Roger McGuinn

In the hands of Roger McGuinn, this Rickenbacker electric twelve-string guitar provided the signature sound for the Byrds and, moreover, marked the merging of folk and rock music in the mid 1960s.

Inspired by George Harrison’s use of a Rickenbacker twelve-string (the company’s very first twelve-string) in the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night, McGuinn bought one for himself in early 1965. It was originally a model 360-12, with two pickups, but in 1966 he sent it back to the factory to have an extra pickup installed, making it a model 370-12. At the same time, the factory added a compressor, controlled by the mini-switch in the pickguard. To avoid the extra-long headstock that most twelve-strings require, Rickenbacker staggered the tuner mountings on the back and the side of the headstock. Rickenbacker also reversed the typical configuration of the octave string pairs so that the player’s downstroke hit the low string first. The result was a unique sound that made McGuinn’s opening figure on “Mr. Tambourine Man” instantly recognizable.

This guitar was stolen in 1966 at a Byrds concert at Fordham University in New York and didn’t resurface again until the statute of limitations expired. McGuinn immediately ordered another 370-12 in Mapleglo (Rickenbacker’s name for natural finish) and continued to set the standard for twelve-string guitar in rock music

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In a shot of Roger, he can be seen doing some studio work with an apparently rare Rickenbacker double neck guitar, one with 6 strings, the other with 12 strings.

In the live performance of "Eight Miles High," Roger McGuinn plays a Rickenbacker 331 "Light Show" electric guitar, as seen on RogerMcGuinnVEVO's YouTube channel.

CF Martin and Co. created a limited edition 12 String guitar to honor Roger McGuinn and can be seen performing with this guitar on Midwest Beat with Tom Lounges.

Let’s start by discussing your current stage equipment. What are you using right now?

All the guitars I use are signature models, such as the** Rickenbacker 370/12/RM**— similar to a triple pickup 370—a Martin D12-42/RM and Martin HD-7, the seven string model Martin designed with input from me. I also use a banjo that I got from Bernie Leadon, formerly of The Eagles, and in return I gave him a new Fender Mastertone banjo. It’s a combination of old Vega and Ode banjo parts. It’s one of the best banjos I’ve ever played. I took it to Pete Seeger’s house recently and he played it and gave it his stamp of approval.

In the video of The Byrds' performance of Hey Joe, McGuinn is seen now with his Rickenbacker 12 string, but rather with a Gretsch Country Gentleman. Similar to Crosby's but without the STP sticker. This may be the only footage of McGuinn with a six-string electric guitar, it is truly a rare sight.

Roger playing the Byrds acoustic version of 'Mr. Tambourine Man'

In the picture you can see Roger McGuinn playing a Martin D7 Roger McGuinn signature.

In this studio footage from the recording of "Have You Seen Her Face?", McGuinn can be seen using a Gretsch Tennessean. It can be seen throughout the video, beginning at 0:24.

In an interview for Premier Guitar, Roger recalls using his Gretsch Country Gentleman for the song (https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/roger-mcguinn-rickenbackers-martins-byrds):

I had a Gretsch Country Gentleman strung with flatwound strings that I used on 'Have You Seen Her Face'—that was The Beatles’ influence again.

However, the guitar seen in the footage of the song's recording is clearly a Tennessean, as can be seen by the white outlines around its f-holes.