Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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bessieboporbach
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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by bessieboporbach » Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:05 pm

raindog13 wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:54 pm
akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:40 pm
Capo is also your friend. Capo even a few frets up can give you some extra fretboard width to get comfortable with it. Also a lot of secret jangle locked in that capo
Any suggestions for one? I saw https://www.stewmac.com/strings-and-acc ... -capo.html that one recommended earlier in this thread, and honestly, it's pretty shite and I'm kinda pissed I spent 35 bucks on it.
Shubb capos are a menace. Many a neck has gotten dinged from a Shubb set too tight.

I like Kyser capos. Simple one-hand design, not too tight, and they are pretty much indestructible. There are also many off-brand knockoffs that are probably almost as good.

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raindog13
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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by raindog13 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:09 pm

bessieboporbach wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:05 pm
raindog13 wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:54 pm
akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:40 pm
Capo is also your friend. Capo even a few frets up can give you some extra fretboard width to get comfortable with it. Also a lot of secret jangle locked in that capo
Any suggestions for one? I saw https://www.stewmac.com/strings-and-acc ... -capo.html that one recommended earlier in this thread, and honestly, it's pretty shite and I'm kinda pissed I spent 35 bucks on it.
Shubb capos are a menace. Many a neck has gotten dinged from a Shubb set too tight.

I like Kyser capos. Simple one-hand design, not too tight, and they are pretty much indestructible. There are also many off-brand knockoffs that are probably almost as good.
I honestly hate the damned thing, kinda sad that a recommendation I got from here let me astray. I've always used Kysers in the past, but I had read that they don't do so well with the XIIs. At this point though, I don't think I could do any worse :fp:

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by marqueemoon » Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:20 pm

I use a Dunlop trigger capo for everything. It’s the one quick change style I’ve found that works on a variety of radii.

I find Kyser capos frustrating. Just a bad design.

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tape
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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by tape » Thu Mar 18, 2021 9:42 am

rank wrote:
Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:39 am
tape wrote:
Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:03 am
Was there ever a consensus on what a good case for this thing is?
Image
I came across a case company that I like & have bought several cases from. They are good quality, not perfect, but I am also not gigging with it. They're pretty cheap also. The company is called Crossrock. My XII is clearly not an actual Fender but it should be very comparable.
Confirming that the Crossrock JM/Jag case is a great fit for the AR XII. The body fits nicely into the body section lengthwise, with just the slightest gap horizontally. There is just the tiniest bit of horizontal space for the body - if you're real concerned, I did take a (very lightly padded) strap and cram it against the side and that made it very cozy. There's about 2/3" of space past the headstock but it doesn't move around since the body fits so well.

Crossrock does seem to be out of stock on them at least from their direct store. I got mine from Amazon for $115. They come in what looks like 3 colors (black/blue, brown/burgundy, and tweed/red) ranging from $115 to $129. I wanted that blue plush, for obvious reasons.

Gotta say I'm pretty pleased with this! No more worrying about storing or moving this thing.

Image

Image

Image

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by Nudger » Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:39 am

Soniqfreq wrote:
Sun Dec 20, 2020 9:53 am
Anyone install a treble bleed circuit to brighten the roll off and change the volume taper?
Been looking for info on this myself "Values Etc".. Have you tried it?

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by akpasta » Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:20 pm

Wanted to share my modified Alternate Reality XII, which is finally "finished."

Loved this guitar stock, but I wanted to change some things, did the following:
1. Found the stock tort pickguard to be kinda muddy/dark, so I installed an aftermarket tort pickguard from WDmusic.com Fits perfectly, looks much more vintage, good price.
2. Replaced stock pickups with Curtis Novak XII pickups. Stock were fine, but I have Novak's in my vintage XII and prefer them.
3. Installed vintage style 4-way pickup switch and vintage style paddle so I could add the 'both pickups in parallel, out-of-phase' setting that the vintage model has.
4. Shimmed the neck about .25 per rec of Fender builder on IG calopez_fender who has done a bunch of amazing looking vintage spec XIIs. Doesn't make a huge difference, but allows me to lower action without strings bottoming out further up the neck.

I've got GHS Brite Flats on it now and it sounds and plays great!

Image

Image
Last edited by akpasta on Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by SignoftheDragon » Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:17 am

akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:20 pm
Wanted to share my modified Alternate Reality XII, which is finally "finished."
Fix those pix- I can't see them at all.

Also- PM on the way about the original pickguard...

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by jakeisjake » Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:38 pm

akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:20 pm
Wanted to share my modified Alternate Reality XII, which is finally "finished."

1. Found the stock tort pickguard to be kinda muddy/dark, so I installed an aftermarket tort pickguard from WDmusic.com Fits perfectly, looks much more vintage, good price.
Thanks for sharing. I was wondering what that tort would look like.
If I was a byrd, I'd be mighty sore every time they shut the door and I don't think I'd sing...

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by raindog13 » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:55 pm

akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:20 pm

2. Replaced stock pickups with Curtis Novak XII pickups. Stock were fine, but I have Novak's in my vintage XII and prefer them.
If you can put it into words, what is it that you prefer about the Novaks? I like the stocks in my AR, but I'm always interested in other options. I find it really interesting that you like them better than the vintages too. I know Curtis makes good shit, but I'm just curious about what your ears hear

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akpasta
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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by akpasta » Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:24 pm

raindog13 wrote:
Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:55 pm
akpasta wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:20 pm

2. Replaced stock pickups with Curtis Novak XII pickups. Stock were fine, but I have Novak's in my vintage XII and prefer them.
If you can put it into words, what is it that you prefer about the Novaks? I like the stocks in my AR, but I'm always interested in other options. I find it really interesting that you like them better than the vintages too. I know Curtis makes good shit, but I'm just curious about what your ears hear
Originals are tinny, hollow, and very nasaly, almost kinda shrill. Hated em. Should probably sell them.

ARs are vastly improved but still a little hollow, compared to Novak’s. If I didn’t know about Novak’s I’d probably be satisfied.

Novak’s are fuller, and warmer than the rest but still with and glassy highs.

Just my taste which ain’t worth much.

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by Jubaea » Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:08 am

It's white month ...

Image
@vargasrockmusic

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by akpasta » Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:28 am

Jubaea wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:08 am
It's white month ...

Image
That looks really good!!! The white guard kinda makes it look more vintage and darkens the fretboard a bit. Nice. Nice touch with the lever switch. Did you convert yours to 4-way too?

It looks like you have something wrapped around your headstocks behind the nut what is that?

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by Jubaea » Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:36 pm

akpasta wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:28 am
Jubaea wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:08 am
It's white month ...

Image
That looks really good!!! The white guard kinda makes it look more vintage and darkens the fretboard a bit. Nice. Nice touch with the lever switch. Did you convert yours to 4-way too?

It looks like you have something wrapped around your headstocks behind the nut what is that?
My Electric Xll's fingerboard has been tinted lightly with a few drops of ColorTone mixed in Dunlop Lemon Oil, I get a really good result, and the switch is a 4-way rotary switch, like many of us do.
Also, each of my guitars has a little bracelet behind the nut.
@vargasrockmusic

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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by akpasta » Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:51 pm

Jubaea wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:36 pm
akpasta wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:28 am
Jubaea wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:08 am
It's white month ...

Image
That looks really good!!! The white guard kinda makes it look more vintage and darkens the fretboard a bit. Nice. Nice touch with the lever switch. Did you convert yours to 4-way too?

It looks like you have something wrapped around your headstocks behind the nut what is that?
My Electric Xll's fingerboard has been tinted lightly with a few drops of ColorTone mixed in Dunlop Lemon Oil, I get a really good result, and the switch is a 4-way rotary switch, like many of us do.
Also, each of my guitars has a little bracelet behind the nut.
Color tone?? What type color? How do you apply?

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Jubaea
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Re: Fender Alternate Reality Electric XII 12-String

Post by Jubaea » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:23 pm

Here is my dosage, 10 drops in half a bottle of Dunlop Lemon Oil.
Image
Left at rest, and right after shaking the bottle.
This is the ColorTone Dark Walnut from Stewmack.
I apply this naturally, just like when I oil the fretboard.
@vargasrockmusic

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