‘12:51’: The Strokes song that saw Nick Valensi pursue an illogical guitar tone
When you dive into ‘12:51’ by The Strokes, it’s nearly impossible to shift your focus from the unmistakable riffs crafted by Nick Valensi—though one might wonder if it’s time to crown him a keyboard player instead. Legend has it that he blew out a few amplifiers in pursuit of that synthy sound, conjuring a unique, nostalgic essence of the 1980s new wave that we’ve come to adore from this American punk-revival band. The track shines with jazz influences, powered by a Roland JC-120 amp cranked to the max with heavy modulation and three beleaguered DeVille pedals, delivering a distinctly retro vibe that screams The Strokes.
The title ‘12:51’ nods to the fleeting yet universal experience of a subconscious glance at the clock before sexual encounters. It is a symbolic timestamp as lovers find themselves on the cusp of something both raw and transformative, if you will. It delves into the electrifying pause just before innocence slips away as charged moments of anticipation and intimacy begin.
This is where Valensi comes in to laboriously create the sound of a synthesized keyboard with his guitar and snap us back to reality; however, reportedly, when a friend overheard, he responded with the taxing rationale, “Why didn’t he just play a keyboard?”
Speaking with Guitar Player back in 2003, Valensi described how he crafted this sonic enigma, so sharp and clean, by “playing these silly little jazz things” and using a neck pickup “with the guitar’s tone control rolled all the way down”. He then mistakenly stepped on DeVille’s channel-switching foot pedal with a grain of 12, and “all of a sudden the tone sounded like an analogue synth sound—or a weird heavy-metal, Joe Satriani tone”.
Although an accident, it would go on to shape ’12:51’ with the input of The Strokes’ frontman, Julian Casablancas, who caught a glimpse of the endless opportunities for that tone, and thank God he did. It’s like tuning into a cosmic frequency that vibrates with untapped potential.
“So, I played along with the vocal melody, doubled the part, and that was it,” Valensi reminisced. “I was just trying to get a nice jazz tone—but it sounded cool!” That was until he found out the DeVilles he was working with “didn’t really like that tone,” leading to the glorious destruction of three pedals. In stark contrast to the pristine clarity of a Roland JC-120 amp, the chaos was magically complementary, and dare I say, it was worth the excruciating last gasps of those pedals.
This aural journey was steeped in the sound of Sonic Youth’s iconic 1994 anthem, “Bull in The Heather,” to the point that it sent chills down the spine of Casablancas. In a candid moment with Spin back in 2003, he confessed, “When we were recording it, I said to Gordon (Raphael, producer), ‘Do you think it sounds too much like that Sonic Youth song? Because I’m totally ripping it off.'” The spirit of the underground pulsates through every riff.
