Gary Ferguson Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 (edited) 😃hi I’m new to this form and just wanted to say that I have a number of guitars here and used to play a lot but haven’t for the past 20 years or so because I was in a motor vehicle accident and do not have feeling in my hands which makes it challenging ! However I had a heart attack 4 December and decided that I needed a relaxing past time and something stress-free so I decided to take it up again ! I have a couple of handmade guitars as well as three Martin’s that I like and just by accident as I was selling one of my Martin’s and follow brought in this Gibson and said here just so you can have something made in America 1970 ! So we did a trade and low and behold this guitar has amazing play ability and I’m still hampered by not having feeling in my hands and some arthritis but I am having some fun again and it’s getting better ! The neck and the action seems to be perfect for my limited ability ! Anyway I think I’m being converted from other guitars to Gibson I did have a an LG0 many years ago and was sorry that I sold it! So anyway just wanted to say hi and I’d like to follow this form on a regular basis ! Oh the guitar was a Gibson B 45 deluxe 12 string ! Edited April 7, 2021 by Gary Ferguson 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hello. Soooo. What kind of Martins were those you mention of? B45-12 strings are neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Welcome to the forum! QM aka “”Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Welcome Gary, and so cool that you’re able to play again - it can truly be a great & relaxing diversion from all the day to day stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Congrats on playing ... And on you new 12-string! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Hey, Gary! I feel your pain (or absence thereof!) with the hands issue. I was in hospital for a couple of months at the end of last year (one as an inpatient, one as an outpatient) with endocarditis and a blood infection, which caused three brain abscesses. Came out of the other end of the treatment as cured as I’m ever going to be, but with terrible joint pain due to connective tissue damage, and no feeling in my fingertips due to septic emboli. I’ve had to re-learn a lot of my playing as the abscesses kaiboshed my short-to-medium term memory too. A very odd experience after playing for a living for 23yrs! I was just getting back in the pocket as a player when I ventured out without my stick three weeks ago...an after effect of the brain thing is that I’m a little unsteady on my feet, and I managed to fall over in spectacular fashion and break my right foot and right wrist. Back to square one! I’m inspired by the fact that you’ve found a twelve string easiest to get on with, that’s very cool. I have a Hummingbird twelve string which is basically the same as yours (square shoulder, short scale, spruce over mahogany dreadnought 12), which is one of my favourite guitars. I’ve not played it a great deal since my illness but you’ve inspired me to get it out of the case as soon as the wrist allows! Enjoy your B45 in good health, my friend, and welcome to a great forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 (edited) Jinder-sorry to hear about your recent fall. Here’s to a recovery again and on your part and a full forthcoming recovery to you, too. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Edited April 8, 2021 by QuestionMark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Welcome and I am gad you are able to be getting back to music. I love B45-12s and have owned two. The one I am currently playing is a round shoulder version built in 1961 which was the first year Gibson 12 strings were available. Basically a J45 with a wide neck and humongous headstock slapped on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 On 4/8/2021 at 9:32 AM, Jinder said: ...I have a Hummingbird twelve string which is basically the same as yours (square shoulder, short scale, spruce over mahogany dreadnought 12), which is one of my favourite guitars..... Except it doesn't have that humongous bridge that the B- 12-strings have! 😬 I guess it's also similar to my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe 12-string, which I pulled out yesterday. I've got it tuned to all E's and B's and I'm about ready to record something in that tuning..... On 4/7/2021 at 12:58 PM, Gary Ferguson said: I’m still hampered by not having feeling in my hands and some arthritis but I am having some fun again and it’s getting better ! Good to hear it, Gary! Playing music is therapy whether you know it or not! On 4/8/2021 at 9:32 AM, Jinder said: I was in hospital for a couple of months at the end of last year (one as an inpatient, one as an outpatient) with endocarditis and a blood infection, which caused three brain abscesses.... Man, I missed all that, Jinder, and sorry to hear it but glad you're still around. A 61-year-old friend of ours was just killed in a car accident. Boom, gone. Mortality sucks, but it's part of life.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Cougar said: Except it doesn't have that humongous bridge that the B- 12-strings have! 😬 I guess it's also similar to my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe 12-string, which I pulled out yesterday. I've got it tuned to all E's and B's and I'm about ready to record something in that tuning..... Gibson used several bridges on the B45-12 during the 1960s into the early-1970s - a rectangular bridge with tailpiece, a belly up pin bridge, belly up pinless bridge, and a belly down pin bridge. The key to the earliest B45-12s though was they were braced no differently than their six string counterparts. Great for sound but not the best thing for survival as the guitars ended up with distorted tops or could literally twist themselves apart. In late-1964 Gibson finally figured it out and started building them heavier adding sister braces to the lower legs of the X brace. I would think a 1970 B45012 would have the later style belly down pin bridge. Edited April 9, 2021 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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