The Electric 12 String

When you hear the words electric 12 string, what do you think of first? For me, it’s Jim (Roger) McGuinn from the Byrds. For others it’s the Beatles. Later it was the rhythm guitar behind Jeff Beck on Beck’s Bolero. To some younger folks, it will be Tom Petty or Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Regardless of what you think of, if you think of any song at all, that could warrant you thinking about an electric 12 string.

For those wondering, the headstock pictured is from my Paul Reed Smith Hollowbody I 12 String. PRS stopped making these a few years ago, and I’ve had mine about 12 years. It sounds amazing, and you can occasionally find one on the used market.

Who Makes An Electric 12 String These Days?

Rickenbacker 381/12V69 in Fireglo

The first manufacturer that most folks think of when it comes to an electric 12 string is Rickenbacker. While one wasn’t my first electric 12 (that’s the upper neck on a now old Gibson ES-1275 doubleneck) my first standalone electric 12 was and still is a Rickenbacker 381-12V69. Shown in Fireglo here, mine is the Mapleglo finish. While I have noted that changing strings on it can be a pain, there is no other electric 12 string that sounds like it. Unlike other 12 strings, the upper string in each course of two is the lower frequency instead of the octave string. That means that your downstroke has a different ring than on other electric 12 strings. In addition to the 381-12v69, there are a 330-12, a 360-12 and 660-12. The challenge with Rickenbackers is if you don’t find one available, the wait time is significant. Rickenbackers are always backordered. The 330-12 sells for about $2900 CAD and the 360-12 is about $3300 CAD.

Ibanez AS7312

Gretsch G5422G in black with gold hardware

Another excellent option and perhaps easier to get than a Rickenbacker is the Ibanez Artcore AS-7312. Mick of That Pedal Show recently did a vlog on the one that he bought. According to Mick, the guitar is great to play and was ready to go on receipt. It’s definitely one worth considering and at about $715 CAD is definitely not a bank account breaker.

An electric 12 string that I definitely like is the Gretsch Electromatic G5422G-12. Like the others it is a hollow body style. It plays and sounds spectacular. It sells for about $1280 CAD so more than the Ibanez but considerably less than any of the Rickenbackers.

The final guitar that I would offer for your consideration is at present rather hard to find. Available in different colours the Danelectro 59X12 is one of their short horn electrics with a dual lipstick humbucker in the bridge and a wide body single coil in the neck. Danelectros are made with masonite over a mostly hollow frame. They have their own sound and one might deliver the sound that you are seeking.

One of the obvious missings from this list is Fender. Back in the 60’s there was the Fender XII electric 12 along with the VOX electric 12. While VOX guitars are gone, Fender is still around, but they no longer produce the droopy headstock version of the Fender XII and used examples are priced in the stratosphere for what was only ever an okay guitar. Fender did have a couple of electric 12s in the Paranormal series a few years ago, but they are gone too. Also sad to note that Squier doesn’t have one in their Classic Vibe series which are generally excellent guitars.

Amplification

As with any electric, you play it through the amp that creates a pleasing sound for you. For my use, I prefer a very clean amp with no drive at all. I want all the harmonic ring that an electric 12 string can provide. If I’m recording, I will use a VOX AC30 or Fender Deluxe Reverb amp and cabinet sim in my Kemper or the Quad Cortex, or if I am playing and feeding a DAW, I will use one of those settings on the Strymon Iridium.

In an amp only scenario, I like the sound through an AC30 or my venerable Fender Blackface Twin, especially if I can get the volume up a bit. There’s a wonderful resonance that comes out of the octave courses in the bass strings. Magical.

Effects Use

I do like to use a compressor on the electric 12, not squishy, but evening so a gentle setting with a fairly quick attack and a longer release. I also find that a drum style echo at a lower mix from the Strymon Volante widens the sound stage when coupled with the spring reverb in the amps. I will also add a gentle chorus or Leslie from a Strymon Mobius not to be swishy, but to add some gentle depth. When it comes to effects on this type of guitar, in my opinion, a little goes a long way.

Strings

Strings are less common for electric 12 strings. Rickenbacker has a branded set available, and I have gotten excellent electric 12 string sets from Curt Mangan. You can also find the Fender XII string sets in nickel over steel. Not a fan myself. Both Ernie Ball and D’Addario have 12 string electric sets of nickel plated steel. Recently I tried a set of electric 12s from Elixir. They are hard to find, but I like the life of the coated Elixir Nanoweb strings and have recently been using their electric strings on select instruments.

In Summary

Just as with acoustic guitars, a 12 string is a different animal. Even though there are twice as many strings, that does not make them hard to play or require Thor level finger strength to fret the strings. Yes tuning takes longer and getting the strings in tune and each course in tune with itself may be a bit more work, but as far as I am concerned, it’s well worth it.

Perhaps you are ready to extend your tones with an electric 12 string? Thanks for reading and until next time, peace.