12 string accent vibrato?????

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 5:23 am

Has anybody ever tried an accent vibrato on their 360/12??? Would it work?

scoobster28 · Post by **scoobster28** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:07 am

DOubt it. It was tried on a famous 325/12 that was intended for John Lennon, but the factory realised it was a poor decision and removed it before shipment. If Rickenbacker cannot make it work reliably, then you might not be able to either!

I suppose you could try it though.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:23 am

The spring tension is designed for a six-string. I doubt that it would work or that you could get it to return to pitch reliably.

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 6:25 am

I'm sure I've heard of someone doing it years ago. I just wondered if any forum members had taken the plunge and converted their guitar? I think it would look pretty cool, that big chunk of chrome!

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 6:42 am

I've played a couple of Vox 12-strings with vibratos, a tuning nightmare.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:42 pm

Don't forget the 60s Mosrite 12s as well, which had a kind of Bigsby looking vibrato on them . What were they thinking?!

larry_mondello · Post by **larry_mondello** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:50 pm

Must of been a really HOT day in Bakersfield when he came up with that idea .

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Sat May 07, 2005 9:36 pm

I knew I wasn't dreaming - he's the picture of a 370/12VB work in progress from around 1990.

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Mon May 09, 2005 3:27 am

Fabulous! Where did you get that pic?

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Mon May 09, 2005 3:56 am

I was lucky enough to have a factory tour - back in 1990, I think it was.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:23 am

Ah, yes, the famed "wiggly neck" prototype...

The tension of the Accent is a function of the thickness and bend of the spring piece which links the bridge to the tailpiece. Because of this, you can't get it to work without remannufacturing that piece in a thicker material. Besides this, how ya gonna keep it in tune? Much easier to bend that tone electronically with a foot pedal.

If you like that "hunka hunka burnin' chrome" look, you'll have to fake it and build a non-functioning one, methinks.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon May 09, 2005 5:33 am

Incidentally, John Hall has aged well. He looks much better these days than he did 15 years ago!

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Mon May 09, 2005 6:47 am

Yes, he looks completely different.

:-0

patrickkelly · Post by **patrickkelly** » Mon May 09, 2005 7:37 am

Are those the prototype "noiseless" pickups?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon May 09, 2005 7:41 am

Let's not take that route.