Fender Electric XII 12 String Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966)

Fender  Electric XII 12 String Solid Body Electric Guitar  (1966)
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Item # 7883
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Fender Electric XII Model 12 String Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 154160, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.

The "Electric XII" is perhaps not one of Fender's best-remembered creations but is a superbly engineered, great sounding and extremely practical guitar. Introduced at the 1965 NAMM Show at the dawn of the CBS era the Fender 12-string married the popular Jaguar/Jazzmaster style body to a new neck with a distinctive extended "hockey stick" headstock. The electronics are unique as well with two pickups each with two separate coil units, as pioneered by the Precision Bass, and a 4-way selector setup allowing different phase combinations. The bridge is also a marvel of Leo Fender's engineering prowess, with 12 intonation-adjustable saddles and must be considered the best unit of its kind ever attempted. This one carries pots dated the 17th week of 1966, the year the great majority of Electric XII's were made.

With all this original engineering, Fender unfortunately missed the boat a bit on the electric 12-string fad and by the time the "Electric XII" came to market Rickenbacker had already pretty much 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 much of its 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.). A very nice example, 100% original and showing just some small dings, dents and handling wear, with just a bit of finish worn off the treble side of the neck. Looks to have not been played much since it shipped out of Fullerton in 1966, still residing its original "no-tail logo" Fender HSC. Excellent Condition.