The definitive history of the world's most famous 12-string electric
guitar. When the Byrds recorded their hit version of Dylan's Mr.
Tambourine Man they popularized a new sound in pop music: the electric
12-string guitar. Rickenbacker is the guitar maker that brought the
electric 12-string to market and has since been almost single-handedly
responsible for establishing what such a guitar should do. The
California company gave one of its earliest 12-strings to George
Harrison of the Beatles on the group's first tour of the United States
in 1964. He immediately used it live and in the studio and showed off
the sound of electric jangle to the rest of the world. This book tells
the story of those heady days in the '60s, of the competitors who tried
and failed to match the sound, and of the instrument's continuing
production by Rickenbacker and use by many modern guitarists. Complete
with high-quality photos and exclusive interviews with many of the
12-string's leading players, this is the best guide yet to the history
of the sound of jingle-jangle.