by (Folkie) » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:39 pm
Mark,
You can add the young Roger McGuinn to that list. In a May 1997 "Guitar Player" interview entitled "Chimes of Freedom: Ringing Up the Byrds' Jangle Guitar Sound," McGuinn revealed that, at least in the beginning, he had his Rick 360 strung like a conventional acoustic 12. But, as we all know, he is now one of the biggest proponents of the factory low/high configuration (and every one of his guitars on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland is strung traditional Rick-style). He said in a more recent interview that he had done an A/B comparison between his and Tom Petty's 360/12's (his being strung Rick-style and Petty's strung with the high octaves first) and that he liked his much better. Even when he designed his Martin 7-string acoustic (which is like a regular 6-string with an octave on the G) he placed the octave after the low course--ie. Rick-style. Also, you should note that, although Tom Petty may string his 360 with the octave strings struck first on downstrokes, Tom Petty's signature model comes from the factory with the standard Rick low/high configuration.
One thing to consider if you want to reverse the octaves on a Rick is that you'll not only have to replace the nut, but you'll also have to renotch the bridge saddles. As I said, I believe this kind of mod may void your warranty. But if you're willing to take the risk, and the difference in sound is that important to you, don't be afraid to go against the trend on this forum. It's entirely a matter of personal preference. In the end you have to trust your ears.
Robert