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paul wilczynski (Jingle_jangle)
Senior Member
Username: Jingle_jangle

Post Number: 2921
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 67.180.37.56
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 02:34 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

McGuinn's "improvements" look like an explosion in a hardware store...
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Scott Jennings (Route66guitars)
Senior Member
Username: Route66guitars

Post Number: 238
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.184.183.56
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 04:09 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

We were never able to get an exact date on when McGuinn changed the tuners. It was sometime between late 1969 and early 1970. He, or whoever did it for him, did a lousy job. I don't know why he wouldn't have had the factory do it for him.
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Don Adamek (Rick12dr)
Senior Member
Username: Rick12dr

Post Number: 588
Registered: 04-2002
Posted From: 205.188.116.136
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 06:03 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

If I recall correctly, Tomcat put the #2 Byrd Rick getting into a fracas in Mexico sometime,in '69, apparently this is when the neck got the crack in the back of it. Seems logical to me that if enough force came at the guitar to crack the neck, perhaps the original Kluson tuners caught much of the brunt and got bent, dented, or broken, necessitating replacement.McGuinn told me he figured it was likely a roadie that changed out the tuners for him, but otherwise couldn't recall why they were installed "backwards"..I saw the Byrds in Feb. '70, and from my front row vantage point at that show, I caught"non-stock" tuners on it, and for years could not figure out What they were.These are likely Grovers that were still American made.They are the guitar version of the big "square box" ones found on 70s Rick basses. Also they used them on 70s Martin "S" model 12 fret slotted headstock acoustics.Called the "Slimline" tuner, the early ones, like on the Byrd guitar, had rectangular buttons on them; later ones, as found on Martins, had the round/oval button, like a Kluson button.
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paul wilczynski (Jingle_jangle)
Senior Member
Username: Jingle_jangle

Post Number: 2925
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 63.193.9.8
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 06:19 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Could they possibly been installed that way to facilitate tuning?

Anyway, you can see from the pics that screws are loose and they are not sitting flush with the headstock.
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Scott Jennings (Route66guitars)
Senior Member
Username: Route66guitars

Post Number: 239
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.184.183.56
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 06:36 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

McGuinn's 1966 370-12 - Back of the Headstock
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Scott Jennings (Route66guitars)
Senior Member
Username: Route66guitars

Post Number: 240
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.184.183.56
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 06:39 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

I think the tuners are on that way simply because they would not fit properly the correct way. Not that they really fit well this way either. Based on the other hack jobs we know he personally did to his instruments I would be surprised if someone other than Roger did this.
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John Simmons (Leftybass)
Senior Member
Username: Leftybass

Post Number: 1063
Registered: 04-2002
Posted From: 68.232.77.151
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 07:22 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

I have seen these tuners as factory-installed hardware on Rickenbacker guitars, but not gold-plated as they are on Byrd Rick #2. most of the examples have been from the late 70's-early 80's, one was a 320.
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paul wilczynski (Jingle_jangle)
Senior Member
Username: Jingle_jangle

Post Number: 2929
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 63.193.9.8
Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 07:37 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Lots of guitarists are not techs, but poor coordination and lack of patience result in such memorable bodges!

MADD= Musicians' Attention Deficit Disorder
(apologies to mom activists out there)
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Ronn Roberts (Iamthebassman)
Senior Member
Username: Iamthebassman

Post Number: 931
Registered: 05-2002
Posted From: 207.193.146.2
Posted on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 10:06 am:   Edit Post Print Post

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John Minutaglio (Jsm610)
Senior Member
Username: Jsm610

Post Number: 215
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 66.135.163.170
Posted on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 10:56 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Aluminum TRC:
6