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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

3036.0. "Doubleneck Guitar/Bass" by RICKS::CALCAGNI (how could it be otherwise?) Wed Feb 08 1995 08:32

    This is a note for doubleneck beasts, of the guitar/bass variety.  I'm
    trying to get a feel for what's out there, what's been done in the
    past, and what (if any) experiences anyone's had with one of these.
    
    I can probably count on one hand the times I've run across one;
    let's see:
    	
    	- saw Dan Hartman back with Edgar Winter use one, circa 1972,
    	  looked like a Fender as I recall
    	- the guitar player from the Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball", I'm
    	  really dating myself here)
    	- ummm, that's it
    
    Oh, I have seen a few pictures too; a Gibson SG style, a Danelectro,
    maybe an Ampeg? and a Steinberger?
    
    So has anyone else seen such an animal, either currently new/used or
    sometime in the past?  Anyone actually owned or played one?
    All info appreciated.
    
    /rick
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3036.1Not much help, but...GOES11::LAMBERTSam, Storage Mgmt. S/W @CXOWed Feb 08 1995 09:389
   I was looking for one for a while.  I believe they're all custom order/
   custom made jobs - that is, nobody makes a "production" model.  I could
   be wrong there, but given the very few I've ever seen, I have to assume
   as much.

   You can probably order one from Carvin...

   -- Sam

3036.2BUSY::BUSY::SLABOUNTYTrouble with a capital 'T'Wed Feb 08 1995 11:1515
    
    	Not sure who makes them, but:
    
    	Steve Vai used a double-necked heart-shaped guitar during the
    	"Skyscraper" days of David Lee Roth.
    
    	Michelangelo from Nitro had a quadruple-necked guitar custom
    	built for him, which he used on the "OFR" album.  [The guitar
    	was stolen sometime after the album was recorded.]
    
    		The reason he wanted this guitar made?  Paraphrased,
    		he plays on 2 necks simultaneously, right-side up and
    		upside down, and he got tired of flipping the guitar
    		over to play upside down.  8^)
    
3036.3GOES11::LAMBERTSam, Storage Mgmt. S/W @CXOWed Feb 08 1995 13:4913
   re: .2

   Rick's asking about double necks with a guitar and *bass*.  There are lots
   of double neck guitars (2x6 or 1-6 and 1-12) out there.  You can even find
   those used.  :-)  (BTW, for complete weirdness, Rick Nelson of Cheap Trick
   used to have a *5* neck guitar...)

   As an addendum to my .1, I believe former DECcie and GUITAR noter Jens
   Moeller has/used-to-have a double neck guitar/bass.  You might check some
   older notes in this conference for comments from him.

   -- Sam

3036.4double you pleasureMILKWY::JACQUESVintage taste, reissue budgetWed Feb 08 1995 14:2924
    I'm almost certain that Carvin offers a double neck with gutar/bass.
    It would definately be a special order, but the way that Carvin
    operates, most guitars are special order anyways. A friend of mine
    owns a Carvin double neck 6/12. He loves it, but it leaves me cold.
    
    I believe most people that consider a double neck arrive at the same
    conclusion. For the amount of money these things cost, you can easily
    buy 2 intruments. Double necks are VERY heavy, and they are not real
    comfortable to play. No matter what double neck you choose, one or both
    of the necks will be in a less-than optimal playing position. A double-
    neck with a bass neck will probably be poorly balanced as well.
    
    It just occurred to me that Rickenbacker has a full line of double-necks.
    These would be pricey, and would probably take a long time to get, but
    they would definately be more exiting than a Carvin.
    
    At last year's Boston Guitar Show, there was a dealer there that was
    selling Fender-style bodies with Metal-flake finishes. He had a 
    double-neck body that looked like it could accomidate a 6/bass. You
    buy the necks, pickups, bridges, etc and build it to your own specs. 
    Could be interesting!
    
    Mark
    
3036.5RICKS::CALCAGNIhow could it be otherwise?Wed Feb 08 1995 15:245
    I remember the metal-flake guys; Surf City or something like that?
    
    Rickenbacker, eh?  Yeah, I could picture it.  Bet one of those would
    be awful nice, and perhaps not too heavy.  Tom T, got any input?
    
3036.6SPEZKO::FRASERMobius Loop; see other sideThu Feb 09 1995 05:599
        Carvin definitely  made a bass/six double neck - last one I saw
        was used in  Ted's in Manchester, maybe last year.  I had a koa
        Carvin 6/12 for a time, even played it out at a jam one night -
        too big, bulky, _HEAVY_, but  like  all Carvin stuff I've seen,
        nicely made and finished and played well.  I would imagine that
        a bass/6 would be just as heavy, if not more so.
        
        Andy
        
3036.7anchors aweighRICKS::CALCAGNIhow could it be otherwise?Thu Feb 09 1995 07:007
    I once ran across an Ibanez Artist 6/12 doubleneck that was suprisingly
    lightweight.  But I also saw an older Gibson SG style doubleneck copy of
    theirs that seemed as heavy as two Twins!
    
    I guess most doublenecks are boat anchors, not suprisingly.  So how'd that
    little squirt Page handle one :-)
    
3036.8BUSY::BUSY::SLABOUNTYTrouble with a capital 'T'Thu Feb 09 1995 07:165
    
    	Guitar AND bass in one?
    
    	Oops, sorry.  Carry on.  8^)
    
3036.9RICKS::CALCAGNIhow could it be otherwise?Thu Feb 09 1995 07:1719
    Btw, Mark J quite rightly questions why anyone would actually want a
    doubleneck guitar/bass.  The idea I have is something like this; lay
    down an ostinato bass line and use some sort of delay line setup to
    sample and repeat.  Jaco used to do something like this during his solos,
    back in the late 70's.  So once the bass line is going, switch to the
    guitar neck and play over it.  Ideally, the delay effects setup would
    allow you to step in and change the bass line at will, and in sync.
    I haven't looked closely at current delay effects technology yet, but
    I'm guessing that things have progressed a bit since Jaco's day (and
    what he had then was pretty close already).
    
    So the idea is to effectively be able to fill both bass and guitar
    roles, live.  You could go with sequenced bass lines of course, but I'm
    thinking of heavily improvised settings; you'd really like to be able
    to invent both bass and guitar parts on the spot.  The key thing a
    doubleneck buys you is to be able to switch instruments really fast,
    so that the result is close to seamless.
    
    /rick
3036.10ABACUS::PAGEThu Feb 09 1995 07:2010
    
    	Sounds like the Lexicon "JamMan" or whatever they call that
    rackmount unit would be the tool you need to pull of that delay thang.
    
    	By the way, there used to be a local country/southern rock band
    called Snakebite with a guitar player who played a bass/guitar
    doubleneck. 
    
    Brad
    
3036.11pointer => 892MILKWY::JACQUESVintage taste, reissue budgetThu Feb 09 1995 14:212
    see note 892 for more double talk
    
3036.12pointer =>1683.10MILKWY::JACQUESVintage taste, reissue budgetFri Feb 10 1995 07:443
    Also see 1683.10 for info on the Rick doublenecks.
    
    Mark
3036.13Three Piece Suits match Two Stalks!!QCAV01::RONALDMon Nov 06 1995 04:408
    Hi All you Double Stalks
    I remember seeing a picture of Jimmie Page using one? A Fender?
    
    Also Greg Lake I think used one at the Concert at Carnargie Hall or
    was it Royal Albert?.. it was a Movie called "ELP"
    
    does anyone remember?
    ron
3036.14GANTRY::ALLBERYJimMon Nov 06 1995 12:139
    >>I remember seeing a picture of Jimmie Page using one? A Fender?
    
    The double-neck Jimmy Page is noted for playing is a Gibson SG.
    
    I don't believe Fender has every made a production doubleneck,
    but the custom shop has turned out a few.  One of the members of
    the Eagles (Don Felder, I think) has one.  
    
    Jim
3036.15speaking of which...RICKS::CALCAGNIFast, Cheap, Good: choose any twoMon Nov 06 1995 12:227
    Saw a cherry red Gibson 6/12 double-neck SG at the Ocean State
    guitar show this weekend.  It was mint, played great, and this
    particular one was amazingly light as well!  At $1500, it wasn't
    cheap but it was tempting
    
    /rick