A 4080/12 Comes to London

[jon]

Look what arrived at my house this week.



I’m very happy (and very broke) and it wouldn’t have happened without this forum. One person deserves special mention. Can anybody guess who?

[rickfan60]

Congrats! That is a rare bird indeed. Not many were made at all let alone with 12 strings. I own one of its 6 string siblings. Mine is a '75. What is yours? No guess on who helped you get it.

It's funny but I hadn't noticed until now that the 12 string headstock is that standard Gumby shape and not the cresting wave.

[wmthor]

... it wouldn’t have happened without this forum. One person deserves special mention. Can anybody guess who?

My guess is that he's currently attending Ozfest 2008.

Congratulations!

[nattiep]

It's funny but I hadn't noticed until now that the 12 string headstock is that standard Gumby shape and not the cresting wave.

BAD TED! BAD!

[2112]

Here's mine.

[ricosound]

I'm sure the rarity comes from what song really requires a bass and 12 string?

Then again this thread pictures two - strange beast indeed.

[pacealot]

Geddy Lee and Mike Rutherford knew a couple songs that do!

[ricosound]

Geddy Lee and Mike Rutherford knew a couple songs that do!

I thought Geddy played the 6 string part in Xanadu with a 4080/6 and Alex used a Gibson ES1275 6/12

[phlemmy]

Look what arrived at my house this week.



I’m very happy (and very broke) and it wouldn’t have happened without this forum. One person deserves special mention. Can anybody guess who?

You're welcome! oh.

Congrats!

[jon]

Thanks Sean.

Richard’s right, it was Dave Pascoe that made this possible. The very fact that he didn’t snap this up himself was a pretty big help for a start. It didn’t end there though, with Dave travelling some distance to meet the seller and collect the 4080/12, then finding someone to organise the shipping too. While I’m sure the seller was OK, it was reassuring having someone I felt I could trust handle things across the pond, which wouldn’t have happened without this forum. There are not many people around these days who would have helped like Dave did. I can’t thank him enough and hope I can return the favour one day with something he’s after in the UK.

It’s not exactly mint, with the odd minor dent and ding and a bit of checking around the neck joints. However the necks are very stable and it plays really nicely, especially after a change of strings. I’ve been after one of these for years - I can’t really explain how pleased I am.

It was due to make its rehearsal debut this weekend, but our drummer now has a recording commitment in Wales this weekend (spookily enough, where Rush recorded Xanadu, no less), so it will have to wait a week.

Ted, I had no idea what a Gumby headstock was, but after a quick Google search, I do now. The 4080/12 is a 1982. My Burgundy 4080 is a ‘75 like yours.

Nice one Thomas – I do still have a slight hankering after a Jetglo one. Is that bad?

Wes, as Paul says, there’s quite a few songs I can use it on – a couple of Rush ones for a start (it will feature in our ESL version of Bangkok), plenty Genesis and even some of my own compositions. Every time I saw Rush do Xanadu with a full complement of doublenecks, Geddy used the Jetglo 4080/12.

[ricosound]

edit.

Geddy's jetglo seems to be 12 string, the mapleglo 6 string. Who knows a big rock star probably has many to choose from, and I heard he even gave some away.

[dswp]

Jon thank you for the kind words, but it was my pleasure. It was right at home in the Ric Vault for the few days that I had it.

Thanks must go out to another forum member (I think he runs a restaurant that caters to reptiles in the South) who tipped me off.

It was neat to travel to meet the seller who (it turns out) I saw play when I was a young lad. He played in a somewhat famous tribute progressive rock band from the NJ shore (Late 70’s to the late 80’s). He is now a published author who lives a quiet life in NY by the Canadian boarder.

He said that he purchased the 4080/12 in the mid 80’s new, even though it has a 1982 serial number.

Ted, you may also be interested in knowing that I once saw a factory 4080/12 where both the bass and guitar head stocks were “Gumby” shaped.

ENJOY IT JON!!!

[rickfan60]

It has been estimated by people associated with the company that there were less than 200 4080s made. Dave has 9 of them. I had 2 but sold one when I was in college.

The term Gumby Head may have originated here at RRF. Someone used it here once and I thought it was an apt (if not amusing) description of the shape.

[dswp]

I have around 80 Ric double necks on my unofficial database. 200 total could be about right.

Is there a "correct" term for a non cresting wave headstock?

[mikeyesfan]

GREAT picture Dave..

I missed a chance 2 years ago
I'll never get over it..
But someday
I will buy one

YES