Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

[Ceylon]

I wish I could have one but because of the orientation issue, I've got no skin in the game currently.

2. If Eastwood can design a Jazzmaster-based 12-string floating vibrato, why not Fender?

I have an electric guitar with 12-strings and a vibrato and I frequently wish it didn't have the vibrato. It's nice in theory and it doesn't throw off my playing or anything but it is pretty pointless and doesn't really add anything. The guitar stays in tune well enough but I think a hard tail bridge is just easier and more reliable in this configuration.

Ok, now I definitely need one of those guitars...

One question to the more experienced 12string-players around: I like my guitars in open tunings, my Jaguar is tuned DADAAD. Will something like that sound good on an Electric XII?

I tune my 12-string to CGDGCD every now and then. It works fine and sounds good, so I imagine DADAAD would too.

[akpasta]

Ok, now I definitely need one of those guitars...

One question to the more experienced 12string-players around: I like my guitars in open tunings, my Jaguar is tuned DADAAD. Will something like that sound good on an Electric XII?

You will having trouble tuning what’s normally the G string to A. I’ve tried to bring my guitar up a full step and one of those strings breaks at that tension can’t remember if it’s the .20 or .10

Also some of those notes I assume you’ll tune down to. The fender xii sounds weird with slack tension. Lots of buzzing. You lose some jangle.

For some alt tunings I assume people make a custom gauge set.

[higgsblossom]

The fender xii sounds weird with slack tension. Lots of buzzing. You lose some jangle.

Thanks for your answers, Ceylon and akpasta. I have zero experience with 12string electrics, but was kind of expecting it to sound best in standard tuning. Maybe I will just have to learn how to play guitar and not just use one or two fingers to bar the strings

[JPCordingley]

Ok, now I definitely need one of those guitars...

One question to the more experienced 12string-players around: I like my guitars in open tunings, my Jaguar is tuned DADAAD. Will something like that sound good on an Electric XII?

You will having trouble tuning what’s normally the G string to A. I’ve tried to bring my guitar up a full step and one of those strings breaks at that tension can’t remember if it’s the .20 or .10

Also some of those notes I assume you’ll tune down to. The fender xii sounds weird with slack tension. Lots of buzzing. You lose some jangle.

For some alt tunings I assume people make a custom gauge set.

Tune the G pair to F# and it’s problem solved. Also, this would put in my favourite alternative tuning!

[jorgenegeland]

The new bridge and toggle switch don't look to bad. Curious to see how the reissue compares to my '66.

[jmurph]

Just when I felt like I was done buying gear, Squier announces the CV 70s Jag and Fender does this! Not sure i can justify the $1k price tag for the XII, so I'll hold out for a sale or used one.

I really can't wait to get my hands on one. I know some of you guys are hoping the neck is a bit wider, but for the sake of my micro-pinkies, I'd be happy if it was on the narrower side. Also, really curious about how the new modernized pups sound. Wonder how long we have to wait for a demo.

[Pacafeliz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKew66QFvcI

No actual playing but another vid with a bit more info, says the new pickups have more oomph to them.

Frankly, the OG pickups kind of sucked so I’m not surprised.

https://youtu.be/kJSEZeNrKNM
BANG!

[hansbrinker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKew66QFvcI

No actual playing but another vid with a bit more info, says the new pickups have more oomph to them.

Frankly, the OG pickups kind of sucked so I’m not surprised.

https://youtu.be/kJSEZeNrKNM
BANG!

You'll notice that Johnny Winter took off the octave strings and is playing the XII as a six-string.

And that was MBVs Deb Googe playing the Bass VI with Thurston Moore!

[Embenny]

You'll notice that Johnny Winter took off the octave strings and is playing the XII as a six-string.

Yep, he made his own hardtail Maverick there

[Marc]

Well this is excellent news! I’m going to try and get one in a couple of months but I’m hoping to get a couple of the new Behringer synths and drum machines that were also announced recently (808 clone, Crave semi modular and possibly the Arturia Micro Freak).

The sharper horn and non authentic bridge really doesn’t bother me nor does the three way switch.

One thing I did notice is the nut width is the standard 43mm and I’m pretty certain the original ‘65 and ‘66 I owned more than 10 years ago were wider at the nut and I feel it really helps with open chords. Mind you people manage with the Ricky models and they are very narrow!

I’d also be curious how slim the neck carve is - the LPB ‘65 was quite a bit slimmer than the Sunburst ‘66 and I always chose the LPB as the SB neck was more of a handful... it was lighter in weight and livelier sounding too.

It looks to be on par with the American Performer in terms of build quality and the price is pretty reasonable considering.

If they do make a Squier version I wouldn’t be that surprised if it was only a couple of hundred cheaper as all that extra hardware starts to add up.

If anyone gets one soon I’d love to read a review!

[Pacafeliz]

One thing I did notice is the nut width is the standard 43mm and I’m pretty certain the original ‘65 and ‘66 I owned more than 10 years ago were wider at the nut and I feel it really helps with open chords. Mind you people manage with the Ricky models and they are very narrow!

i got curious and measured the nut width (outter binding end ob both sides) on my Maverick and it's actually 41mm!

[akpasta]

I posted the nut width of a vintage xii and the reissue earlier in the thread but I can’t find it now. Ultimately a 1:1 comparison isn’t possible because the vintage xii has a rounder radius 7.25” and the newer one 9.5” which will affect the “feel” of the string spacing. One thing you can tell they did is space the octave pairs more than on the vintage xii which is probably an improvement.

The scale length of the xii is longer than a rocky which will also aid in playability even if the nut is a bit slimmer.

Truth is If you really like the new xii—- and there are some things that I suspect are improved, like the bridge and pickups, you could always find a Coronado neck or something and throw it on there. I imagine the market will come down on xii stuff now that there is a reissue.

[ryland]

I built a xii using a Warmoth compound radius neck. I gotta admit, it's really nice to have the flatter neck on these compared to the rounder vintage ones I've played.

[akpasta]

I built a xii using a Warmoth compound radius neck. I gotta admit, it's really nice to have the flatter neck on these compared to the rounder vintage ones I've played.

Are those necks 9.5” radius?

[higgsblossom]

The compound radius fretboard is an innovation Warmoth pioneered almost 30 years ago, in which the fretboard gradually changes from a rounder radius at the nut end to a flatter radius at the heel end.

See http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/Radius.aspx
Warmoth goes from 10" to 16" radius.