Members Glenn F Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Hi, everyone, Been a long time. I hope everyone here is doing well. I'd been waiting for a Danelectro 12 string, which didn't seem it was going to make it to Thomann any time soon, so I went to the local shop and tried this; It is a 'Del Ray Fab 12.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Glenn Great to see you - I've missed you!! Hope all is well with you, too. Wow - what a gorgeous and cool-looking git!! Happy New 12-er Day - Many congrats!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 I looks like a nice Ric clone to me ! Here's hoping that it sounds as good as it looks and you get many years of enjoyment out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jamesp Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Nice looking 12-er! Just looking at it cues up the opening riff to Turn Turn Turn in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Nice looking 12-er! Just looking at it cues up the opening riff to Turn Turn Turn in my head. My roomie has a Dano 12-er and that's my favorite tune to play on that wonderful git. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted October 2, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Samilyn, Nice to see you, too. Hope you have things on the right track, these days! This guitar is pretty impressive, for what it is. I've never actually played a real Ricky, so I can't compare, but I know what my fingers and ears tell me. Jamesp, I ran through my repertoire of electric 12 string songs at the shop, and Turn! Turn! Turn! was, naturally, amongst them. When I played 'Mr. Tambourine Man' for my wife, she said: "so that's what they play on that!" This guitar is almost exactly 1/8th the cost of a Rickenbacker 360/12 here. I doubt very much if it is 1/8th the guitar. Eight Miles High.... Cheers! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riffmeister Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 I hear the opening chord to "A Hard Day's Night" when I see that Ricken-Ray! Congrats and welcome back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Hi Samilyn, Nice to see you, too. Hope you have things on the right track, these days! This guitar is pretty impressive, for what it is. I've never actually played a real Ricky, so I can't compare, but I know what my fingers and ears tell me.Jamesp, I ran through my repertoire of electric 12 string songs at the shop, and Turn! Turn! Turn! was, naturally, amongst them. When I played 'Mr. Tambourine Man' for my wife, she said: "so that's what they play on that!" This guitar is almost exactly 1/8th the cost of a Rickenbacker 360/12 here. I doubt very much if it is 1/8th the guitar. Eight Miles High.... Cheers! Glenn Yup - My life is on a good track at last.That really is a great looking git, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so much. I've never played a Rick either, and I love my roomie's Dano, so there's really no point in gassing for a Rick anymore.Interestingly, Ricks get mixed reviews. After reading this thread, I think you'll be even happier with your Del Ray.http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2447197 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted October 2, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Yup - My life is on a good track at last.That really is a great looking git, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so much. I've never played a Rick either, and I love my roomie's Dano, so there's really no point in gassing for a Rick anymore.Interestingly, Ricks get mixed reviews. After reading this thread, I think you'll be even happier with your Del Ray.http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2447197 Hi Samilyn, I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. Things have been a tad difficult here for me, health-wise, and the Del-Ray was my little reward to myself for getting through a tough 6 months. It is interesting about the real Rickenbacker 12s. I was reading another thread at another forum, wherein a luthier says they are a pain in the ass. This Del-Ray has a, I think, 1.75" nut, and though my large-ish fingers are tripping over themselves a little bit, it is just a question of getting used to the guitar. It is, so far, staying in tune surprisingly well, and sounds, well, 'Fab!' If the Ricky was in the Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Galabar Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 Awwww, Glenn....soooo sorry to hear you've been battling health issues! I do hope you're getting better and are really enjoying the Del Ray. Also hope you'll pop in and visit us here more often! Hugs to ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted October 2, 2009 Members Share Posted October 2, 2009 That Del Ray is sweet lookin......love the Ricks though. There is just something about their headstocks and pick guards that drive me crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TESmith Posted October 3, 2009 Members Share Posted October 3, 2009 GlennA voice I miss sharing with!Guitar looks sharp, should be lots of fun!Sorry to read you have had some health issues, otherwiseHope all is well for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larry50 Posted October 3, 2009 Members Share Posted October 3, 2009 Hey, welcome back Glenn. Glad to see you weathered the storm. Other than a haunted guitar, not a lot missed here except for the nice folks. Great looking 12'er. Must jangle until the cows come home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sixgunner455 Posted October 4, 2009 Members Share Posted October 4, 2009 Wow, that's an interesting way to set up the strings on the headstock. Nice looking guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philo426 Posted October 4, 2009 Members Share Posted October 4, 2009 Great loooking guitar!I am kind of surprised that Rickenbacker would let them produce that!I have noticed that you rarely see a Ric copy that is so close to the original .Can you post a clip of you playing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted October 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 4, 2009 Hi, Thank you for your kind words, everyone! Sixgunner: that is basically how the Rickenbacker strings are set up. It is also, on this guitar, a design flaw, because the truss rod cover will most certainly make restringing a bit of a PITA. I'll probably either remove it, or I'll have my luthier trim it. Philo426: I think there are just enough differences between this and a real Ricky to prevent a lawsuit. The headstock is not exactly the same, the neck width and depth, from what I've read, are not the same; the F hole is slightly different; the tailpiece is different; the strings are set up in a normal 12 string fashion (something I am thinking of changing) rather than how Rickenbacker does it. I assume that the body proportions are not exactly the same, as well. Unfortunately, I am unable to post any clips at this time, but I can tell you that the sound is a pretty darned authentic Byrds/Beatles/Petty sound. I've been playing it through my Peavey Classic 30, and I am impressed. It is also one of the only guitars that I've bought at this shop where I didn't have second thoughts once I brought her home. That worries me, lol! They have a lot of neglected guitars on their walls, but they just got a shipment of these guitars in recently. I tried out 3 of them, and the first one, in the showroom, was the best of them all. My major concern is the neck. It is a 2 octave set neck, so I have visions of it snapping off. An interesting thing about these guitars; I can't find one word about them in a google search! I come across Teisco Del Ray, but they went out of business in the 60's. Nowhere have I found out who makes them, and this shop is the only one I've seen selling them. Maybe they make them in their basement? I also tried a Del Ray dreadnought a couple of years ago, and it was surprisingly good for the money, certainly in the same league as an Epi Masterbilt or a Seagull, with the exception that the Del Ray was solid wood, whereas the lower end Seagulls are not. Anyways, the action is very good, it sounds great, is properly intonated, and it holds its tuning surprisingly well. If it holds up for even a few years, it will be a bargain at Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 5, 2009 Members Share Posted October 5, 2009 Congratulations. Happy New Guitar Day even if you've gone over to the dark side. May you play it in good health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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