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BYRDS FAQ LIST
Frequently Asked Questions
Archive-name: BYRDS_FAQ 4.2.7
Last modified: 01/24/2012
Copyright © 2012, Roger McGuinn
Compiled and Edited by Roger McGuinn,

http://mcguinn.com/
May be posted to other networks and individual systems provided it is
not edited or modified in any form.

DESTROY ALL PREVIOUS EDITIONS
Roger McGuinn


Contents:

Who are the Byrds?
What were their musical backgrounds?
How and when did they get together?
How did the Byrds get their name?
What instruments did they play?
Did Gene Clark actually play any guitar in the Byrds?
What record company did they record for?
What songs did they make popular?
Who were the session musicians on their first hit single?
Who got a No. 1 hit with an electric version of a Dylan composition first, the Byrds or Bob Dylan?
How did the Byrds get their sound?
Did the Byrds meet the Beatles, and who wore those funny little glasses first?
Did the Byrds work with Bob Dylan?
Why did Jim McGuinn change his name to Roger?
Is that the same McGuinn as in "McGuinn & McGuire still gettin' higher?"
Is there a Roger McGuinn Bio?
Were the Byrds one of the first bands
to use a Moog synthesizer in rock music?
Why did they have so many personnel changes?
Why did McGuinn stop using the name the Byrds?
Did the Byrds have a lasting influence on pop music?
What's on the Boxed Set and does it sound better than earlier CDs?
What's on the 20-bit Byrds reissues?
Were the Byrds inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Are there any Byrds video's available?
Are there any books on their work?
Is there a permanent home for this FAQ?
Can other Byrds references be found on the Internet?
What are the former members of the Byrds doing now?
Will Sony / Legacy reissue the rest of the  Byrds CDs?
What kind of amps are best to use with a Rickenbacker 12-string?
Is there an outboard compressor that sounds as good as the
one in the Roger McGuinn 370/12/RM model 12-string?
What are the best strings and gauges to use on a Rickenbacker 12-string?


Who are the Byrds?

The Byrds were a pop music group that started in Los Angeles. They were: Jim McGuinn, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke.

What were their musical backgrounds?

McGuinn had been an accompanist for the Limeliters, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Bobby Darin (recorded as the City Surfers with Darin) and musical director for Judy Collins' third album before forming the Byrds with Clark and Crosby. 

Gene Clark had been a member of the New Christy Minstrels. 

David Crosby had been a member of Les Baxtre's Balladeers. 

Chris Hillman had been a member of the Hillmen. 

Michael Clarke had been a conga player in San Francisco

How and when did they get together?
 
 

The Byrds formed in 1964. Jim McGuinn was doing a solo act at the Troubadour folk club in L.A. 

Gene Clark, who had just left a folk group called the New Christy Minstrels, was in the audience and liked the combination of folk and rock that McGuinn was playing. After the show they discussed writing some songs together. 

The next day they finished some songs and were playing them in the front room of the Troubadour. 

They liked the sound they were creating but when David Crosby walked in and began singing a wonderful high harmony part, it was magical. 

McGuinn had met Crosby before and wasn't sure he wanted to work with him but when David said he had a friend who had a recording studio they could use free of charge, McGuinn had no objections. 

Crosby's friend was Jim Dickson, a producer at World Pacific Studios on Third Street. Dickson would let the trio record late every night on some old tape that wasn't good enough to use for a record but was fine for rehearsal. 

Dickson promptly became their manager. They called themselves the Jet Set but when Elektra Records signed them, their name was changed to the Beefeaters. The Elektra single "Please Let Me Love You" wasn't a hit, so Dickson suggested that they get a bass player and a drummer. 

Dickson invited Chris Hillman, a bluegrass mandolin player, to the studio to audition as bass player. Chris was such a good musician that he was able to learn the bass quickly. 

Crosby and McGuinn were standing in front of the Troubadour when they spotted a man coming toward them who looked like a combination of two of the members of the Rolling Stones. Michael Clarke was hired on the spot for just looking the part. Clarke didn't know how to play the drums but that didn't matter. 

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How did the Byrds get their name?
 
 

The band was having Thanksgiving dinner at Ed Tickner's house. Ed was Jim Dickson's partner in management. They all tried coming up with new names for the band. Gene Clark offered "The Birdsies." 

Nobody liked that name and Ed said, "How about the Birds? 

"Birds" was slang in England for girls at the time and the band didn't want to be called "the Girls." 

Tickner asked, "What if you changed the spelling? How about B-U-R-D-S?" 

Everyone hated that one. 

Then McGuinn came up with B-Y-R-D-S. 

Dickson loved it because it had the magic "B" sound as in Beatles and Bobby. He thought little girls liked the "B" names because they felt less threatened by them. So the group was called "the Byrds”. 

What instruments did they play?
 
 

The Byrds were a folk based band. McGuinn, Crosby and Clark all played 12-string acoustic guitars. Hillman was learning on a cheap Japanese bass. Michael didn't have a drum kit, so he learned on a set of cardboard boxes with a tambourine taped to the top. He did have real drum sticks. 

The first practice recordings they made sounded very primitive. Dickson decided to get a loan so that the band could get some real instruments. 

They all went to see the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night," and studied the instruments the Beatles were using. With a borrowed $5000.00 and with the trade-in of McGuinn's banjo and guitar they bought a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, a Gretsch 6-string guitar, a Gibson bass, a set of Ludwig drums and three small Epiphone amplifiers. 

They also got some black suits with velvet collars just like their heroes the Beatles. 

Did Gene Clark actually play any guitar in the Byrds?
 
 

Before Hillman arrived, Gene was to have been the rhythm guitar player and Crosby was to have played bass. But David found that playing bass and singing at the same time was rather like rubbing your head in one direction and your stomach in another. 

Crosby convinced Gene Clark to give up his guitar and play the tambourine. From that point on Gene didn't play much guitar in the Byrds. 

What record company did they record for?
 
 

Thanks to intervention by Jazz man, Miles Davis, the Byrds signed a contract with Columbia Records to record one single. If the single was not a success, they would be back on the street. 

What songs did the Byrds make popular?
 
 

Dickson had heard of a Bob Dylan song that Dylan wasn't going to use on his next record because someone was singing out of tune on the track. The song was a folk style tune in 2/4 time with four verses. It ran about five minutes long. 

Dickson made the Byrds line up in front of the studio monitor and listen to "Mr. Tambourine Man.

Crosby said, "I don't like it man! It's too folksy with that 2/4 time and all those verses. Radio will never play a song like that!" 

David was right. Radio wanted what sounded like Beatles' songs and had a strict time limit of two minutes and thirty seconds for a single record. 

McGuinn had an idea for a new arrangement. He added a Bach-like intro on his Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and changed the time signature to 4/4 time like a Beatles' song. Then they all auditioned for the lead vocal part. 

First Gene sang it, then David and finally McGuinn. 

Dickson liked the way McGuinn sounded on the lead and gave him the part. 

McGuinn also suggested that they use only one verse to cut down the overall length of the song. They picked the verse with "Boot heels wandering." Because it reminded them of "Beat poet," Jack Kerouac. 

They recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man" in the winter of '65 at Columbia's studio "A," in Hollywood. The record sounded good but Columbia wasn't sure that it would be
able to compete with the other releases scheduled for that season, so the tape sat in the box for what seemed like an eternity. Then on June 5, 1965, "Mr. Tambourine Man" was released. By June 26, 1965 it had climbed to the number one spot on Billboard's top 40 charts. 

After that the Byrds were allowed to record more singles and albums. They had hits with "All I Really Want To Do," released August 21, 1965 and "Turn Turn Turn," released November 6, 1965. By December 4, 1965, Turn Turn Turn reached number one on the Billboard top 40 charts, where it remained for three weeks. 

Then there were hits with, "Eight Miles High," released April 30, 1966, "Mr. Spaceman," released October 22, 1966 "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star," released February 18,1967 and "My Back Pages," released April 29,1967

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Who were the session musicians on their first hit single?
 
 

The first session for "Mr. Tambourine Man" was too important to leave to the musical skills of this fledgling band. Terry Melcher the producer (Doris Day's son) hired the hit-making "Wrecking Crew" to play the band track for the song. Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on Bass Jerry Cole, and Bill Pitman on electric guitar, Leon Russell on electric piano. Jim McGuinn was the only Byrd allowed to play on the session. He played his Rickenbacker electric 12-string.

 (See contract)

After the first single, the Byrds played on all their own tracks.

Who got a No. 1 hit with an electric version of a Dylan
composition first, the Byrds or Bob Dylan?
 
 

The Byrds were the first to get a hit by rearranging (from 2/4 to 4/4 time)  a Dylan written song "Mr. Tambourine Man," and recording it with Rickenbacker electric 12-string guitar, electric  piano, electric rhythm guitars,  bass, and drums. This, then unknown folk flavored song, was recorded by the Byrds in January of 1965, (see contract) and had reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts before Dylan shocked the folk community later that year by plugging in at the Newport Folk festival.

This article is in the Byrds FAQ to correct the ubiquitous misconception that the Byrds followed Dylan's lead in mixing elements of Folk and Rock.  The timing was close, but the Byrds were first. 

There was clearly something in the air in the mid 60s regarding the mixing of  genres; The Animals had gotten a No. 1 hit with "The House Of  The Rising Sun" on August 15,  1964, and even though the song had been on a Dylan album, it was a public domain Blues. Blues had long been a staple of rock music.

Some will say that Dylan recorded with electric instruments in 1962. But this was a failed experiment by Columbia Records, and not a true change in his musical direction, as evidenced by Dylan's complete return to acoustic folk oriented music in its wake.

How did the Byrds get their sound?
 
 

The Byrds sound came about naturally. First there was the blend of folk and rock styles. Then there were the harmonies. Crosby was largely responsible for the innovative combination of fourth and fifth high harmony parts. Clark and McGuinn sang in unison. 

The guitar sound was a blend of Gretsch 6-string and Rickenbacker 12-string parts with an occasional acoustic guitar in the background. 

At first the Rickenbacker didn't have the sound the Byrds were looking for. One of the engineers at Columbia came up with the idea of recording the guitar directly through the board and not through an amplifier, using tube type electronic compressors, in series, to sustain the guitar sound and give it an even quality. 

That direct, compressed 12-string guitar sound combined with Crosby's unusual harmonies made the Byrds recordings sound distinctive and different. 

Did the Byrds meet the Beatles, and who wore those funny
little glasses first?
 
 

The Byrds met the Beatles in England while on a tour in July of 1965. Derek Taylor had been the Beatles press secretary and was now working in that capacity for the Byrds. Derek arranged the meeting to take place after a show at "Blazes," a club in London. Only John, George and Ringo were there. 

John was immediately, extremely interested in Jim McGuinn's little rectangular sun glasses. He liked them so much that he began wearing a round version, later, himself. Lennon had been nearsighted and these new glasses gave him a way to see the audience from the stage for the first time. 

The Beatles also invited the Byrds to visit them at their house in Los Angeles in 1966 and they maintained an ongoing correspondence, through Derek Taylor, for many years. 

Did the Byrds ever work with Bob Dylan?
 
 

No. The Byrds and Dylan never worked together. At one time there were plans to record an album together in New York but due to lack of communication, the Byrds flew back to Los Angeles and the project was never begun. 

Dylan did get on stage and sang a few songs with the Byrds in 1965 at "Ciro's," a Los Angeles club. The picture of that event is on the back cover of the "Mr. Tambourine Man" album. Dylan also gave his approval to the Byrds doing his material. 

Why did Jim McGuinn change his name to Roger?
 
 

Jim was born James Joseph McGuinn III. He changed his name in 1967 because a guru in Indonesia said that a new name would vibrate better with the universe. The guru sent Jim the letter "R" and asked him to send back ten names starting with that letter. 

Because Jim was into gadgets and Sci-Fi, he sent names like "Rocket" and "Ramjet." 

He included the name Roger only because they use it for radio messages to indicate "OKAY." 

Roger was the only "real" name in the bunch and the guru picked it. Jim only changed his middle name from Joseph to Roger but used Roger as a stage name. 

As far as the vibrating with the universe ... he didn't notice any change and would have changed his name back to Jim (which he liked) but that would have been too confusing. 

A study of the '60s would help you to understand all this. <G> 

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Is that the same McGuinn as in "McGuinn & McGuire still
gettin' higher?"
 
 

Yes. John Phillips and McGuinn were both living at the Earl Hotel in Greenwich Village, where they had frequent jam sessions with other folk musicians on the scene. Barry McGuire would join them occasionally when he was in New York on tour with the New Christy Minstrels. 

Then when McGuinn went to California and got a hit with the Byrds and Barry McGuire had a number one hit in L.A. with "Eve of Destruction," Phillips was still in New York, struggling to put the Mama's and Papa's together. 

John wrote the song "Creeque Alley" based on their experiences during that time. 

Is there a Roger McGuinn Bio?
 
 

PRESS PHOTOS

Roger McGuinn was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991 for his innovative work with the influential folk/rock band The Byrds. 

His Hollywood Records release "Live From Mars," embodies acoustic versions of the rock anthems: "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Turn Turn Turn," "Eight Miles High," "Mr. Spaceman," "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star," and "Heartbreak Hotel." This album not only chronicles his career in the music business, the history of the Byrds, but also the history of music for the last 40 years! As an extra treat, "Live From Mars" features two new studio band tracks recorded with former members of the Minneapolis based band the Jayhawks. 

While recording in Minneapolis, McGuinn visited the Mystery Science Theater 3000 set, and invited robot, Tom Servo (Kevin Murphy) to write the liner notes, and to appear on the album cover. 

Roger McGuinn was born James Joseph McGuinn III in Chicago in 1942. The son of professional writers, he toured with them as a child, promoting their best selling book, "Parents Can't Win." A decade later he returned to Chicago where he studied at the Old Town School of Folk Music. McGuinn became a folk singing fixture within the Chicago music scene. Within a few weeks of finishing high school, McGuinn was working as accompanist for the Limeliters in California, on their album, "Tonight In Person." McGuinn's 12-string guitar and 5-string banjo playing are also evident on the Chad Mitchell Trio's albums, "Mighty Day On Campus," and "Live At The Bitter End." 

After touring for two years with singer Bobby Darin, McGuinn moved to New York where he worked in the fabled Brill Building, as a song writer. He co-wrote and performed with Darin as the "City Surfers" on a very rare surf single, "Beach Ball," released on Capitol Records in July of 1963. 

McGuinn fronted the Byrds from 1964 until 1973 when he began his solo career. He recorded five albums for Columbia Records, and then re-joined Clark and Hillman for three albums on Capitol. 

In 1981 he began his Jack Kerouac inspired adventure, and went on the road with his acoustic guitar. By 1990 McGuinn was back in the studio producing "Back From Rio." 

The first single, "King Of The Hill," co-written with long time friend Tom Petty soared to number one on the rock charts. That song is also included in acoustic form on "Live From Mars." 

When asked about his future plans, McGuinn replies, "Andres Segovia continued performing all his life. That's what I plan to do." 

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   DISCOGRAPHY
 
 
 WITH THE BYRDS:
 
 
        Preflyte                                Asylum
        Mr. Tambourine Man                      Columbia
        Turn Turn Turn                          Columbia
        Fifth Dimension                         Columbia
        Younger Than Yesterday                  Columbia
        The Notorious Byrd Brothers             Columbia
        Sweetheart of the Rodeo                 Columbia
        Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde                  Columbia
        The Ballad of Easy Rider                Columbia
        Untitled                                Columbia
        Byrdmaniax                              Columbia
        Farther Along                           Columbia
      Byrds                                   Asylum
        The Byrds Play Dylan                    Columbia
                 Byrds Boxed Set                         Columbia / Legacy
 
 POST BYRDS AND SOLO LP'S:
 
 
        Roger McGuinn                           Columbia
        Peace On You                            Columbia
        Roger McGuinn and Band                  Columbia
        Cardiff Rose                            Columbia
        Thunderbyrd                             Columbia
      Back From Rio                           Arista
               Born To Rock And Roll                   Columbia\Legacy
         Live From Mars                          Hollywood
         Treasures From The Folk Den             Appleseed
                                Limited Edition                         April First Productions          
 
 McGuinn, CLARK AND HILLMAN:
 
 
        McGuinn, Clark & Hillman                Capitol
        City                                    Capitol
        McGuinn/Hillman                         Capitol
 
        Most albums are now available on CD

Were the Byrds one of the first bands to use a Moog synthesizer
in rock music?
 
 

Yes. McGuinn started using a Moog in late 1967 for the Notorious Byrd Brothers album. Here is a list of the songs on which he used a Moog: 

Song title                                      Album number
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Artificial Energy                       CS 9575
        Natural Harmony                         CS 9575
        Wasn't Born To Follow                   CS 9575
        Space Odyssey                           CS 9575
        Child Of The Universe                   CS 9755
        Ballad Of Easy Rider                    CS 9942
        Jack Tarr The Sailor                    CS 9942
        Armstrong Aldrin And Collins            CS 9942
 
        Born To Rock 'N Roll                    SD 5058
 
        M'Linda                                 C 31946
        Draggin'                                C 31946
        Time Cube                               C 31946
 
        Circa 1967 - 1973

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Why were there so many personnel changes?
 
 

This is something that happens to most bands. Egos become inflated and band members get on each other's nerves. In the Byrds' case, Gene Clark was the first to leave. He had witnessed a fatal airplane crash as a youth and had never gotten over his fear of flying. He had a panic attack on a plane in L.A. bound for New York. Gene had to get off the plane. McGuinn told him, "You can't be a Byrd, Gene, if you can't fly." 

Dickson and Tickner had been planning to launch Gene as the next Elvis Presley. That plan never came to fruition. 

David Crosby was the next to go. He had been dissatisfied with the musicianship of McGuinn, Hillman and Clarke. He had also been interested in working with Stephen Stills. After the Monterey Pop Festival, McGuinn and Hillman confronted David and asked him to leave the group. David received a large cash settlement to give up his partnership in the Byrds. 

After that Michael Clarke quit. Hillman and McGuinn were now 50-50 partners in the Byrds. They decided to keep it that way and hired side men to play other instruments. 

The drummer they hired was Kevin Kelley, Chris Hillman's cousin. The Byrds performed as a trio for a while but felt they needed another player to round out their sound. Chris brought a musician around that he'd met at the bank. His name was Gram Parsons. 

The next album was all country and they recorded in Nashville. The album, "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo," was a breakthrough in pop music. Now more than 25 years later it is considered a classic. 

Gram quit working for the Byrds in London only nine months after Chris and Roger had hired him. 

After an ill fated tour of South Africa, Hillman quit the Byrds leaving McGuinn as sole owner and responsible for paying off a huge debt. 

McGuinn hired Clarence White and Gene Parsons (not related to Gram) as Guitar player and drummer. John York was hired to play the bass. 

This lineup lasted for a short time and John York was replaced by Skip Battin on bass. 

They continued touring and McGuinn recorded the "Untitled" album with them. 

Why did McGuinn stop using the name the Byrds?
 
 

David Crosby, having reached a high point of success with Crosby Stills and Nash, wanted to do a reunion album with the Byrds. 

David convinced all the original members to join him on Asylum Records for the project. 

Crosby was upset because McGuinn was still using the name "Byrds." David made McGuinn promise that he would not use the name "Byrds" without him. 

In 1973 after the failure of the Byrds reunion album on Asylum. McGuinn became a solo artist. 

Since then the Byrds have done several shows and recorded four new songs on the "Byrds Boxed Set." 

At this time there are no plans for another reunion. 

Did the Byrds have a lasting influence on pop music?
 
 

Yes. The sound the Byrds created with "Jingle Jangle" guitars and vocal harmonies continues to be heard in new bands all over the world, coming out of garages and onto the pop charts. 

What's on the Boxed Set and does it sound better than earlier CDs?
 
 

The Byrds Boxed Set consists of four CDs that cover the entire chronological range of the Byrds from the time of their inception to the time of their last recordings.

The CD titles are: 

WE HAVE IGNITION: 

Mr. Tambourine Man, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better, Chimes Of Freedom, She Has A Way, All I Really Want To Do, Spanish Harlem Incident, The Bells Of Rhymney, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, She Don't Care About Time, Turn Turn Turn, It Won't Be Wrong, Lay Down Your Weary Tune, He Was A Friend Of Mine, The World Turns All Around Her, The Day Walk, The Times They Are A-Changin', 5D-Fifth Dimension, I Know My Rider, Eight Miles High, Why, Psychodrama City, I See You, Hey Joe, 

CRUISING ALTITUDE: 

Mr. Spaceman, John Riley, Roll Over Beethoven, So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star, Have You Seen Her Face, My Back Pages, Time Between, It Happens Each Day, Renaissance Fair, Everybody's Been Burned, The Girl With No Name, Triad, Lady Friend, Old John Robertson, Goin' Back, Draft Morning, Wasn't Born To Follow, Dolphin's Smile, Reputation, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, The Christian Life, I Am A Pilgrim, Pretty Boy Floyd, You Don't Miss Your Water, 

FULL THROTTLE: 

Hickory Wind, Nothing Was Delivered, One Hundred Years From Today, Pretty Polly, Lazy Days, This Wheel's On Fire, Nashville West, Old Blue, Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man, Bad Night At The Whiskey, Lay Lady Lay, Mae Jean Goes To Hollywood, Ballad Of Easy Rider, Oil In My Lamp, Jesus Is Just Alright, Way Beyond The Sun, Tulsa County, Deportee, Lover Of The Bayou, Willin' Black Mountain Rag, Positively 4th Street 

FINAL APPROACH: 

Chestnut Mare, Just A Season, Kathleen's Song, Truck Stop Girl, Just Like A Woman, Stanley's Song, Glory Glory, I Trust, I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician, Green Apple Quick Step, Tiffany Queen, Bugler, Lazy Waters, Farther Along, White's Lightning, (New versions of) Turn Turn Turn, Mr. Tambourine Man, He Was A Friend Of Mine, Paths Of Victory, From A Distance, Love That Never Dies 

All the old masters were transferred to a Sony 64 track digital tape machine and remixed to pull out the stereo that was not included in some of the original mixes. 

The overall sound quality of the Boxed Set is excellent! When compared to the earliest CD Byrds albums there is a drastic improvement! 

 

A new Byrds Boxed Set is also in the works!

Were the Byrds inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
 
 

Yes the Byrds were inducted in January of 1991. 

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Are there any Byrds video's available?
 
 

Time Life Video & Television J592-01 through J592-03. 

There are some good clips in TIME LIFE'S "THE HISTORY OF ROCK-N-ROLL." 
Time Life Video & Television J592-01 through J592-03. 

SHINDIG "Sixties Superstars," Rhino Home Video. (came out 3 or 4 years ago)
Performing "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better." 

THE BEST OF THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW VOL.2. Performing "Mr. Tambourine Man." 

HULLABALOO VOL. 2, MPI Home Video. Performing "The Times They Are A-Changing" (different intro and outro from LP version) Singing "Do You Believe In Magic" as part of the Top Pop segment of the program. 

'So you want to be a Rock and Roll Star' episode. This includes various clips of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, etc; but in relation to the Byrds there are interviews with Roger McGuinn, David Crosby; and also footage of 'All I really want to do' and 'I'll feel a whole lot better'.

The 12-String Guitar Of Roger McGuinn

 Guide to Home Recording on a Computer

Roger McGuinn's Basic Folk Guitar 

Easy Arrangements for Traditional Favorites from the Folk Den

 

 

There are also lots of bootleg tapes from old TV shows but nothing else on the legitimate retail market. 

Are there any books on the Byrds?
 
 

Bibliography: 
 

The Byrds, By Bud Scoppa, TX1752, Scholastic Book Service 

Timeless Flight, By John Rogan, ISBN 0 905906 30 6, Scorpion/ Dark Star 

Related material: 

Long Time Gone, By David Crosby / Carl Gottlieb, ISBN 0-385-24530-0, Doubleday 

Hickory Wind, By Ben Fong-Torres, ISBN 0-671-70513-X Pocket Books 

Gram Parsons - A Music Biography, By Sid Griffin (2nd Edition)Sierra Books ISBN 0-916003-00-0 (hardback) 0-916003-01-9 (paperback) 

 Timeless Flight Revisited,  Johnny Rogan, ISBN 0-95295-401-x,  Rogan House 

Is there a permanent home for this FAQ?
 
 

Yes: http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/mcguinn/ByrdsFAQ.html

Can other Byrds references be found on the Internet?

What are the former members of the Byrds doing now?
 
 

Gene Clark and Michael Clarke have passed away. Chris Hillman is working as an acoustic artist and has released two CDs: "Bakersfield Bound" and "Out Of The Woodwork" in the mid 90's. David Crosby continues to tour with Nash and Roger McGuinn tours as a solo acoustic artist and has just released a CD rich in Byrds-like “Jingle Jangle” called:   "Limited Edition." It’s also available at Amazon.com

<>Will Sony / Legacy reissue the rest of the Byrds CDs?

Sony / Legacy will release "Untitled," "Byrdmaniax," "Farther Along," and a new CD
"Byrds Live At The Fillmore" (Recorded in 1969). These will be available in the first half of February, 2000. All will be 24-bit Sony Super Bit Mapping CDs, with bonus tracks!

 

A new Byrds Boxed Set is also in the works.

What kind of amps are best to use with a Rickenbacker 12-string?
 

The best amp to use with a Rickenbacker 12-string is the Roland JC-120

Is there an outboard compressor that sounds as good as the one in
the Roger McGuinn 370/12RM model 12-string?
 
 

I like the sound of the JangleBox.

What are the best strings and gauges to use on a Rickenbacker 12-string?

Pyramid Gold The Ultimate 12-String Set. Pure Nickel Flat Wire Wound Strings with Silver-Plated Plain Strings. Gauges are .010/.010 , .013/.013 , .010/.020w , .013/.030 , .020w/.035 . .030/.0465 $36.00 each. They are expensive, but these 12-String sets have the best sound and last many times longer than traditional strings.



All the best ..... Roger (Roger McGuinn)


Back to Roger McGuinn's Web Page

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