Ron Gragg - The Wind of Wings

Hear The Track Here

Seems like I've spent a lot of this month chattering about guitarists of one stripe or another and there is a conversation raging (falls about laughing) in one of the Soundclick forums about the age old acoustic or electric question. Me, I'm sayin' nuttin. I do have an abiding love for one kind of guitar though, a love I picked up real young and never let go of. 12 string guitars have a unique and special sound and, although more difficult to play initially, are especially rewarding once you learn the 12 string knack. The reason I've gone gearhead on yo asses is because Ron Gragg's The Wind Of Wings is (and I quote) 'A Twelve String instrumental recorded in one take'

OOOOokkkkkkk Now, how am I supposed to spin a review out of this?

Obviously best not to get into the whole fidelity thing, stereo is the best you get but the guitar sound is right there. Yeah, you nod wisely, but do I care? Surely this is only for other musicians to hear? Welll, yes, but the key words to bear in mind here are 'one take'. In other words everything you here is pretty much live which does indeed showcase the guitar and Ron's playing of it. Having being carnal with several of these beauties I know one thing; they are a ***** to keep in tune as Ron is seeing. Small change though because I understand about it. But would a random listener?

To be brutally frank, probably not. It's a little rough both in sound and in playing because this is the first piece Ron made with it. To be sure the guitar in question (Alvarez seeing as you axed) sounds like a beauty and I envy the man for having one and certainly The Wind Of Wings kept me interested to hear this more times than might be good for the normal body. There is, as I say, something about the sound of a 12 string... So, probably more for machineheads than anyone else but if you've ever wondered what a 12 string sounds like, now is your chance.