carl and David in the DJ booth: Notice the record on the turntable is a Capitol "rainbow label", and look to the left just above the turntable...he's spinning the Surfer Girl album! The cover looks like it has one of those radio timing and cue sheets with all the times and song titles attached over the picture.

[bgas]

OH! BTW, just for fun, in the shot of Carl and David in the DJ booth: Notice the record on the turntable is a Capitol "rainbow label", and look to the left just above the turntable...he's spinning the Surfer Girl album! The cover looks like it has one of those radio timing and cue sheets with all the times and song titles attached over the picture.

You've got good eyes! and great posts, by the way. 
If whatever is on the picture is timing etc, it's something that was done at the station, as the timing sheets attached to the LPS by Capitol, as theirs were much smaller , and I've never seen one attached to the front cover( tho, of course, that doesn't mean one never slipped thru) 

Surfer Girl with timing  showing actual size: 

     

[Rocker]

Thanks a lot for the infos guitarfool2002 ! I wondered why Carl wore no striped shirt but this makes sense.
Here's a pic of Carl with the XII from this site:
http://thebeachboysandthecaliforniamyth.blogspot.de/2010/08/beach-boys-1965.html



Re "Silly boy": I could find two songs (and maybe they are the same). One by Lucy Campo and one by The Lettermen. Unfortunately I couldn't find a place to listen to Lucy Campo's song.
The Lettermen's songs was a hit in '62 so it could very well be that the boys tried that one, I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5vlz_BR5_0


Anyway, back to the Jag. I found this on the web:

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Fun stuff!  I love that photo of Carl and Dave at the station.  It really is time for a giant Beach Boys photo book.

[Rocker]

Fun stuff!  I love that photo of Carl and Dave at the station.  It really is time for a giant Beach Boys photo book.

Absolutely. You can find quite some interesting stuff through Google. Check out the recent pages of the picture thread in the media section

[Rocker]

I found another pic on my computer. Maybe it can be of help regarding the Jaguar

[guitarfool2002]

I found another pic on my computer. Maybe it can be of help regarding the Jaguar

Nice one! Did you read the thread on the other forum with some Jag updates since the weekend? Interesting stuff...

[Rocker]

I found another pic on my computer. Maybe it can be of help regarding the Jaguar

Nice one! Did you read the thread on the other forum with some Jag updates since the weekend? Interesting stuff...

Just took a look. So it is not that guitar of Carl's that is hanging there. I said it before but Billy Hinsche is probably the best source regarding that topic. He was there since '65 I believe, when Carl married Billy's sister


On another note, not totally on topic but I posted this on the picture thread a few days ago. It says it was Carl's guitar. Do we know if it's true?



I think this one looks not as bright as the one in the picture above. But I don't remember another 12 string Epiphone Carl played.