N(12Str)GD

[Tosca]

I've been on a twelve string binge lately. It started when I got an old (1978) 12 string from another maker (Seen the Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps Concert...that model...same year). Ric's are beautiful and sound great...I just can't play one. It's my problem. But that acoustic has me thinking...I need an electric 12. PRS probably makes the best electric 12 string EVER...just not many. The bridge is an engineering marvel (see below), twelve individually adjustable/locking saddles...it's sick. If it had piezo capability you could probably use it to fly to the moon. The newer HB 12's are nice, have "the bridge"...but no single coil option (And a non-splittable version of their great 57/08's)...so I'd have to put new PU's in a new guitar or go PS to get what I want. I've searched for months for a discontinued used Cust 22/12, in a condition/color I like...at a reasonable price. Hello mint (as in unplayed condition) 2006, CherryBurst 10 top. Really cool guitar, can see why it was so hard to find a used one up for sale.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Oh my god, you're on FIRE!

 

[Whitecat]

Yes!!!!!!!!

 

[sleary]

Sweet as fire

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Agreed. That's a Beaty.

 

[C&M Music - Lafayette]

Bad to the bone! I too looked for a cu24-12 string with no luck. Must have looked a year for what you have found here. Congratulations on a great score, you are very lucky. I ordered and received my HB12 in PurpleHazel. It is phenomenal! You are right, all BIAS aside, PRS makes the best electric 12 string out there, bar none!!!

 

[IKnowALittle]

Double agreed. That is a beauty. Job well done. :congrats:

 

[justmund]

Oh my god, you're on FIRE!

Hellz yeah he is!

 

[watelessness]

Very nice!

 

[JustRob]

Beautiful!

 

[László]

Gorgeous. I'd love to have one o'those!

 

[veinbuster]

You are a monster. This one is awesome.

 

[django49]

I too had a fling with a Ric 12. Never quite made it work. Finally found a great Hamer hollow 12ver that beat the Ric in every possible way.

Sure would like to risk trying a PRS though!

 

[László]

I too had a fling with a Ric 12. Never quite made it work..

They do have a particular jangle, though. It's hard to get "that sound" with anything else.

My first gig with one was in 1969, doing Byrds stuff. In the 90s I got one for an ad campaign where the clients really wanted to hear "Tom Petty style instruments," and I even traveled to France with it for a bunch of sessions.

You really hear that big plastic pickguard, and the pickups have a weird but unique sound. Couple that with a rattly, jangly bridge (and those bridges do rattle!), an old fashioned tailpiece, run it through a Vox style amp, and the result is a pretty unique sound.

It's not a very versatile guitar, but I must admit that I still like them.

And because George Harrison, 1964...

 

[jfb]

Sweet 12 dude. YOU ARE MY HERO.

 

[WEDGE]

Sound clips?

 

[Tosca]

Sound clips?

Workin' on it....

 

[Tosca]

Thanks everyone.
Django...wouldn't consider it a risk, best 12 string electric ever, bridge is a marvel, perfect intonation, no rattle at all. Rock solid. The neck is barely perceptibly wider than a pattern or wide fat carve...the string spacing so close I can't understand how they don't touch each other and buzz when fretting/strumming (within reason)...but they don't

Les...agreed...nothing sounds like a Ric...but they're unplayable for me, no room, varnished fretboard...I just can't. The pickup switching on these (discontinued) 22/12's gets close to Ric-Land, with the right amp, and the right compressor. The pickup switching scheme is very versatile and logical...with tone pot pulled (engages middle Fralin and splits bridge) you can get pretty close to Ric (pos 1, bridge and middle single coil)...and even quasi acoustic (pos 2, bridge SC, middle and neck HB). At least to my untrained/amateur ears.

Surprised you don't hear more about these...maybe I'm just in the Honeymoon phase...but wondering what took me so long to grab one.

 

[László]

Les...agreed...nothing sounds like a Ric...but they're unplayable for me, no room, varnished fretboard...I just can't. The pickup switching on these (discontinued) 22/12's gets close to Ric-Land, with the right amp, and the right compressor. The pickup switching scheme is very versatile and logical...with tone pot pulled (engages middle Fralin and splits bridge) you can get pretty close to Ric (pos 1, bridge and middle single coil)...and even quasi acoustic (pos 2, bridge SC, middle and neck HB). At least to my untrained/amateur ears.

Tosca, there's no question that I'd rather have one of the ones you have than a Ric, hands down!

The 660/12 has a wider fingerboard than the 330 or 360/12, but there's still that weird fingerboard finish, etc. And Ric's customer service is nowhere near as awesome as PRS. As I said, the reason I had one in the 90s was to satisfy a client request on a big project, I probably wouldn't buy another one absent such a request.

 

[jcha008]

Man, 12 strings are so freaking awesome!