duluthdan Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 37 years ago today the Fitzgerald sank. I still remember the exact moment I heard this news. Cried when I heard Lightfoot read a news article from the paper, and launch into this song for the first time in public. If I had a Gibson 12 string, this woulod probably be the only song I'd play on it. I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, a very angry lady when she wanted to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 What is the model of that 12 string? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 What is the model of that 12 string? B-45 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 B-45 12 He's been playing that guitar (or one just like it) for the last 45 years. I saw him play it at an outdoor concert at Brown U in the spring of 1970. It must have been almost new at the time. He was and is a great, great singer, songwriter, and performer. Still touring, the last I heard, after recovering from his stroke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 He's been playing that guitar (or one just like it) for the last 45 years. I saw him play it at an outdoor concert at Brown U in the spring of 1970. It must have been almost new at the time. He was and is a great, great singer, songwirter, and performer. Still touring, the last I heard, after recovering from his stroke. He has at least two of them. The last time I saw Lightfoot a couple of years ago, he had two onstage at the same time. Both had some sort of added section to the pick guard that I think was to cover the area he has worn away over the years. You can't see it in this photo as it is right under his right strumming hand. Both 12 strings were identical and seemed to be about the same age (60's). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatwhite_10 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Are you sure that is a B 45 12? I have a 1964 B 45 12 N and the one he's playing looks a little small bodied for the 45 model. My guess is it's a B 25 12. Great song and singer at the time regardless. Any one have further insight? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 Gordon Lightfoot is known to be a fan of the B45 12, according to Gibson Fabulous Flat-tops. Square shouldered, bat wing pick guard, inlay on the headstock. The images I've seen of the 25 suggest round shoulders, and even some with a trapeze, and no inlay on the headstock ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Are you sure that is a B 45 12? I have a 1964 B 45 12 N and the one he's playing looks a little small bodied for the 45 model. My guess is it's a B 25 12. Great song and singer at the time regardless. Any one have further insight? Thanks. The B 25-12 is essentially the smaller LG round-shoulder body. The B 45-12 is a square shoulder dread with the same body style/size as the 'birds, etc, except for first-year models which featured the slope jumbo (J-45) shape and size. Both 12-strings came in pin bridge and trap tail versions at various times. It was always a battle to make the structure strong enough to take the loads applied by 12 strings, without killing the tone. Guild was probably more successful with their 12's than either Gibson or Martin, although the pin bridge B 45 12's like Lightfoot's are generally considered to be superb tonally, but fragile. Maybe that's why he keeps two on stage, as has been reported here. Back when I saw him in 1970, these guitars would have been less than 10 years old. I remember that although he played the Gibson 12-string, he played either a D-18 or a D-28 six string then. Can't remember which. I'm constantly tempted to buy a mid-60's D-35-12, just for the heck of it. With 12 frets to the body, these are probably a bit more sturdy than most of the Gibsons. Then there Gibson's electric 12 strings, like my 1968 ES 335-12, below. At 19 frets to the body, there's a pretty long lever on that neck. I use very light strings on it, and it has had a neck re-set. That's essentially the same massive headstock as on Gibson's acoustic 12's. Needless to say, Gibson's acoustic 12's are somewhat headstock-heavy. Less so with the semi-hollow body of the ES 335. This particular guitar weighs in at exactly eight pounds (3.6 kg), which is actually light for an ES 335. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Seems like the 6 string is a pre-war D-18. Even though this was written in 2000, Gord doesn't change up his gear very often. Clements, sadly, passed away last year. Gordon's Gear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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