Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I don't know about you, but I've always wanted a 9-string guitar. Vox made some Mark IX Teardrop guitars in the late 1960's, but it's very hard to find a nice one. Most of them were an ugly green-to-black sunburst and there appear to be few survivors today.

In case you're wondering, a 9-string has single strings in the top three positions and has the bottom three positions strung like a 12-string. The idea is that you can play chunky barred rhythm chords on the top strings (like a 6-string) but open chords and picking on the bottom strings will chime (like a 12-string).

I've only ever seen a Vox IX played live by one musician. He was the front man (Johnny?) for a Houston band called The Saltwater Cats (and later renamed The Voxtones) in the late 1980's. He sounded great playing British Invasion tunes on that guitar.

Anyway, I contacted Jack Charles (CEO of Phantom Guitar Works and former Quarterflash guitarist) and asked if he could build me a custom 9-string a few months ago. His company builds beautiful guitars in the style of the old Vox Phantom and Teardrop guitars in Oregon.

Jack's a Vox collector and owns a original '67 Teardrop Mark IX. He said I was only the second person to request a 9-string since he went into production. He thought about it and has decided to do a limited run of 10-12 of these guitars (available in Nov/Dec). I have committed to buy at least one. It will be black with triple single coil pick-ups and a Phantom Bigsby-style tailpiece. The custom headstock will be a reproduction of the unusual Vox design, using his original guitar as the pattern.

I recommend Phantom guitars highly. I have one of their 6-string solid-body Teardrop guitars in my collection, and it is far superior to similar original Vox guitars that I own. I plan to buy several more Phantoms in the near future.

I thought someone here might want to know that these guitars will be available again!

I'll just throw in my love of Phantoms as well. I have two Phantom basses, one a custom, one-off Jack put together for me. Our rythym guitarist has a Phantom BJ teardrop. And yes, that's The Eggmen on their Endorsers page.

Ronn: Thanks for putting me in touch with Jack. We've been emailing back and forth discussing the 9-strings. He wanted my opinion on colors and features. I was surprised that he was interested in building them at all. He probably thought I would flake on the deal, but he must know I'm for real now. He also said that he's going to do some limited runs on a Hollies Phantom 12-string and a Brian Jones 12-string. Thanks again!

A Mark IX?? Doggone it, Randy! And I was really, REALLY going to stop buying guitars for a while.

OK... just one more.

Andrew: I used to say that twenty guitars was perfectly sane, and that twenty-one would be total insanity. Last year I sold off a few, so that I could buy a few more I wanted. Naturally, buying outpaced selling, and now I've got thirty-one. It's insanity, I tell ya!

Jack e-mailed me today. Looks like there will be several color choices. Hardtail or vibrato. I'll have to mull-it-over, as far as "options" go... but I'll be getting one.

Thanks for the "heads-up," Randy!

Andrew: Although I originally wanted a hardtail, I've since decided to go with vibrato. I'm definitely going for a black one and if I get a second one, it will be either red or light blue. I'm also planning to get a Brian Jones 6-string in the near future. Jack's guitars are much better players than the original Vox guitars.

I think I'll be getting mine in "vintage white" like the image above.

The first guitarist for Jethro Tull used to play a nine string guitar ... I think he just left off 3 strings from his 12 string guitar ...

Jeff: That's one way to do it, but depending on the guitar, you might end up with rattling tuners and bridge saddles. In fact, I used to know a guy who did that with a reissue Rick 325/12 JG. Since Phantom is willing to make a special run of 9-strings, I'm going to buy at least one.

Crikey Randy! The Edge tours with less guitars than you!

well maybe not.

Rob: Luckily, my guitars don't tour, and it's true that I seem to accumulate lots of guitars. My collection has reached an all-time high of (31) guitars and basses, but there are currently about (6) pieces that I'd like to sell, but I'm not in any big hurry.