NGD -- '65 Electric XII CAR

[Highnumbers]

This is a pretty delayed NGD post, since this guitar arrived before the holidays. But anyway.. .

Any Electric XII fans?

I've wanted one of these guitars for ages, kicked the tires on buying one long enough that prices kept going up and up. I finally gave in and picked up this '65 model in original Candy Apple Red metallic.

It appears to be quite an early one, with Kluson tuners and based on the low 6xxxxx L-series number, the white knobs might even be original (the XII prototypes and earliest production guitars had white knobs). No heel stamp, which is actually common among '65 XIIs.

Picked it up at a decent price because somebody shielded inside the cavities with shielding paint (it's nice and quiet now!), which makes no difference to enjoying the guitar. Really enjoying this so far, I've long been into Rickenbackers, and this is a totally different take on the 12-string guitar.

Pics! (Amp is a '64 AC30 Top Boost)

[Jonesie]

I'm generally not a fan of red guitars, but that is goddamn gorgeous. Congrats!

[SignoftheDragon]

AMAZING.

[68 Blackline]

Wow!! And I thought my 2019 AR Electric XII in LPB was gorgeous! That is sweet!

[Mondaysoutar]

Really nice man. I’d only seen witch hats on the boy out the Beach Boys prototype Electric XII and that was white, far far from an expert on Electric XII’s though. Has it been refinished do you know?

[Highnumbers]

Thanks everyone, pretty stoked on it. These are fun guitars and have that specific sound you recognize from a lot of the Wrecking Crew recordings.

Really nice man. I’d only seen witch hats on the boy out the Beach Boys prototype Electric XII and that was white, far far from an expert on Electric XII’s though. Has it been refinished do you know?

It is definitely the original finish (and in pretty good shape), it has the right paintstick and all the other details.

Knobs would be easy to swap out but I don’t see why they would, with everything else on the guitar original and being a very early ‘65 it’s not unprecedented. There is an early production XII in “Fender: The Golden Era” owned by author Martín Kelly, in Firemist with white knobs. In addition to the Carl Wilson (which was a total prototype). We would never really know with my guitar but it would seem random to change just the knobs and nothing else. The knobs are also vintage, not repops.

[marqueemoon]

Wow. That is clean. I wonder how many pre-binding XIIs are out there.

[algeriet]

Ah, the CAR XII, as seen on a certain Youtube video! 🤪

in “Fender: The Golden Era” owned by author Martín Kelly, in Firemist with white knobs. In addition to the Carl Wilson (which was a total prototype). We would never really know with my guitar but it would seem random to change just the knobs and nothing else. The knobs are also vintage, not repops.

Actually going through the XII "chapter" the other day of that book and thought of your guitar. Big likelihood it's original!

[kapepper]

Very nice!!and looks to be in very good condition

[Highnumbers]

Wow. That is clean. I wonder how many pre-binding XIIs are out there.

Thanks, for some reason, the vast majority of XIIs are unbound dot necks, even made well into 1966 while other Fender models had already switched to bound necks.

I've only seen one XII with dots & bindings, and a handful of blocks & bindings.

[dc]

this makes my week. just incredible -

[smjenkins]

Damn that looks good. That guard has aged to the perfect color to go with the CAR.

[marqueemoon]

Wow. That is clean. I wonder how many pre-binding XIIs are out there.

Thanks, for some reason, the vast majority of XIIs are unbound dot necks, even made well into 1966 while other Fender models had already switched to bound necks.

I've only seen one XII with dots & bindings, and a handful of blocks & bindings.

My 66 has blocks which makes me think dots/binding was pretty short lived.

It would be interesting to know production numbers for each style.

[alvinstraight]

Wow, that looks absolutely incredible.

There is a sunburst '66 for sale here in Norway that has pearloid dots but no binding.

[Highnumbers]

Wow. That is clean. I wonder how many pre-binding XIIs are out there.

Thanks, for some reason, the vast majority of XIIs are unbound dot necks, even made well into 1966 while other Fender models had already switched to bound necks.

I've only seen one XII with dots & bindings, and a handful of blocks & bindings.

My 66 has blocks which makes me think dots/binding was pretty short lived.

It would be interesting to know production numbers for each style.

Here is the only one that I've ever seen with Dots & Binding. I'd love to know if more were made, but prior to seeing this photo I had always thought the XII simply skipped the D&B transition period altogether.