Acoustic/Electric 12 string that can do the Rick-thing too

[kmckenna45]

I want to buy a 12 string - primarily to play Byrds, early Beatles, but also play as an acoustic unplugged. Any ideas? Under $1,000.

Was going to get a semi-hollow 12 string electric - but they don’t sound like an acoustic unplugged. I’m thinking I could get a Rickenbacker sound out of an acoustic/electric if I use the right kind of pickup

Thoughts? Am I crazy?

[gibpicker]

Of course you're crazy, why else would you be on this forum? Guild 1512 at around 1,000. Big and loud with quality parts for the price. Good luck.

[martingitdave]

The Guild mentioned above is in budget, or others I've played:

Yamaha LL16-12
Taylor 150
Martin DX12

[Steve DeRosa]

Why compromise when for just a tick above your $1K mark you can have two dedicated, name-brand acoustic and electric instruments, each doing what it does best:



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tar-cherry-red



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...nought-natural

A bit of Beatles trivia: FYI John Lennon owned a Guild Starfire 12-string similar to the one pictured above, presented to him in August 1966 and believed to have been used on the Sgt. Pepper sessions - so if you're a hardcore Beatles fan it's as close as you're going to get in today's market to one of their more obscure instruments:



You can read the backstory here:
http://www.thecanteen.com/mark.html

On the other hand, if you're adamant about the $1K limit this one'll keep your acoustic-&-electric 12-string pair well below the mark:



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...ent-cherry-red

[rstaight]

Check out a Takamine GJ72CE. I have owned one 5 years and love it.

[MissoulaFlood]

Agree. I have an older Takamine from the lawsuit era (early 80’s). Sounds great with excellent playability. I use it for exactly what you’re describing. Well within your budget.

[Beachrunner]

Check used.

I snagged this 80's MIK Alvarez 5054 12-string for $300 - in excellent condition - a few years ago. It's a really nice acoustic 12.

I also scored a mint, barely played 2014 Rickenbacker 360/12 from the local Craigslist for $1400, around 3-4 years ago.

Admittedly I was pretty lucky with these two deals, but still - used might be the way to go.

[FrankHudson]

Steve's suggestion upthread is worth considering.

Like you, only over 40 years ago. I loved the Byrds and I was very low budget. Then I bought a cheap all-laminated dreadnaught acoustic 12-string and put a magnetic DeArmond soundhole pickup in in. Those vintage soundhole DeArmonds weren't worlds away from the pickups in an electric Rick 12 as it happens.

You could do something similar. First select an affordable acoustic 12-string. The Guild import line gets a lot of love here, so that's one candidate. You could use a modern "designed for an acoustic guitar" soundhole pickup, or one of the couple of curently offered "designed to look like an old-school soundhole pickups." like the DeArmond Toneboss or the Recording King Gold Foil. I haven't used either however. If one is decent at fabricating, making a soundhole mount for an electric guitar pickup is also possible. For strings, consider the Martin Retro 12-string set. I'd choose the later style of pickup if the Byrds electric sound is a big goal for you, and the former if sounding like an acoustic 12-string on stage is your bigger goal.

Played though a electric guitar amp (or when recording) with as much compression as you can muster you can approximate the Byrd's electric 12-string sound. With live in the room playing, feedback can be an issue (compression, a big part of Roger McGuinn's sound, increases this risk) but at lower volumes and where you stand, it can be controlled. Acoustically, such a guitar is obviously much more of an acoustic guitar thana semi-hollowbody electric. Plugged in, it may surprise you how close you might get soundwise.

[generalliamsayn]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

a cheap all-laminated dreadnaught acoustic 12-string and put a magnetic DeArmond soundhole pickup in in. Those vintage soundhole DeArmonds weren't worlds away from the pickups in an electric Rick 12 as it happens.

You could do something similar. First select an affordable acoustic 12-string. The Guild import line gets a lot of love here, so that's one candidate. You could use a modern "designed for an acoustic guitar" soundhole pickup, or one of the couple of curently offered "designed to look like an old-school soundhole pickups." like the DeArmond Toneboss or the Recording King Gold Foil. I haven't used either however. If one is decent at fabricating, making a soundhole mount for an electric guitar pickup is also possible. For strings, consider the Martin Retro 12-string set. I'd choose the later style of pickup if the Byrds electric sound is a big goal for you, and the former if sounding like an acoustic 12-string on stage is your bigger goal.

Played though a electric guitar amp (or when recording) with as much compression as you can muster you can approximate the Byrd's electric 12-string sound. With live in the room playing, feedback can be an issue (compression, a big part of Roger McGuinn's sound, increases this risk) but at lower volumes and where you stand, it can be controlled. Acoustically, such a guitar is obviously much more of an acoustic guitar thana semi-hollowbody electric. Plugged in, it may surprise you how close you might get soundwise.

If you want an acoustic guitar with an electric sound, I 100% agree with the logic above. Otherwise, do like the others say and get 2 guitars.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Why compromise when for just a tick above your $1K mark you can have two dedicated, name-brand acoustic and electric instruments, each doing what it does best:



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tar-cherry-red



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...nought-natural

Steve's idea is a good one, but I'm hoping those published nut widths are all misprinted - I wouldn't want a 6-string with a nut width less than 1.69", much less a 12-string! I have tried the Yamaha he suggested and found its nut width to be on the tight side. Consider a Seagull or one of its cousins.

[Ryan51]

The Italia Rimini 12 looks a lot like a Ric and can be had for $799
https://www.italiaguitarsusa.com/product/rimini-12/

Harley Benton has an inexpensive Ric-like guitar for $239.
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_...sic_series.htm

[MissoulaFlood]

Did you ever make a decision on this? If it works into your plan, I’ll be selling my Danelectro 12. And you’d have plenty left over for nice older acoustic 12 like the Yamaha, Alvarez, or Takamine. All of which can be had used for a reasonable price. Whichever way you go, good luck and enjoy the tunes.

[donlyn]

The all solid-wood spruce over rosewood Guild F-1512 Jumbo is a great guitar for about 1K.

Like everything try to play before pay.

Mine came well set-up, and with an awesome padded gig bag, one that was good enough for in-case hydration to get me through last winter.

Can't say enough good about this particular instrument.

Be well and play well,

Don
.