Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ok, I'm not sure if it was ever determined if the TTT albumn version of "He was a Friend of Mine" was done with a 6 or 12 string...I think someone said a 12..doesn't sound like it to me ..but that might just be my hearing?..so my next question is..does anyone know if a capo was used on the 2nd or 3rd fret? Still stumped on the picking in D.

A person I know plays that song without a capo; IIRC, when I tried to play along, I found that a capo on the second fret made it easier for me personally.

Everytime I've seen Roger do it; live in '86, Monterey, Roy Orbison tribute he does it open in A. But I could see how nice it would feel capoed at the second,using a C add9, etc. Christian Bryan

So...there's no real set way on how to do this? I was hoping someone had an idea on how it was recorded...or had figured it out.

The song was done Without a capo. And it Is on an acoustic 12string, a Martin that Croz let Roger use for the song. Apparently, this 12 string is the same one Croz refers to that was originally a D-18 6 string, later "converted" to a 12, by someone in the 60s.I emailed Roger about this a few years back, and later, Croz as well, who verified the account.

Great info, Don, thanks for sharing that with us.

Don thanks for the clarification. The trick to how this was played must be with McGuinn's finger picking style, because I can't seem to hear the octaves or second strings.