Guitar
guitarz.blogspot.com:
I was looking on YouTube for some footage of Argent's Russ Ballard playing his customised Holy Stratocaster (which also featured a cut-down body so that the top horn echoed size and shape of the lower horn), and found an interesting clip of Argent playing "Hold Your Head Up" on The Midnight Special TV Show in 1973 with an introduction from none other than John Denver (see below).
Sure, there was Russ playing his Holy Strat, but I was also intrigued to see bassist Jim Rodford thumping away on an enormous doubleneck seemingly composed of a Fender Precision Bass and a Strat. Alas I've not been able to turn up any better quality close-up photos of the instrument itself and so I though I'd have a little shout out to the faithful Guitarz readership to see if anyone has any more information about this remarkable instrument or knows where we might find some better photographs.
A Google search reveals various guitar and bass forum discussions in which this instrument is mentioned. Apparently the P-Bass making up one half of this doubleneck behemoth previously belonged to Chris White of The Zombies (keyboardist Rod Argent's previous band).
There are other clips of Rodford playing the bass as a single necked instrument (e.g. another performance of "Hold Your Head Up", this time from 1972) where the bass is clearly shown to have an enlarged or secondary pickguard on the upper portion of the body. One forum mentioned something about the doubleneck being convertible into two separate instruments, so possibly this upper pickguard was there to hide the join in the body with the upper horn section of the bass.
This is all conjecture on my part. I just think it's an interesting instrument worthy of further investigation.
G L Wilson
© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.
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Guitar
Jim Rodford's doubleneck behemoth comprising Fender P-Bass and Strat
I was looking on YouTube for some footage of Argent's Russ Ballard playing his customised Holy Stratocaster (which also featured a cut-down body so that the top horn echoed size and shape of the lower horn), and found an interesting clip of Argent playing "Hold Your Head Up" on The Midnight Special TV Show in 1973 with an introduction from none other than John Denver (see below).
Sure, there was Russ playing his Holy Strat, but I was also intrigued to see bassist Jim Rodford thumping away on an enormous doubleneck seemingly composed of a Fender Precision Bass and a Strat. Alas I've not been able to turn up any better quality close-up photos of the instrument itself and so I though I'd have a little shout out to the faithful Guitarz readership to see if anyone has any more information about this remarkable instrument or knows where we might find some better photographs.
A Google search reveals various guitar and bass forum discussions in which this instrument is mentioned. Apparently the P-Bass making up one half of this doubleneck behemoth previously belonged to Chris White of The Zombies (keyboardist Rod Argent's previous band).
There are other clips of Rodford playing the bass as a single necked instrument (e.g. another performance of "Hold Your Head Up", this time from 1972) where the bass is clearly shown to have an enlarged or secondary pickguard on the upper portion of the body. One forum mentioned something about the doubleneck being convertible into two separate instruments, so possibly this upper pickguard was there to hide the join in the body with the upper horn section of the bass.
This is all conjecture on my part. I just think it's an interesting instrument worthy of further investigation.
G L Wilson
© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.
- Shergold 6 And 12-string Double Neck Guitar, Ex Julian Cope
guitarz.blogspot.com: We recently looked at a very fine example of a Shergold doubleneck 4+8 string bass. Now it's time to meet its guitar counterpart, the above pictured Shergold 6+12 string doubleneck which is currently being offered for sale via...
- Shergold Eight And Four-string Doublenecked Bass From 1980
guitarz.blogspot.com: Founded in 1967 by Jack Golder and Norman Houlder, both former Burns London employees, Shergold were arguably Britain's most forward-thinking guitar manufacturer of the 1970s and 1980s. Innovations included guitars with modular...
- Doubleneck Guitar And Bass Project - Finalised!
guitarz.blogspot.com: Following my October 2014 blog post asking for assistance in realising my dream of a very specific doublenecked guitar and bass, Antony Moggridge of Shonky Musical Instruments took up the challenge to build this beast for me. Above...
- Ricardo "duo" Antique/vintage Doubleneck Acoustic Guitar
guitarz.blogspot.com: Unfortunately the eBay seller does not give us even an approximate date for this Ricardo doubleneck acoustic guitar but it does look to be quite old; it's certainly seen better days and had lots of use judging by the wear and...
- Vintage & Rare Guitar Of The Week: 1962 Gretsch Bikini Bass
guitarz.blogspot.com: I guess that without the foldaway hinged "wings" making up the body this 1962 Gretsch Bikini Bass would resemble a LaBaye 2x4. Note how the volume and tone controls are mounted on the top edge of the central section. It makes me...