Fender Electric XII 12 String Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Item # 10544
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Fender Electric XII Model 12 String Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 154087, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
The "Electric XII" is perhaps not one of Fender's best-remembered creations but nonetheless is a superbly engineered, great-sounding and extremely practical guitar. Introduced at the 1965 NAMM Show at the dawn of the CBS/Fender era the Fender 12-string married the popular Jaguar/Jazzmaster style offset body to a new 12-string neck with a distinctive extended "hockey stick" headstock. The neck itself is typically Fender; slim and very comfortable. This neck even has a bit of burl figure in the maple on the back. These are often considered the best-playing electric 12s of the 1960s.
The electronics are unique as well with two pickups each with two separate coil units, as pioneered by the Precision Bass but with smaller Mustang-style coils. These are mated to a 4-way lever switch allowing individual pickup selections or two different phase combinations. The bridge is a marvel of Leo Fender's engineering prowess; it strings through the body with 12 intonation-adjustable saddles and is generally considered the best unit of its kind. This guitar dates to 1966, the year the great majority of Electric XIIs were made; the pots are coded to the 30th week of 1965.
With all this original engineering, Fender somewhat missed the boat a bit on the electric 12-string fad and by the time the "Electric XII" was ready to market in quantity in late 1965 Rickenbacker had already reaped the bulk of benefit of the Byrds' and Beatles' popularization of the sound. For all that, the guitar is a very good design and an excellent-sounding stage or recording instrument, albeit without exactly capturing the Rick's trademark jangle. Led Zeppelin, the Velvet Underground, The Move, The Kinks, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, the Baja Marimba Band, and many others have made classic recordings with this model, and its full potential is perhaps still untapped.
Overall length is 42 7/8 in. (108.9 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a fine example of this relatively unsung Fender gem overall, remaining nicely original and showing just some fairly minor wear overall with typical checking and smaller dings, dents and handling wear. There is some noticeable belt buckle wear into but mostly not through the finish on the back some finish worn off the back of the neck; the lacquer checking is heaviest on the headstock. The "target" sunburst finish is still bright with virtually no fade to the color. This guitar has been refretted with appropriate wire, it is otherwise unaltered and looks to have not really been played that much since it shipped out of Fullerton in 1966. Overall this is a lovely package of 1960s timeless jangle from Fullerton, housed in a recent HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
The "Electric XII" is perhaps not one of Fender's best-remembered creations but nonetheless is a superbly engineered, great-sounding and extremely practical guitar. Introduced at the 1965 NAMM Show at the dawn of the CBS/Fender era the Fender 12-string married the popular Jaguar/Jazzmaster style offset body to a new 12-string neck with a distinctive extended "hockey stick" headstock. The neck itself is typically Fender; slim and very comfortable. This neck even has a bit of burl figure in the maple on the back. These are often considered the best-playing electric 12s of the 1960s.
The electronics are unique as well with two pickups each with two separate coil units, as pioneered by the Precision Bass but with smaller Mustang-style coils. These are mated to a 4-way lever switch allowing individual pickup selections or two different phase combinations. The bridge is a marvel of Leo Fender's engineering prowess; it strings through the body with 12 intonation-adjustable saddles and is generally considered the best unit of its kind. This guitar dates to 1966, the year the great majority of Electric XIIs were made; the pots are coded to the 30th week of 1965.
With all this original engineering, Fender somewhat missed the boat a bit on the electric 12-string fad and by the time the "Electric XII" was ready to market in quantity in late 1965 Rickenbacker had already reaped the bulk of benefit of the Byrds' and Beatles' popularization of the sound. For all that, the guitar is a very good design and an excellent-sounding stage or recording instrument, albeit without exactly capturing the Rick's trademark jangle. Led Zeppelin, the Velvet Underground, The Move, The Kinks, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, the Baja Marimba Band, and many others have made classic recordings with this model, and its full potential is perhaps still untapped.
Overall length is 42 7/8 in. (108.9 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a fine example of this relatively unsung Fender gem overall, remaining nicely original and showing just some fairly minor wear overall with typical checking and smaller dings, dents and handling wear. There is some noticeable belt buckle wear into but mostly not through the finish on the back some finish worn off the back of the neck; the lacquer checking is heaviest on the headstock. The "target" sunburst finish is still bright with virtually no fade to the color. This guitar has been refretted with appropriate wire, it is otherwise unaltered and looks to have not really been played that much since it shipped out of Fullerton in 1966. Overall this is a lovely package of 1960s timeless jangle from Fullerton, housed in a recent HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.