By mhc (172.161.79.26 - 172.161.79.26) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 01:31 pm:

Does anyone here have a theory (or an answer) as to whether it's an acoustic or electric, and who's playing it? Thanks.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80 - 64.115.26.80) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 01:59 pm:

Marv Tauplin used a 12 string acoustic on "The Love I Saw..." This according to Harry Weinger's wonderful research for the Smokey Robinson & the Miracles boxed set.

By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 02:34 pm:

I listened to that over the weekend and it's definately accoustic 12 on the left and what sounds like a Telecaster doubling the riff on the right. I used to think that was a belated "Tambourine Man" rip...This brings to mind a related topic that may have come up before: did Marv Tarplin , as a rule, play guitar on the songs he receives a writer's credit for?
Steve K.

By AH (67.25.127.205 - 67.25.127.205) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 02:52 pm:

Not only did Marv Tarplin the Miracles' guitarist play on songs he co-wrote so did the Temptations' ex guitarist Cornelius Grant. Cornelius came up with the opening riff for "I'm Losing You" on an accoustic guitar.

You can hear practically a duet between Smokey Robinson and Marv Tarplin on the live version of "A Fork In the Road," recorded in 1965 at the 20 Grand, which was released as a bonus track on one of the Miracles two albums on one CD sets.

By mhc (172.136.224.26 - 172.136.224.26) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 03:17 pm:

Thanks for the info guys. I do think that the use of the 12 string on that tune was Motown's nod to the folk-rock thing that was so popular just then. Anyway, it sounds beautiful.

By Eli 6 strings (152.163.189.167 - 152.163.189.167) on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 05:54 pm:

In my opinion, Marv Tarplins' guitar genius was a big contributing factor to The Miracles over all sound.
As a fledgling guitarist, when Tracks Of My Tears first came out I couldn't wait to take out my guitar and try to learn that magical intro. The same with I'll Be Doggone.

By soulboy (213.105.224.5 - 213.105.224.5) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 05:33 am:

One of the songs that really impressed me was the lesser known 'one more heartache" by Marvin Gaye (also a smokey song)this song also features a byrds like guitar chime together with a country-rock guitar riff.
IMO That song is probably Marv Tarplin, although i am not sure if this was a 12 string also,either way it's really clever that someone came up with the idea of blending the 'folk rock' type of sound with R&B and soul.

By Bob Olhsson (68.32.101.228 - 68.32.101.228) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:38 am:

I remember a company-owned Fender 12 String in Studio A that might have been played by anybody. There was also a Baldwin electric harpsichord and a gorgeous acoustic harpsichord.

By mhc (172.135.201.103 - 172.135.201.103) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 09:36 am:

Oh Really?!... A Fender 12 string? Can anybody name even just one Motown song with an electric 12 string on it?

By Sue (152.163.189.167 - 152.163.189.167) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 10:09 am:

I remember "One More Heartache" was played a lot on Detroit radio anyway.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80 - 64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 10:40 am:

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' hit "Going To A Go-Go" featured Marv Tauplin (again!)playing the main riff of the song on a 12-string electric guitar (this, again, from the liner notes of the Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' boxed set). As mentioned before by MHC, this was Motown's nod to the growing folk-rock sound that was popular, especially the 12-string work of the Byrds' Roger McGuinn

By soulboy (213.105.224.5 - 213.105.224.5) on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 06:29 pm:

BOB O

The revelation about the fender 12 string confirms my belief that motown DID use 12 string guitars in the mid sixties period, they certainly were popular back then. However it is sometimes difficult to hear this clearly on record,this is because of the mix or maybe the fact that guitar parts were often 'doubled'.
other songs that almost certainly used a 12string:
wonderful baby - four tops
surfer boy - supremes
there probably many others,any suggestions???

By Eli 6 strings (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 01:37 pm:

The 12 string guitar of choice by the white bands such as the Byrds etc. was the Rickenbaker which had a very distinct timbre.
There was also a unique piece called the Belzouki devised by Vinnie Bell who devised the electric sitar and both were manufactured by Coral.
The sitar went for about $250 at the time and now fetches around $ 2000- $3000 if you can find one. Sadly, the one that we used at Sigma was heisted a while back.
It seems to me that the one used by Marv was electric based on my "sensitive studio ears"

By mhc (172.160.224.147 - 172.160.224.147) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 01:54 pm:

KevGo, thanks for the tip about "Going to a Go Go". I never realized for all these years that it was a 12 string, but I checked it out last might and it clearly is. You can really hear the Fender 12 string sound when the riff stops and he plays those accented chords with the horn section.

By Bob Olhsson (68.32.101.228 - 68.32.101.228) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 03:51 pm:

It was an acoustic 12 string.

By soulboy (213.105.224.5 - 213.105.224.5) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 06:03 pm:

Does anyone know what they used on 'the look on love' by gladys knight and the pips, this sure sounds like a 12 string. was this electric or acoustic??
When talking about 12 string guitars people may or may not be aware that the way the strings are configured on the Rickenbacker 12 is totally different to the traditional 12 string acoustic,in that the high-low strings are reversed,this gives the rickenbacker an even more distinct sound.
As Eli said, many rock bands of that era tried to emulate the byrds sound simply by using 12 string guitars of any description, but what made their sound so special was that the engineers at columbia used studio compression together with treble boosters.

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Saturday, September 14, 2002 - 11:52 am:

Hello everyone. I had my own 12 string acoustic and used it on sessions here in Detroit and in LA.

Dennis Coffey