RIP Rick Turner. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago when he came to perform at an open mic I used to host. Afterward, we talked for hours and he told me all about making that guitar for Lindsey.
Even more amazing to me how few people even know who he is. Even amongst my musician friends I'm utterly confounded that so many are ignorant to how bad ass he is.
As Rick's son, when he passed away this last Easter, I've been finding myself watching more and more of these videos. Probably, to get to know him a bit better. I'm blown away by these comments. Thank you all for loving my dad. He was a genius.
Holy crap! Thanks so much for doing this. I was going through high school when Tango in the Night came out and that guitar was in the videos and I thought "That guitar looks stupid. That doesn't look like a bad ass guitar." But after this demonstration, this totally changed my view on it. It's an engineering piece of art.
The strap button is there to simulate a lowered stop tail. This was done to increase the tension/feel on the higher strings when bending. Pretty cool idea.
What a great video to stumble on. Such a great guitar with it's well known history. I'm writing this from our office in Sausalito. We're a mile away from where the closed down Record Plant is located. And as most everyone knows, one of the studio's used for the Rumors album.
A very special instrument! Would love to get my hands on one of those. Sure to inspire. Lindsey Buckingham a man with a style all his own. Few musicians out there can say that. Love all is work! And his musical taste.
Rick Turner's a friend of mine (straight up), and I still have the very first Renaissance ever made, which he customized for me (GR-ready). So we're sitting around the shop, and I was playing on a Model 1. The hummer can rotate in the faux soundhole, ya know, a few degrees one way or the other. I ask Rick the purpose of the rotating hummer. He says, "Man, it's just a gimmick I dreamed up... but it's a cool gimmick." Genius luthier by any standard.
I was actually going to mention the rotating pup. I wasn't sure if this was a feature of the prototype, but I knew the later iterations had it. The way I heard it, it was for even more tonal flexibility. If you rotate it it either accentuates the bass or treble frequencies depending on the direction. Sort of like EVH having the cocked pup in his Frankenstrat.
Such an iconic Guitar! I remember watching Lindsey rocking out on this thing finger picking and strumming like crazy! Drove me nuts trying to figure out how it sounds like he playing 2 guitars at once! So awesome!
The close up of John's hands when he first started playing the slide just changed slide guitar for me. I've never thought of playing behind the slide like John does in this video, a testament to how talented he is at guitar.
I remember Grant Lee Philips from Grant Lee Buffalo using one of these as his main axe back in the mid 90's. He used to achieve some really jaw dropping dynamics shifts when he swapped between clean acoustic and dirty electric tones.
That's actually a very pleasant looking guitar. Not regular pretty like a Gibson or a fender or even a Gretsch, it's got its own thing, but aesthetically it ticks all the right points.
I've had one of the original run (a 1980) since the mid 80's purchased at Leo's Music in Oakland. I'm the original owner. Mine is a 2-pickup model, which has a rotary pickup selector on the upper bout. The piezo wasn't added until much later (maybe 2000?). The other pickup was fixed and just in front of the bridge. I"m surprised that he didn't mention that the neck pickup rotates (the entire "soundhole" plate rotates) - maybe it's fixed on Lindsey's guitar. It makes a huge difference in the sound - when the pickup is rotated it's somewhat acoustic sounding. On a stock Model 1 from back in the day, the output jack was front-facing in one of the filled holes. Not sure what the other hole in the top was. And the metal button on the body underneath the neck is the original (weird) location of the strap button. I also had two of the Model 1 basses from the original run (I understand there were only a dozen or so made), but one was stolen. Amazing instruments, as are the new ones.
I remember years ago watching a documentary on PBS about this particular guitar being built. Still kinda amused that Buckingham is the only one I've ever seen play this guitar.
Great video! I've always been fascinated with this guitar. BTW, it is nice to hear someone on UA-cam who actually knows how to pronounce "piezo" correctly!
Its actually cool to see this guy play. I have always seen him do the rig rundowns and always wondered. I am sure there are many other vids that (John) plays on but this is the 1st one I have seen. Cool out yo!
There's a clip of Fleetwood Mac on Midnight Special in 1976 and he's playing a Strat and using a pick. At one point a cameraman was shooting him from below where the guitar body and Lindsay's hands are in the foreground and close up and you can clearly see a pick.
Wow!! I nearly missed out on this when I saw the intro pic, thought it probably wasn't my thing. What a wonderful instrument. Should it be taken on by a manufacturer & mass produced? Yep!!
Turner described the development of this guitar being prompted by the fact that he was urging Lindsey and John McVie to take up Alembic instruments where Turner had a large stake in. McVie eagerly obliged but Lindsey declined because in his opinion the Alembic guitars sounded "Too sterile" and didn't have that power he got from his Les Paul and his souped up Fender strats and teles which had Alembic "Stratoblaster" pre-amps fitted. (To give you an example on just HOW powerful Lindsey liked his sound to be, Turner said that fitting those pre-amps fried Lindsey's Hiwatt stacks on a nightly basis.) Anyway, Lindsey requested a guitar which would have the power of a Les Paul and the Clarity of a Fender and to achieve this Turner looked at a Les Paul Junior since those are well known tone machines and worked out what that guitar had which an Alembic had not. And came to the conclusion that it was the Alembic's "Hippie Sandwich" construction of layered wood which killed the natural harmonics of the instrument. So he made Lindsey a guitar which had a one piece mahogany body, the favored Alembic pre-amp and a pickup in the spot where a Stratocaster's middle pickup would be. Needless to say, he got it right! Because Lindsey told his crew that the Les Pauls and the Fenders could be left at home, the Turner gave him all he needed.
@@mrtyreus0 Aaannddd.... There is a FANTASTIC YT video around somewhere about the biography of Rick Turner.....I do believe this guitar and its virtues/history are explained in it!
I love demos where people can actually play and be versatile. Also, I don't know if this one does but the ones Buckingham uses now allow for the pickup to be easily angled in anyway you want like a tele or strat or even more customed.
You don't prefer them to show off the features and then go on to "Now here's a little blues boxing and dad rock soloing with a distortion/overdrive pedal to mask the tone"
This guitar is now for sale at Heartbreaker Guitars. Also of today, Dec 12 2018 the guitar is available through Heartbreaker Guitars.. Call us for info.
2009-10? NAMM Rick let me play this exact guitar. He did say it was set up for Lindsay. It was a bit on the heavy side. But the frets and neck matched the response of the turning pickup. The ergonomics were the best I’ve ever felt. A beautiful work of art. Bravo RT👍🏽
I can't tell you how many videos I've seen attempting to impress the viewer with the range of sounds out of one guitar. This blows them all away; it literally sounded like 4 very different guitars.
The Piezio is a cool function as long as you can have a separate volume and tone for it to blend in to any other pup or pups. If you don't have it that way its useless! You need it for just enough of it coming through to get a little high end clarity of the acoustic sound. And that blend changes from room to room and the room filling up. You need a blend knob or separate volume knob. A blend knob needs a master volume.
That is one beautiful guitar. And amazing how versatile the sound ia. Of course, it helps a lot that you obviously know how to play. Great demonstration!
One of them. And what's sad is we could have this and more if Fender and Gibson put their minds to it. Or any other big maker who just shits out vintage things.
@@robjgolde3221 The red special really stands out in that regard. With the phase-switches and treble bleed installed from the get-go. Super modern and innovative.
In "Rolling Stone", Lindsey Buckingham ranked on 100 of 100, 96 (ninety-six) below Keith Richards. This IS underrated, period.
To be fair - and I agree, he's ridiculously good - but he's not even the best guitarist Fleetwood Mac had
RIP Rick Turner. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago when he came to perform at an open mic I used to host. Afterward, we talked for hours and he told me all about making that guitar for Lindsey.
It always kills me how Buckingham is most always left off best guitarist lists.
WITH you on that. He is the reason I do not play with a pic- that and the high cost of pics...
Pure jealousy, nuff said.
This guy really knows his way around a guitar.
DigitalDream Door and a few website actually listed him on top 100 guitarist
Even more amazing to me how few people even know who he is. Even amongst my musician friends I'm utterly confounded that so many are ignorant to how bad ass he is.
This has to be one of the coolest guitars ever presented on this channel
I think you are spot on Bryan... so cool!!
I agree, Cool looking/sounding guitar
An amazing progression of the electric guitar. Such a versatile instrument.
As Rick's son, when he passed away this last Easter, I've been finding myself watching more and more of these videos. Probably, to get to know him a bit better. I'm blown away by these comments. Thank you all for loving my dad. He was a genius.
@@bretturner3178 genius is an understatement. hang in brother...
It’s the perfectly unique guitar for such a unique player as Buckingham.
Lindsey Buckingham is my favorite guitarist for years now.
I’m convinced that he is the GOAT... not many people can do what he does
@@zodspeed hard to be the goat when your not even the best fleetwood mac guitarist
jaash5 Peter green is not even close to Buckingham 😂😂😂
@@zodspeed lol
@@jaash5i disagree! Lindsey and Peter Green are equally talented guitarists.
Holy crap! Thanks so much for doing this. I was going through high school when Tango in the Night came out and that guitar was in the videos and I thought "That guitar looks stupid. That doesn't look like a bad ass guitar." But after this demonstration, this totally changed my view on it. It's an engineering piece of art.
This has long been my all time dream guitar.
Man, PG is so lucky to have John on their staff! By far my favorite music demo/interview guy on UA-cam.
John is a class act. From the moment we asked if he would review the guitar he was so gracious. Great dude!
jsmallsawe what! Woo!
He truly is a prize among musicians and a good man among Humankind. Here's to John!
He is the best always comes off very genuine and real
He's a celebrity in his own right - great knowledge, enthusiasm, and incredibly smart! He is a really great resource for PG without a doubt!
Playing Lindsey's guitar with a pick? Wait, that's illegal.
Ak Wilson AHAHAHAH
It's worse than that, man. Playing MARK KNOPFLER on Lindsay Buckingham's guitar, with a pick!
Awww come on guys don’t be too PICKY AAAAHAHAHHAHAHA
@@MariCornell that was good lol
John, thanks for the demo. We got goose bumps the moment we opened the case!! Fantastic job!
Joe Bryant it’s been sold.
The strap button is there to simulate a lowered stop tail. This was done to increase the tension/feel on the higher strings when bending. Pretty cool idea.
What a great video to stumble on. Such a great guitar with it's well known history. I'm writing this from our office in Sausalito. We're a mile away from where the closed down Record Plant is located. And as most everyone knows, one of the studio's used for the Rumors album.
don't forget that you can rotate the pickup!
A very special instrument! Would love to get my hands on one of those. Sure to inspire. Lindsey Buckingham a man with a style all his own. Few musicians out there can say that. Love all is work! And his musical taste.
agreed
This guy is a legend. Great interviewer, great gear nerd, great presenter, and to top it off a bloody awesome guitar player
Simply the best blues/ jazz guitar ever! Quality and clarity in one. Amazing! Want one! Worth every penny!
Well wasn’t this just awesome! Damn, John. You did justice to playing that beautiful guitar. Always love to listen to you play.
Great tour, John! Nice playing-- you really show the versatility of that amazing axe.
Keep 'em comin'!!
Really this is the diverse guitar I NEED
It sounds amazing. I usually don't like active pickups, they just sound processed and sterile to me, but this one doesn't have any trace of that.
That's because the pick up ISN'T active! This is more like a bass set up!
Or it has some sort of voltage mod.
I doubt it. Just an active tone circuit.
Isn't active... is a passive pickup
But with an active tone control...
Rick Turner's a friend of mine (straight up), and I still have the very first Renaissance ever made, which he customized for me (GR-ready). So we're sitting around the shop, and I was playing on a Model 1. The hummer can rotate in the faux soundhole, ya know, a few degrees one way or the other. I ask Rick the purpose of the rotating hummer. He says, "Man, it's just a gimmick I dreamed up... but it's a cool gimmick." Genius luthier by any standard.
Lindsey Buckingham love this guitar to death
Rotating hummer? I got one of those last night.
Jeff Foster good story!
I was actually going to mention the rotating pup. I wasn't sure if this was a feature of the prototype, but I knew the later iterations had it. The way I heard it, it was for even more tonal flexibility. If you rotate it it either accentuates the bass or treble frequencies depending on the direction. Sort of like EVH having the cocked pup in his Frankenstrat.
Cool story, bro
Such an iconic Guitar! I remember watching Lindsey rocking out on this thing finger picking and strumming like crazy! Drove me nuts trying to figure out how it sounds like he playing 2 guitars at once! So awesome!
Great job as usual, John! Knowledgable, interesting.... Thanks for doing these reviews and rig rundowns!
I have an Alembic. Turner came out of that shop. Very similar construction techniques with amazing tones.
The close up of John's hands when he first started playing the slide just changed slide guitar for me. I've never thought of playing behind the slide like John does in this video, a testament to how talented he is at guitar.
I hadn't even noticed that, good spot!
I hear ya !
I noticed that too, I am definitely going to give it a try this week!
Check out Sonny Landreth....if you're interested in that way of playing!
I remember Grant Lee Philips from Grant Lee Buffalo using one of these as his main axe back in the mid 90's. He used to achieve some really jaw dropping dynamics shifts when he swapped between clean acoustic and dirty electric tones.
Oh, great knowledge. GLB were awesome.
I always loved that guitars sound and look. It reminds me of Brian Mays guitar. Handmade with incredible tones.
Definitely one of the most unique guitars in rock! Thanks John!
This is the only "one" guitar I would want to have forever. Thanks for sharing.
It has been for sale recently
Great demo of this multi-versatile guitar ,played by the great Lindsey Buckingham.... what an amazing guitar
Woo hoo! Amazing guitar, and great demo. It's an awesome piece of history for sure
Sounds incredible! Sick guitar and great playing.
That's a great guitar and beautifully demonstrated John......I wish I could afford one....😢
Hats off to John, for a great demo and some tasty playing. What a cool instrument! Lindsey Buckingham was both an incredible player and a trailblazer.
Such incredible tones and beautiful playing from JB as always
I never cared for the looks of this guitar but after this demonstration who cares what it looks like. What an amazing tone machine.
That's actually a very pleasant looking guitar. Not regular pretty like a Gibson or a fender or even a Gretsch, it's got its own thing, but aesthetically it ticks all the right points.
I never liked the look of it either
@@sandrosadhukhan I like its looks...
I think it is absolutely beautiful.. the one guitar I have always wanted!
Rainbow colors is what it needs
Genius......I like that guitar even more now.......Thanks for doing this.... its appreciated
What a sweet guitar. It is a work of art. No wonder Lindsey used it for so long.
Cool axe.... nice Sultans jam too!
That's a beauty with incredible tone along with some tasty chops! Great video!
I've had one of the original run (a 1980) since the mid 80's purchased at Leo's Music in Oakland. I'm the original owner.
Mine is a 2-pickup model, which has a rotary pickup selector on the upper bout. The piezo wasn't added until much later (maybe 2000?). The other pickup was fixed and just in front of the bridge. I"m surprised that he didn't mention that the neck pickup rotates (the entire "soundhole" plate rotates) - maybe it's fixed on Lindsey's guitar. It makes a huge difference in the sound - when the pickup is rotated it's somewhat acoustic sounding. On a stock Model 1 from back in the day, the output jack was front-facing in one of the filled holes. Not sure what the other hole in the top was. And the metal button on the body underneath the neck is the original (weird) location of the strap button.
I also had two of the Model 1 basses from the original run (I understand there were only a dozen or so made), but one was stolen.
Amazing instruments, as are the new ones.
Fascinating. :)
They should pin your comment. Lots of great detail in there.
Great to actually hear you play John. I have enjoyed watching your rig rundown.
HEY JOHN!!!!! You are kicking butt in nashville, very proud of you, this video is tops too!
I've owned a couple of these... Great guitars and extremely versatile...
Oh damn! I love this! I would love a reissued version of this guitar. Absolutely iconic!
I remember years ago watching a documentary on PBS about this particular guitar being built. Still kinda amused that Buckingham is the only one I've ever seen play this guitar.
Great video! I've always been fascinated with this guitar. BTW, it is nice to hear someone on UA-cam who actually knows how to pronounce "piezo" correctly!
Actually it's pronounced pee - ay - zo. At least that is the accepted pronunciation in most dictionaries of this Greek word.
Its actually cool to see this guy play. I have always seen him do the rig rundowns and always wondered. I am sure there are many other vids that (John) plays on but this is the 1st one I have seen. Cool out yo!
interesting to hear how Lindsey's guitar sounds with a pick. Lindsey always plays that guitar fingerstyle / without a pick as far as i know.
Not in studio... check songs like "Everywhere"... is weird, but he uses picks sometimes
There's a clip of Fleetwood Mac on Midnight Special in 1976 and he's playing a Strat and using a pick. At one point a cameraman was shooting him from below where the guitar body and Lindsay's hands are in the foreground and close up and you can clearly see a pick.
That’s a brilliant demonstration of this guitar. Great playing....
It really, really does not get much cooler than that!
Gotta agree with you Brian W!!
Great show.very interesting peice.sounds of class!thanks so much.
Got to agree Vernon
John....I stole one of your blues turnarounds....it is my repertoire now. 🎸😎
John Stitt Well, you share the same name, so fair enough! 😁
Emily Liberty
Wow!! I nearly missed out on this when I saw the intro pic, thought it probably wasn't my thing. What a wonderful instrument. Should it be taken on by a manufacturer & mass produced? Yep!!
Rick is still building them to this day.
If you look up 'Rick Turner Model' guitar, you'll see there are some out there.
Great review/demo of a great guitar by an excellent musician and amenable person. Thanks! I want one now!
Now thats an interesting guitar
It sure is
That particular guitar is very special 😍
Turner described the development of this guitar being prompted by the fact that he was urging Lindsey and John McVie to take up Alembic instruments where Turner had a large stake in. McVie eagerly obliged but Lindsey declined because in his opinion the Alembic guitars sounded "Too sterile" and didn't have that power he got from his Les Paul and his souped up Fender strats and teles which had Alembic "Stratoblaster" pre-amps fitted. (To give you an example on just HOW powerful Lindsey liked his sound to be, Turner said that fitting those pre-amps fried Lindsey's Hiwatt stacks on a nightly basis.)
Anyway, Lindsey requested a guitar which would have the power of a Les Paul and the Clarity of a Fender and to achieve this Turner looked at a Les Paul Junior since those are well known tone machines and worked out what that guitar had which an Alembic had not. And came to the conclusion that it was the Alembic's "Hippie Sandwich" construction of layered wood which killed the natural harmonics of the instrument.
So he made Lindsey a guitar which had a one piece mahogany body, the favored Alembic pre-amp and a pickup in the spot where a Stratocaster's middle pickup would be. Needless to say, he got it right! Because Lindsey told his crew that the Les Pauls and the Fenders could be left at home, the Turner gave him all he needed.
Incredible story, how do you know all this? Is there a book I can read?
It all can be found on Rick Turner's website.
@@mrtyreus0 Aaannddd.... There is a FANTASTIC YT video around somewhere about the biography of Rick Turner.....I do believe this guitar and its virtues/history are explained in it!
Excellent demonstration. Dude, you can play! Thanks.
Wow oh awesome guitar 🎸
Amazing guitar!
I love demos where people can actually play and be versatile. Also, I don't know if this one does but the ones Buckingham uses now allow for the pickup to be easily angled in anyway you want like a tele or strat or even more customed.
You don't prefer them to show off the features and then go on to "Now here's a little blues boxing and dad rock soloing with a distortion/overdrive pedal to mask the tone"
John, Demo...nothing but net...description very good. Thank you
This guitar is now for sale at Heartbreaker Guitars. Also of today, Dec 12 2018 the guitar is available through Heartbreaker Guitars.. Call us for info.
2009-10? NAMM Rick let me play this exact guitar.
He did say it was set up for Lindsay. It was a bit on the heavy side. But the frets and neck matched the response of the turning pickup.
The ergonomics were the best I’ve ever felt.
A beautiful work of art.
Bravo RT👍🏽
Amazing guitar. Hell yeah!
Damn John. Your playing is awesome!!!
Such an odd guitar but very unique at the same time and it works for anything you want to play
Love the way it looks and plays
I'm waiting for Thomann to do a Harley Benton version.
FFS don`t say that, divorce imminent if that`s the case!
Hahaha excellent
@@1066wastrel lol...I feel ya...
Don't, I'm getting choked up. Just like a Harley Benton fretboard.
I don't understand people's obsession with HB's. I ordered one of their strats and the thing was a turd.
LOL whenever I want to check strat sound I also play Sultans of swing, it's like a measure od Stratiness :)
That...Lenny by SRV, the Hendrix chord..
That's interesting because it's likely that one of the two pickups Mark Knopfler used for the in between sounds was not a Fender.
I think that is the best guitar review I have seen.
Great anecdotes and great playing .
Excellent guitar playing John
WoW what guitar. The richness of the tones are phenomenal. Ya, certainly would like to play it.
The last time I saw that guitar Frankie Beverly played one way back in the 80’s. Had a nice warm tone. Now I know who designed it.😊
Great job John. Thanks for Sultan strat demo. Had no idea that one pickup setup could do all those tones.
What a unique beast! Great menu of sound choices...
Stunning guitar
Love that guitar!
I want expecting to have the coolest slide guitar demo ever. thank you.
It's a very elegant guitar.
THE GUITAR IS BEAUTIFUL. BUT JOHN What did you do to get in such amazing shape? Sign me up. You look younger and healthier than ever
He lives on only guitar mojo.
Cool guitar!
I can't tell you how many videos I've seen attempting to impress the viewer with the range of sounds out of one guitar. This blows them all away; it literally sounded like 4 very different guitars.
Unusual design, but very elegant. Awesome tone and what to say about this skillful demostration
I love this guy..He is the greatest..
John, you killed the slide on that jam man.... love it
The Piezio is a cool function as long as you can have a separate volume and tone for it to blend in to any other pup or pups. If you don't have it that way its useless! You need it for just enough of it coming through to get a little high end clarity of the acoustic sound. And that blend changes from room to room and the room filling up. You need a blend knob or separate volume knob. A blend knob needs a master volume.
Fantastic demo and amazing guitar. John is a fantastic player.
That is one beautiful guitar. And amazing how versatile the sound ia. Of course, it helps a lot that you obviously know how to play. Great demonstration!
Am I right in thinking this is possibly the most versatile electric guitar ever made ?
Cameron Rich this and Brian May’s Red Special are basically Swiss Army knife guitars.
One of them. And what's sad is we could have this and more if Fender and Gibson put their minds to it. Or any other big maker who just shits out vintage things.
You may be.
@@robjgolde3221 The red special really stands out in that regard. With the phase-switches and treble bleed installed from the get-go. Super modern and innovative.
No string Butler or over or under discussions.
Yeh, I saw a recording of a live FM show on TV back in like 78 or 79 and LB rocked that guitar so hard I never forgot...
Awesome axe. Love the sound.
WOW Some hidden taleny there!!Thanks I always wondered about that guitar
Beautiful sounding guitar! Only other person I’ve seen play that guitar was Frankie Beverly of Maze. I like the demo!
That guitar is a work of art!
What a gorgeous guitar - that sound!! Just divine 😁
Emily Liberty
Holy all-in-one guitar Batman!
Hey man that’s a beautiful guitar, Lindsey makes it sing , you your self are a great guitarist too man , your a great gut ,love your your vids.