What guitar is Cockburn playing here?

[Mikeymac]

Anyone know what brand (12-string) guitar Bruce Cockburn is playing in the photo on this link? The shape looks a lot like a Larrivee L body.

(The music is pretty good, too.)

[Mikeymac]

More pictures of it here.

[JamesN]

It's a custom Manzer. Looks like a Larry because she apprenticed with Jean.

The guitar wasn't built specifically for Cockburn. It was built for someone else, sold back to Manzer, then Cockburn picked it up. The inlay on the headstock is a depiction of the iconic "spaceship in the moon's eye" from Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon.

Incidentally, I was in attendance at that particular Mountain State concert in the photos. The Taylor you see Cockburn playing was borrowed from another musician in the show for the final number. Cockburn only had his 12-string with him (which was in an odd tuning) and he needed a 6-string in standard tuning for the final ensemble number.

In another post I mentioned that Cockburn strings his 12-string in a unique manner, but I mixed up the details. Here is how he actually strings it: 1st and 2nd courses in unison. 3rd and 4th courses "reversed" (octave strings on the treble  side). 5th and 6th courses "traditional" (octave strings on the bass side). I'll fix my other post.

[Mikeymac]

Thanks, James - I wondered if it might be a Manzer, in part because of the body shape as you mention.

I wonder what his rationale is for reversing two courses of the octave strings on his guitar...

Looks like a beautiful instrument, and almost looks more like an LS body than a full L body.

[JamesN]

I wonder what his rationale is for reversing two courses of the octave strings on his guitar...

I think the rationale behind the setup is that he wants the octave strings in each course to be struck first and dominate the sound. In his playing style he (predominately) picks the two bass courses with his thumb on downstokes, but the other courses are picked with his fingers on upstrokes.