Rickenbacker Electric 12-String: The Story of the Guitars, the Music, and the Great Players

I have just completed reading the book. I bought the book because I purchased a Rickenbacker 360 12 string guitar, and I wanted to get a better understanding of the instrument.The book is concise and easy to read. I did not like the opening because it gave a history of the Rickenbacker company which I did not find too interesting. When the book hits the period 1960's things really picked up and I couldn't set the book down. Bacon gives a lot of Great information on the groups and individuals that used the Rickenbacker 12 string. You will learn facts that influenced the sound bands got from the Rick 12 string. For example, I did not know Roger McGuinn had his electronics altered and a Vox treble booster built into his 12 string. I also did not know that Carl Wilson did not like his Rick 12 string because of tuning problems and preferred to play a Gibson or Epiphone 12 string. The information on George Harrison's rig was not new to me because I have the book Beatles Gear which covers all the Beatles instruments. Also, there is good information on other 12 string guitars and their role in the music of the 1960's. A huge bonus is the information on serial numbers, body styles, pickups, etc. If you are a Rickenbacker owner or want to buy a Rick this book is a must reading. I am very pleased with the contents, and it is a very useful reference source. Highly Recommended!

Awesome!!!

Tony Bacon has written another masterpiece! The Rickenbacker Electric 12-String book is comprehensive, well researched, and has some great history and photos of these marvelous guitars. Tony also covers ground on the history of the company, as well as comparisons of other electric 12-strings that Ricky competed with and/or were copycat players after Rickenbacker's success. Anyone who is a fan of vintage electric guitars, and especially those who loved following famous players who made the Rickenbacker such a fabulous part of rock history, should definitely have this book in their library!

The book is just really awesome reading for people who are interested in the history of music and musical instruments. The book is a very easy read and it is an entertaining story at so many levels. One take on the book is that it is an excellent read about American entrepreneurship and how one person realized the American dream of success after moving to the USA from Switzerland. Another take on the book is how it took Rickenbacker years, actually decades, to achieve the "overnight" success when suddenly you saw Rickenbacker guitars being used by the Beatles, the Byrds, and others during the 1960's. And of course, if you are a "guitar geek" like me, a musician who has played publicly in groups for years, and I own a Rick 330 6 string and a Rick 330 12 string, then the book will keep you engaged from start to finish. ....Also, the person I purchased it from on Amazon, delivery was fast and I received the item that I ordered.

If you have a fascination with the electric guitar, then this book is for you. It does a very thorough job of detailing the history behind Rickenbacker and most specifically the evolution of the 12 string. Being a "Baby Boomer" I grew up with the sound of the Beatles, Byrds, Turtles, and others. The sound of a 12 string still rings in my ears. It's so unique and you can credit Rickenbacker for perfecting it. What's also nice is they talk about other brands and give credit to their contribution.You won't be disappointed.

Another great book from Tony Bacon. Gorgeous photos of the guitars and the people who made wonderful music with them, and Pete Townsend who found it necessary to smash them. There's a good selection of other electric 12s as well, perhaps because its hard to assemble a full book on Rick 12s alone. I haven't read the entire book yet (too busy starting at the photos) but I'm surprised by one omission. I'm no expert on this, but the somewhat inaccurate reissue "B" series guitars of 1983-84 mentioned on page 92, were accompanied by a very nice and easily obtainable color catalog page. Since these models were an anomaly, it just seems odd that in a book that's supposed to be the last word on Rickenbacker 12s, this sheet, "Three Brand New, Grand Old Guitars" wasn't included. Still, a must have for Rickenbacker fans.

Tony Bacon has done it again !He's written more concise guitar books than anyone, and now he presents this wonderful history of the world's most celebrated electric 12-string guitar.Including the pre-Rickenbacker history of 12 string guitars, through the initial forays by Rickenbacker into the electric 12 string market, through the pioneers such as Suzi Arden (she had the first Rick 12), through George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Carl Wilson, Pete Townshend and so many others looking for the "jingle-jangle chime", not to mention tons of photographic and reference material make this the ultimate guide to the electric 12 guitar.5 stars.

The title is slightly misleading in that the book talks about and illustrates other electric 12-strings, not just Rickenbackers. But for someone who enjoys the electric 12-string guitar, that's not a problem at all. The main focus is on Rickenbacker 12-strings, with lesser focuses on electric 12-strings in general and Rickenbackers in general. There is some unavoidable duplication with earlier books on Rickenbackers, but it is wonderful to have this information in one location for ready reference.

Excelente edición, muy bien documentada, con buena calidad de edición, buen gramaje y esplendidas fotografías. Un "must have" para los amantes de estas icónicas guitarras.

Esta muy bien documentado y con gran cantidad de fotografias.

book was as described

I bought this as a gift for someone who had just bought a Rick 360 - 12..........but of course I read it first before wrapping. :-) Great book for entertaining reading and as a valuable resource tool. Excellent colour illustrations. I would recommend the book to anyone who loves guitars and it is a must have item for anyone who owns a Rick 12 or is contemplating purchasing either a new or used one.

Belles et très nombreuses photos. Le texte est un peu déroutant, d'un seul tenant, sans aucun chapitre, mais globalement clair. Le livre traite autant de l'histoire de la marque que du modèle lui même. Très peu d'éléments sur la lutherie, les évolutions (notamment la raison du montage des 6 paires de cordes spécifique à la marque).En revanche de très nombreuses anecdotes (pas toujours intéressantes, de même que les listes de prix au cours des années). En somme il est au moins autant question des guitaristes ayant joué ces instruments que des instruments eux mêmes.