Vintage Fender Electric XII - USA 1966

The Fender Electric XII was introduced in 1965 as a response to the growing popularity of twelve-string guitars in the mid-1960s music scene. It featured a unique offset body design, similar to Fender's Jazzmaster and Jaguar models. The body was made of alder, and it had a distinctive oversized headstock.

The Electric XII was equipped with two split-coil pickups, each with its own set of volume and tone controls. The split-coil design helped reduce the hum associated with single-coil pickups. The guitar also had a three-way pickup selector switch, allowing players to choose between the neck, bridge, or both pickups.

One of the distinctive features of the Electric XII was its unusual bridge design. It had a unique "synchronised" bridge with individual saddles for each string. The guitar also featured a floating vibrato tailpiece, contributing to its distinctive appearance.

The Fender Electric XII gained popularity in various musical genres, including rock, folk, and psychedelia. Artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, The Yardbirds, and The Animals used the Electric XII, contributing to its iconic status.

This Electric XII has had a few modifications including the addition of an aftermarket P90 pickup early in its lifetime. Along with this is a new switching configuration allowing a myriad of tones available to the player. The combination of pickups creates an explosion of sound with crystal cleans, growling grit and everything inbetween - the versatility is incredible. The original tuners have been replaced with Schallers that hold tune perfectly. The output jack has also been replaced at some point.

This Fender XII presents in excellent condition for an instrument that is nearly 60-years-old. The stunning, original sunburst finish shows nice checking with only very few bumps and bruises to speak of. The medium 'C' profile neck is clean and easy to manoeuver around.

After hearing this Fender Electric XII and putting it through its paces, it is easy to see why some of the biggest artists in the world chose this guitar for their recordings. Huge, articulate sound, exceptional playability and a very cool looking guitar with a special place in music history.

Comes in a non-original hard shell case.

Features:

• Alder body
• Offset double-cutaway design
• Sunburst finish
• Maple neck
• "C" shape neck
• 25.5-inch scale length
• Rosewood fretboard with pearloid dot inlays
• 22 frets
• Large "hockey stick" headstock
• Replacement Schaller tuners
• Two split-coil pickups, aftermarket P90 Single coil
• Volume and tone controls for each pickup
• Five-way pickup selector switch
• Synchronised bridge with individual adjustable saddles
• Floating tremolo tailpiece
• Chrome hardware finish
• White 13-hole three-ply celluloid pickguard
• Synthetic bone nut
• Adjustable truss rod
• Non-original HSC