Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anyone have experience with HB1s on a 12-string? Any significant loss of definition, or other effects, good or bad?

I once played one of the RCA 360/12SPC guitars. It had a darker tone than typical, but how much of that can be attributed to the HBs and how much to the walnut body is hard to say.

99% humbuckers, 1% walnut IMO

I used to own a 12-string Les Paul (Epiphone). First thing I did to it was to put in some single coils (Phat Cats). To my ears it instantly sounded 3 million times better - and not because the Epiphone humbuckers were bad, because they were OK, but they were humbuckers ... and, I personally don't see the point in a 12-string with humbuckers.

I had an HB1 in the bridge position of a 450/12 for about two days. 'Nuff said.

jdogric12aolcom wrote:I had an HB1 in the bridge position of a 450/12 for about two days. 'Nuff said.

Ditto that with my 381/12.

I don't know, I guess it depends.

When I tried the EDS-1275 I found the 12 string neck to be fantastic in all positions!

It followed the Fender vs. Gibson chord trait

WHen Fenders play a chord, it sounds like a group of well trained musicians singing together.

When Gibsons play a chord, it sounds like a loving family getting together to sing a tune.

A Big lush tone that Gibson had on the 12 string neck...

Jimmy Page sure made it work!

I guess if you want it to sound like `The Ric sound`You`re gonna be dissapointed.

I should add: I used to have an Epi G-1275 and the 12 neck sounded great with the humbuckers.

tennis_nick wrote:
Jimmy Page sure made it work!

I don't think he ever played the double neck on any recordings. The 12-string on Stairway was certainly a Strat XII .... with single coils!

ricardo_vicente wrote:

tennis_nick wrote:
Jimmy Page sure made it work!

I don't think he ever played the double neck on any recordings. The 12-string on Stairway was certainly a Strat XII .... with single coils!

I'm talking about the live versions. those are my favorites!

Here's the situation: The player of a new 660/12 has several Ric six-strings, all with HB1s, and would like the 12-string to have a sound more like that of the six-strings, without obliterating the twelve-stringiness. Opinions, please: Are the HB1s up to this task, or are there likely to be sonic side-effects that would render the effort self-defeating?

(If this sounds familiar to anyone at RIC, please e-mail me directly.)