Fender Villager XII

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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akpasta
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Fender Villager XII

Post by akpasta » Thu Aug 08, 2019 8:58 am

I'm in the market for a 12 string acoustic guitar. Anyone got any reviews of the fender villager xii string? Vintage and re-issue models are only a couple hundred different in price. I see that some of the new ones have a pickup, which is sorta nice, but I mostly want it for recording so I'd mic it anyways.

Thank you!

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by cestlamort » Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:12 am

I had an old one for a while (largely with dreams of using the neck for a XII build which never happened). The neck was great (and felt like a vintage fender electric) but the sound of the guitar was really uninspired, even with the "tone post". Sometimes the old budget acoustics just sound dead or tired.

I'd personally go with a Seagull S12, made in Canada. I've played a few in stores and they've all sounded great. (If it's good enough for Marty Willson-Piper, more than good enough for me).

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by akpasta » Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:26 am

cestlamort wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:12 am
I had an old one for a while (largely with dreams of using the neck for a XII build which never happened). The neck was great (and felt like a vintage fender electric) but the sound of the guitar was really uninspired, even with the "tone post". Sometimes the old budget acoustics just sound dead or tired.

I'd personally go with a Seagull S12, made in Canada. I've played a few in stores and they've all sounded great. (If it's good enough for Marty Willson-Piper, more than good enough for me).
Thanks for the tip. I have a vintage Electric XII and LOVE the necks. So are the vintage villager necks the same? I notice they're bolt on (as opposed to the reissue ones).

Someone at a practice space one of my bands uses has a Seagull S12 and I think it plays like crap, personally. Action is crazy high and the neck feels like a 2x4 to me. It does sound pretty good though!

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by cestlamort » Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:33 am

I think the necks are really similar, with the heel being different. I'm not sure about the neck/nut width, but the Villager did feel like an "electric" rather than an acoustic, if that makes any sense. Based on a sample size of one, I thought it sounded like old cardboard.

The Seagull neck is indeed way bigger.

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by kapepper » Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:30 am

I have a shenandoah and electric xii and feels like it is the same neck
Go for a shenandoah or villager :)

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by akpasta » Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:40 am

kapepper wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:30 am
I have a shenandoah and electric xii and feels like it is the same neck
Go for a shenandoah or villager :)
How do the vintage Fender acoustics sound? Someone else said it sounded like old cardboard hahaha.

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Embenny » Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:27 pm

akpasta wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:40 am
kapepper wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:30 am
I have a shenandoah and electric xii and feels like it is the same neck
Go for a shenandoah or villager :)
How do the vintage Fender acoustics sound? Someone else said it sounded like old cardboard hahaha.
There's a reason Fender stayed out of the acoustic game a long, long time.

In he acoustic guitar world, they are not even considered to be on a tier with modern budget acoustics in terms of ease of play and quality of tone.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

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Danley
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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Danley » Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:53 pm

Curious - were the Fender bolt-ons 100% laminate? At least companies like Taylor make bolt-on work.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Aug 08, 2019 7:23 pm

Fender acoustics are almost always terrible. Forget about that brand, get almost any other brand, even a cheap Seagull or something.

And yes, Taylor bolt ons are wonderful, but they know how to make a great acoustic and Fender does not. I have a Taylor GA3-12, and the bolt on neck meant that I could get my neck shimmed and the action is as low and the playability as good as any guitar can be- 12 string or no.

Still, it's a solid wood guitar made by a company who had the skill and vision to make great acoustics. Fender is not that company.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Aug 08, 2019 7:30 pm

Let's let this video be the end of this idea.

"... mahogany being a better sounding acoustic neck."
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Matt_A » Thu Aug 08, 2019 8:07 pm

Larry Mal wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 7:30 pm
Let's let this video be the end of this idea.

"... mahogany being a better sounding acoustic neck."
+1

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Danley » Thu Aug 08, 2019 8:30 pm

Still think they just look great - I played a Sonoran that was *acceptable,* which was more credit than I could give any previous Fender acoustic; but wound up grabbing the Breedlove that out-classed almost everything up to $500 in the room, for $200 or so. Still consider myself a Taylor person but wish the Fender sounded as awesome as it looked.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Danley » Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:07 am

Bump - Turns out months later I am lured by one :) Been playing a lot of 12 string in part because I like it (but at least 60% to clean up my playing, and just diversify my approach to get me out of a rut.)

I tried a new Villager “V3” and appreciated the smaller body/shorter scale relative to my other 12 strings (a 60s Yamaha that is just barely capable of holding decent action, and a recent Mitchell.) It’s no Taylor (my dream XIIs are) but for the price it’s great. I took it as an omen when the Mitchell peeled its bridge off, and I found a used Villager V3 online as a replacement (I nevertheless am getting the Mitchell fixed; it has a solid top, and despite being a cheapo really is not a bad guitar, worth a few bucks to do the re-glue.)

So incoming new Villager to post tomorrow or the day after 8) Hope it plays somewhat similar to the one I tried - my only complaint ‘on paper’ is I wish there were more finishes available than only black (if the quality of the top grain is hidden, then it should at least be covered by Seafoam or pink - but oh well, all my best guitars happen to be black.) Curious if I’ll hate the piezo pickup as much as I dislike most piezos, but don’t plan to use that aspect much anyway. If it sounds nice at all I’ll consider it a consolation for not buying a new AR XII :D
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by akpasta » Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:31 am

Oh btw, I've been playing my vintage Villager xii for about 6 months, and in the studio that thing is a killer. Blending a mic'd signal with a pickup signal rounds everything out wonderfully. It can sound huge on its own, but also adds depth as an overdub on top of another track.

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Re: Fender Villager XII

Post by Danley » Tue Feb 18, 2020 7:23 pm

akpasta wrote:
Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:31 am
Oh btw, I've been playing my vintage Villager xii for about 6 months, and in the studio that thing is a killer. Blending a mic'd signal with a pickup signal rounds everything out wonderfully. It can sound huge on its own, but also adds depth as an overdub on top of another track.
Glad you ended up with one :) I still want to try a ‘broomstick’ Fender - I know not to expect a regular acoustic tone from them at this point (so expect it already to be different from a typical Martin or whatever) so I would be unlikely to be disappointed by however crazy or weird it sounds. In any case, I’m in full agreement with using a mic on acoustics when possible, above whatever pickups.

The ones that really intrigue me are the Concert/King with this bridge:

Image
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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