Did/Does Bruce play a 12-string acoustic much?

[donna plasky]

I was wondering if anyone knows whether Bruce did/does play a 12-string acoustic guitar? Is the instrument itself not compatible with The Shadows' "sound" or are 12-strings not good for the type of strumming that Bruce usually does?

I like looking at photos and videos and simply observing as much as I can -- and my pool of data is pretty much limited to YouTube and Google searches. I found one photo of Bruce with a 12-string and I thought maybe it is from rehearsal on one of Cliff's TV shows where The Shadows played My Grandfather's Clock - where, actually, John Rostill held the 12-string guitar and Hank and Bruce had the 6-string guitars. They were miming, of course. Same for "Oh Senorita" in Finders Keepers -- John's got the 12-string.

Not trying to be overly-specific here, I was just curious. Thank you for listening.

Kind regards,
Donna

Bruce12String.jpg

(28.12 KiB) Downloaded 1812 times

The-Shadows-Spring-Is-Nearly-Here.jpg

(92.69 KiB) Downloaded 1812 times

[JimN]

I'm not aware of any use of the 12-string by Bruce at any time.

Between about late 1964 and 1970, the Shadows had the two Gibson J-45 round-shouldered jumbos and one Gibson B-45 dreadnought jumbo, which are seen above. They were all finished in that period-typical cherry sunburst.

Various publicity photos taken at the time (principally, it would seem, in the summer of 1965 when the guitars were still fairly new) show Hank and Bruce with the six-string instruments, and all three front-line players, including John, with the 12-string.

The acoustic 12 can be heard on various recordings (eg, My Grandfather's Clock, Chelsea Boot, the Italian LP version of Genie With The Light Brown Lamp) for lead guitar or overdubs, but never - as far as I can hear - for rhythm guitar.

The Burns electric 12s seem to have had a very short career with the Shadows; probably no use later then the end of 1963. Hank was still using one of the J-45s for the Cliff/Shadows tours of Japan and the UK in the second half of 1969, but those Gibson acoustics - or some of them - seem to have met a sticky end at the hands of airport baggage handlers around 1970.

[Iain Purdon]

Going through songs in my head, I wonder if there might be a 12-string on Mary Anne. Must dig it out and listen.

I have no idea who played what but the Marvin-Welch-Farrar stuff could have included some 12 strings. There again, two 6 strings playing chords together could create a similar effect.

Interesting question.

Deviating from it slightly, I'm pretty sure, again in my head, I can hear the Burns 12 string on Cliff's I'm the Lonely One which was around in summer 1964. But I don't know when it was recorded. John was on bass but that could still be very late 63...

[strongbow]

I'm the Lonely One was recorded on November 23, 1963.

[JimN]

I'm the Lonely One was recorded on November 23, 1963.

Indeed - and issued very soon after.

When The Beatles appeared on a special edition of "Juke Box Jury" OB's from the Empire Theatre, Liverpool (which I'm sure everyone remembers as the 23rd November 1963), George Harrison expressed reservation over a record by Billy Fury (Fool's Errand) on the basis that the guitar riff was only one note different to that on Don't Talk To Him.

So it was familiar to the public by then.

Hank appeared on TV at that time using the Burns twelve - the first public use of a Burns by the group.