war2112 Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 QUOTE (Slim @ Jan 25 2005, 12:43 PM) QUOTE (war2112 @ Jan 25 2005, 11:06 AM) I think that's correct. I don't own the Contents Under Pressure book so I don't know if it's mentioned, but I learned back in '85 that Geddy helped design this instrument with Rickenbacker. I believe it was dubbed the Rickenbacker 2001. Rickenbacker definitely already made a doubleneck before Geddy got one, because the black one was a modification of an existing model, with a 12-string neck in place of the usual 6-string. I don't think he can have helped much with the design, because it's clear from the interview in 1979 that he really disliked some aspects of it, for example the use of the same volume and tone controls for the bass part as the guitar part, which he called "totally wrong" I wouldn't be at all surprised if he helped design the white doubleneck though; since he was unhappy with the black one, it makes sense that he'd want to improve on it. Now that you mention it, Slim, that jogged my memory. I think that's exactly what it was. Now I remember him talking about wanting to change things up a bit. Thanks for the memory spike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaine mac Roth Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 QUOTE (Slim @ Jan 25 2005, 03:01 PM) I'm pretty sure the guitar part of the white doubleneck is a six-string, though. I've seen that headstock design used on 6-string Rickenbackers, but never on a 12-string, and on careful inspection of the photo in my MP tourbook, I can't see slots in the headstock for the other 6 strings. I think Geddy must have decided that a 6-string would be a bit more versatile (more suitable for Bangkok, perhaps) as well as easier to keep in tune! I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head(stock) there Slim. Following you're comment about the Moving Pictures Tour Book, I decided to take a look at all the Books which have been transcribed on the Power Windows site and came up with the following: QUOTE I also use a Rickenbacker double-neck guitar-bass, the bass is a model 4001 and the guitar is a standard Rickenbacker twelve string with humbucking pickups From the Hemispheres Tourbook: one custom Rickenbacker double-neck, incorporating a 4001 bass and a twelve-string From the Permanent Waves Tourbook: and one Rickenbacker custom double-neck, which incorporates a 4001 bass with a twelve- string guitar From the Moving Pictures Tourbook double-neck Rickenbacker, incorporating 4001 with twelve-string guitar, double-neck Rickenbacker, incorporating 4001 with six-string guitar The most common double-neck used by Ged seems to be the black one (feel free to correct me if I'm in error) therefore that would seem to be (as Slim has pointed out) the one with the 12-string guitar. (My eyes aren't good enough to spot these details myself). However, I've only seen the white double around the time of Moving Pictures/Exit...Stage Left. Because he only used the double with the six string on the MP tours, it would seem rerasonable to assume that the white is a six string. Of course, I could be talking out of my arse. Or I coyuld be colour-blind. Or this could all be a dream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darth by tor Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Hey guys! If you love the double necks then check out the shirt on this site www.djtees.com then go to the 70's or 80's section DOUBLENECK DEATH!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumnut Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 Welcome darth by tor!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slacker Posted January 28, 2005 Share Posted January 28, 2005 QUOTE (Cygnus @ Jan 21 2005, 04:13 PM)http://www.aquariuscreations.net/GeddyLeeDoubleneckjpq.jpg Cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floydfanatic111 Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 QUOTE (Moonraker @ Jan 21 2005, 07:36 PM) QUOTE (Slaine mac Roth @ Jan 21 2005, 03:32 PM) If I remember right, I think that Ged's was one of, if not the, first double necks that Rickenbacker made. Wow, thats pretty interesting to hear, considering Rickenbacker had been around for so long and I dont think he first started using one until they played A Passage To Bangkok, around the Hemispheres tour. He used double neck on By-tor from 1977 on to 1980 as the track would segue into Xanadu. Alex used the white Gibson or sunburst Gibson regular on By-tor except 1980 where I believe he used the Stratocaster as there is whammy bar usage galore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kooma Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 QUOTE (Indica @ Jan 21 2005, 06:29 PM) I love that doubleneck. Me too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota2112 Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 QUOTE (Grand Designs @ Jan 21 2005, 07:38 PM)Who the hell else would have possibly thought of building a doubleneck like that other than Geddy himself. Time for me to make yet another Genesis plug... Mike Rutherford, the bass player from Genesis, was doing this in 1974. The article even goes on to say that Rutherford's doubleneck idea was embraced by Rickenbacker as a production model in 1975. If that's true, then there's no way Geddy's was the "first" doubleneck Rick of this type. Genesis beat 'em to it by a couple years, again. mike_rutherford_doubleneck_1974 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota2112 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Ok, being a guitar player myself, this has sparked my interest enough to do a little more research, and I found another interesting bit of info. I found a website from some guy who owns a Rick doubleneck. According to him, his is a 1975 production model, which was indeed the first year that Rick made these in mass production (compared to one-off custom models). He then goes on to say that the very first one of these 1975 production models "ended up with Geddy Lee". (click here to read the details and see pictures - it's a beautiful instrument btw). So based on previous information as well as the links I've posted recently, here's my understanding: - Mike Rutherford had the idea and/or need for a doubleneck bass + guitar in 1974, and had a custom Rickenbacker made for this purpose. Note, his custom Rick had separate conrols for the bass vs guitar, and I believe his original custom model was actually a bass and a guitar cut up and joined together. - In 1975, Rickenbacker introduces a production series doubleneck bass + guitar. - Presumably a year or two later, Geddy Lee ended up acquiring one of the 1975 models, and it turns out that he got his hands on the 1st one made back in 1975. Note that the production model has a single set of controls, which apparently Geddy complained about. Mike Rutherford's original custom model was more intelligently designed in this respect, having dual controls, but that didn't make it into the design of the production model. So if this speculation is accurate, then yes, Geddy used the "first" production Rickenbacker doubleneck bass + guitar, but only technically speaking. The original idea wasn't his, he didn't design it, and it probably was not even made specifically for him, as he picked it up at least a year after the fact. And from the sounds of it, I think he would've preferred the dual controls of the Mike Rutherford custom model, but that was not available in the production series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisy Bastard Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Yes, the black one is a 4 string bass and a 12 string guitar. The white one is a 4 string bass and a 6 string guitar. Another unique thing about the Rickenbacker doublenecks (at least the ones that Geddy used), is that the necks don't run parallel to each other. As they get farther away from the body of the guitar, the necks get slightly farther apart. And, even more uniquely, the 6 or 12 string guitar necks on each one end up being a little farther forward than the bass necks. They both start from the body together, but as you get closer to the end, the lower one moves farther out at the machine head end. In other words, the headstock of the lower neck on each doubleneck sticks out slightly farther than the headstock on the top neck. Typically, both necks on other brand guitars run perfectly parallel on both hmmm... axises, axis's, axees?... Aaaaagghhhhh! They run parallel all the way around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisy Bastard Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE And, even more uniquely, the 6 or 12 string guitar necks on each one end up being a little farther forward than the bass necks. They both start from the body together, but as you get closer to the end, the lower one moves farther out at the machine head end. In other words, the headstock of the lower neck on each doubleneck sticks out slightly farther than the headstock on the top neck. Actually, now I can't remember which neck -- upper or lower -- sticks out farther at the headstock end. But one of 'em does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota2112 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 QUOTE (Noisy Bastard @ Feb 6 2006, 12:07 PM)QUOTE And, even more uniquely, the 6 or 12 string guitar necks on each one end up being a little farther forward than the bass necks. They both start from the body together, but as you get closer to the end, the lower one moves farther out at the machine head end. In other words, the headstock of the lower neck on each doubleneck sticks out slightly farther than the headstock on the top neck. Actually, now I can't remember which neck -- upper or lower -- sticks out farther at the headstock end. But one of 'em does! I would think it'd be better for the lower neck to angle out slightly compared to the upper neck... for the purpose of user friendliness, ie so that the lower neck's fretboard isn't hidden from view by the upper neck as much. In reality though, I would think that any doubleneck guitar would inherently be illogical. I've never played one, but it would seem that way anyways. I mean, guitars are usually designed to have optimal feel... balance, neck position and angle, etc. Then along comes this behemoth with two necks, neither of which are going to be anywhere close to optimal. It's a tradeoff between user friendliness and versatility. The conventional guitar (single-neck) is user friendly but not versatile, and the double-neck is a big heavy clumsy unwieldy beast but more versatile. You can't have your cake and eat it too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tough Soul Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Neglected so faron this thread is mention of the double-neck Rickie to play the final section of Necromancer. There is a boot around from the ATWAS tour where the band plays BY-TOR part one, some of the middle section (sorry, I don't recall the pieces' names at the moment) with added synthesizer parts (some of it sounding like Xanadu in the making), and then the final section of Necromancer. When Alex's solo begins, Geddy switches to the 12 string neck and then back to the bass after (also, slightly before the solo Alex breaks a string and Ged is left alone out there on bass). Presumably, Geddy was able to switch from a regular bass to the double-neck during the second part of By-Tor (why lug that thing around when you don't have to). This mini-tour would be the introduction to both bass pedals and the mini-moog. In a related note, I was wondering when Alex used his double-neck over the years. I believe it was used for part of Hemispheres (did he not pull it out on the CP tour for this also?), but was it used for Camera Eye? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakota2112 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 QUOTE (Tough Soul @ Feb 7 2006, 12:31 PM) Neglected so faron this thread is mention of the double-neck Rickie to play the final section of Necromancer. I didn't know Ged used a doubleneck on the ATWAS tour. As for Alex's doubleneck... I know he used it on the Presto tour. Unfortunately, when I saw them on this tour, he had some sort of technical difficulty with the thing and his guitar tech/roadie had to swap it out with a PRS. The PRS then did not work at first, then they got it straightened out but unfortunately Xanadu (IIRC) got played that night on the PRS instead of the doubleneck SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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