Fender Coronado XII Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967)
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Item # 10161
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Fender Coronado XII Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 183439, Lake Placid Blue lacquer finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is one of the nicest, cleanest and just plain coolest Fender Coronados we have seen, a 12-string factory-marked "Special" finished in Lake Placid Blue with a matching headstock. Fender's 1966 Coronado models were the new CBS management's attempt to challenge Gibson, Gretsch, and Guild in the 1960s hollowbody market. Fender's new corporate owners were keen to broaden the brand's appeal from their traditional solidbody strength. The Coronado line was first announced in the November 1965 Fender Facts #10 less than a year after CBS bought the company. They took quite a while to get into production, not appearing on price lists until July 1966.
This particularly beautiful custom-color Coronado XII mates a bound, block-inlaid Fender 12-string "hockey stick" neck to a double cutaway, thin-rimmed fully hollow body with bound edges and F-holes. The finishes offered were initially limited to Cherry or Sunburst, though the palette was soon expanded to the full Fender custom color palette, at a 5% upcharge. This is an early custom color example resplendent in a stunning Lake Placid blue livery including a matching headstock, quite a rare look for a Coronado.
The serial number on this guitar's F neck plate is harmonized with the rest of the line, correct for later 1966 and early 1967. The neck is dated February 1967, and the back of the headstock is stamped "Special' over the finish, usually indicating a trade show, presentation or display instrument. The twin single-coil pickups are not Fender-made units but were sourced from Rowe industries, makers of the DeArmond line. The trapeze tailpiece has a raised plastic Fender "F" in the center. The bridge is a Jazzmaster/Jaguar style adjustable unit adapted to a floating base, one of several ideas Fender tried.
Priced at $449.50 in March 1967, the Coronado XII was a very expensive instrument, in league with Gibson or Rickenbacker 12 strings. The most striking feature of this instrument is of course the deep Lake Placid Blue metallic lacquer finish that has greened just a bit over 55 years. This would have been subject to a 5% upcharge in early 1967, and that plus the $64.50 Victoria luggage case mean this package would have retailed at staggering $536.48. Very few custom color Coronado XII's were made; this one marked "Special" was likely a sample for a Fender salesman, trade show or teen fair in early/mid 1967.
Besides its flashy looks this is a fine-playing and sounding guitar, mating the slim and comfortable 12-string Fender neck to a light and handy hollow body with two good sounding single coil pickups. This is really a better an instrument than its original reception suggests, and in its deep blue glory truly lovely to behold. Coronados ceased production around 1969; while not a hit with Fender loyalists OR players of other brands, they have found favor with some later generations of players and remain interesting and often (in this case especially) very attractive guitars.
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 5/16 in. (41.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This "Special" Coronado 12-string is just about the nicest we have seen, even after 55 years approaching near mint condition. It appears hardly played, showing only light handling marks to the all original finish and hardware. There are some light checking, with tiny scuffs and ding marks and a single stain to the center of the back but '60s guitars rarely come much cleaner than this.
The Lake Placid Blue finish is bright and rich with the subtly greenish tinge it accrues over the years as the lacquer overcoat ages and ambers with time. This gives the instrument a lovely almost turquoise hue and the hardware still shines like it did when LBJ was in office.
The guitar plays and sounds just as it should, as fine an example as we expect to see of this now-more-respected Fender oddity. It is housed in the original 1966 Victoria-made Fender Coronado case with a bright yellow lining, also very clean. This is a lovely time capsule of an instrument, a cool custom color piece of Fender history and a better player's instrument than the critics of 1966-7 would ever admit! Excellent + Condition.
This is one of the nicest, cleanest and just plain coolest Fender Coronados we have seen, a 12-string factory-marked "Special" finished in Lake Placid Blue with a matching headstock. Fender's 1966 Coronado models were the new CBS management's attempt to challenge Gibson, Gretsch, and Guild in the 1960s hollowbody market. Fender's new corporate owners were keen to broaden the brand's appeal from their traditional solidbody strength. The Coronado line was first announced in the November 1965 Fender Facts #10 less than a year after CBS bought the company. They took quite a while to get into production, not appearing on price lists until July 1966.
This particularly beautiful custom-color Coronado XII mates a bound, block-inlaid Fender 12-string "hockey stick" neck to a double cutaway, thin-rimmed fully hollow body with bound edges and F-holes. The finishes offered were initially limited to Cherry or Sunburst, though the palette was soon expanded to the full Fender custom color palette, at a 5% upcharge. This is an early custom color example resplendent in a stunning Lake Placid blue livery including a matching headstock, quite a rare look for a Coronado.
The serial number on this guitar's F neck plate is harmonized with the rest of the line, correct for later 1966 and early 1967. The neck is dated February 1967, and the back of the headstock is stamped "Special' over the finish, usually indicating a trade show, presentation or display instrument. The twin single-coil pickups are not Fender-made units but were sourced from Rowe industries, makers of the DeArmond line. The trapeze tailpiece has a raised plastic Fender "F" in the center. The bridge is a Jazzmaster/Jaguar style adjustable unit adapted to a floating base, one of several ideas Fender tried.
Priced at $449.50 in March 1967, the Coronado XII was a very expensive instrument, in league with Gibson or Rickenbacker 12 strings. The most striking feature of this instrument is of course the deep Lake Placid Blue metallic lacquer finish that has greened just a bit over 55 years. This would have been subject to a 5% upcharge in early 1967, and that plus the $64.50 Victoria luggage case mean this package would have retailed at staggering $536.48. Very few custom color Coronado XII's were made; this one marked "Special" was likely a sample for a Fender salesman, trade show or teen fair in early/mid 1967.
Besides its flashy looks this is a fine-playing and sounding guitar, mating the slim and comfortable 12-string Fender neck to a light and handy hollow body with two good sounding single coil pickups. This is really a better an instrument than its original reception suggests, and in its deep blue glory truly lovely to behold. Coronados ceased production around 1969; while not a hit with Fender loyalists OR players of other brands, they have found favor with some later generations of players and remain interesting and often (in this case especially) very attractive guitars.
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 5/16 in. (41.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This "Special" Coronado 12-string is just about the nicest we have seen, even after 55 years approaching near mint condition. It appears hardly played, showing only light handling marks to the all original finish and hardware. There are some light checking, with tiny scuffs and ding marks and a single stain to the center of the back but '60s guitars rarely come much cleaner than this.
The Lake Placid Blue finish is bright and rich with the subtly greenish tinge it accrues over the years as the lacquer overcoat ages and ambers with time. This gives the instrument a lovely almost turquoise hue and the hardware still shines like it did when LBJ was in office.
The guitar plays and sounds just as it should, as fine an example as we expect to see of this now-more-respected Fender oddity. It is housed in the original 1966 Victoria-made Fender Coronado case with a bright yellow lining, also very clean. This is a lovely time capsule of an instrument, a cool custom color piece of Fender history and a better player's instrument than the critics of 1966-7 would ever admit! Excellent + Condition.