The Eclectic XII.

[electric__steve]

I just placed the order today: A chambered Strat body with Koa over Mahogany, and a Canary '65 12-string neck. I was really unsure about what to do with the neck. I'd been thinking really hard about Padouk as well, but it ages into a cooler burgundy color. So I decided to go with the warmer, lighter-colored Canary. Aaron's 12-string demo sounded pretty good, so I decided on the Seymour Duncan Everything Axe pickup set, which is the JB Jr bridge, Duckbucker middle, and Little 59 neck.

The top of the image shows my artist's mspaint impression of the body and fretboard, with gold hardware and white pickups. The bottom representation is what the Warmoth builder showed me, generic Koa top, chambered with an F-hole, pearloid biding on body and neck, and pearloid split diamonds on the fretboard. I'm going to take a shot at using staggered locking tuners and no string retainer, else I'm likely to get a floyd style retainer bar.

 

[electric__steve]

Here's a bunch of links to threads and such that I found while reasearch this build. Figured it might be useful as an Electric XII FAQ of sorts.

Bridges:
Gotoh:

Gotoh 12-String Bridge - Flat Mount Bridges - Fixed Bridges - Guitar Bridges - Hardware

<p> This is a high quality, hard-tail 12-string guitar bridge. Six of the strings stop in the bridge while the other six load through the back side of the guitar body. </p> <h5> Details </h5> <ul class="bullets"> <li>Individual str

warmoth.com

Dusenberg:

Duesenberg 12-String Bridge

www.rockinger.com

ABM:

GB-2580-010 ABM 2412-C 12-String Unslotted Tunematic

ABM 12-string tunematic, with hardware, Chrome, 2-29/32" post spacing.

www.allparts.com

ABM 2412c, 12-saitiger Gitarren-Steg, Chrom

Der perfekte "Tuneomatic Style"-Gitarren-Steg mit 12 unabhängig einstellbaren Reitern im "Nashville-Montage-Design".

abm-guitarpartsshop.com

12 string TOM bridges:

12 String TOM?

Has anyone found a good quality TOM style 12 string bridge? I've been toying with the idea of making a carved top 12, and really struggling with finding a good bridge option. There's plenty of cheap Chinese-made options on eBay, but after asking around a bit you get what you pay for there...

unofficialwarmoth.com

Gotoh 12 bridge and drones above/below:

Gotoh 12 string bridge

Hello, I was just to put on strings on my new build but ran into som problems. Its a thinline tele 12 string. I choose drones below (classic rickenb. style) but now I see that the Gotoh 12 string bridge is drones above. Do I have to ge a new Gotoh bridge - does it come in two versions (I can't...

unofficialwarmoth.com

12 String Drones Below bridge

Hi, there! I'm looking for a 12 string drone below bridge. The Gotoh bridge that Warmoth sells seems to be a good bridge, but I would have to string my guitar with the drones above and I definitely prefer the Rickenbacker style. Does anybody know a good drones below 12 string bridge? Thanks!

unofficialwarmoth.com

Tuners, and mayfly's idea of using different color buttons for the drone strings on the tuners.

'65 12-string neck tuner options

This may be a dumb question but I've searched and couldn't find it discussed anywhere. For a 65 12-string neck is it better to have 2 sets of 3x3 tuners, so that the orientation is the same on either side, or just 2 sets of 6 where they are "backwards" on one side? Images I can find of Fenders...

unofficialwarmoth.com

Talk about pickup pole piece spacing and the Gotoh bridge:

Mini-humbuckers + Gotoh 12-string bridge

I want to use some Lollar mini-humbuckers in a 12-string build but I'm concerned about the string spacing. The Gotoh 12-string bridge has a center-to-center spacing of 52.5mm but the mini-humbuckers are 1.95", which is about 49.5mm. The outer E-to-E spacing on the bridge is actually 55.5mm, so...

unofficialwarmoth.com

Misc Fender Electric 12 talk, including control plates:

Fender Electric XII

Hi The Electric XII is a build which interests me as it’s not offered for sale by Fender. The thing that concerns me is the body route doesn’t appear to be available, and I haven’t seen a bridge that is similar to the original Electric XII bridge. Any thoughts on this kind of build...

unofficialwarmoth.com

Do you need a string retainer? Fat Pete and bgalizio both reported not needing them on their builds, mayfly did need one.

Electric XII string tree/retainer Required?

As indicated in the thread title, I am wondering how necessary (if at all) is the string tree/retainer for Warmoth's XII neck; absolutely required, or are the tuner reams in line with the nut slots well enough to omit the guide?

unofficialwarmoth.com

3D printed version available:

XII String Retainer by SansRegret on Shapeways

Check out XII String Retainer by SansRegret on Shapeways and discover more 3D printed products in Other.

www.shapeways.com

A Floyd-style bar could also work:

Tension Bar アーカイブ - G-GOTOH

g-gotoh.com

String retainer location:

Another 12 String Question -Location of String Tree

All the Fender XII's from the 60s and the more recent Alternate Reality 12 string electrics have the string tree located near the nut. Recently, I've noticed people (including some on this forum) place the tree after the first set of tuners (see photos). Putting it nearer the nut will generate...

unofficialwarmoth.com

amigarobbo's build thread:

Fender XII style guitar in Burgundy Mist (definitely)

So, here's the plan, a guitar in the tradition of a Fender XII 12 string solid bodied guitar: not an historically correct instrument, but similar. Warmoth '65 neck, I won't be going for a right hand reverse version, :icon_biggrin: Now I like little frets, and stainless is a...

unofficialwarmoth.com

bagman's build thread. Paddle-head tiltback rather than a flat Fender-style neck.

Twelve Stringin'

Aloha brethren and sistren, ladies and gentlemen, theydies and gentlethems, and kids of all ages! One of my kid sister's dearest friends recently posted on Facebook about wanting to pick up an electric 12-string, and was griping about the limited options that didn't involve backing up the...

unofficialwarmoth.com

oldfrets' VIP build:

It's going to be a jangly one

Neck: roasted flame maple with Macassar ebony board and ivoroid binding, stainless 6105 frets, boatneck profile, will be receiving chrome Hipshot tuners. Body: hollow VIP of roasted swamp ash with birdseye maple veneer, ivoroid binding, will be getting a chrome AMB tune-o-matic with 12...

unofficialwarmoth.com

A-A-Ron's double-neck build thread:

New video: I Built This Guitar to Play One Song! (Part One)

To be clear, the adversarial role depicted in the video between me and the Warmoth execs was just for funsies. :icon_biggrin: https://youtu.be/EBW4XDj3sXE

unofficialwarmoth.com

And the videos, parts 1-4:

Slight return:

 

[Rick]

 

[stratamania]

It should make for a good build. I have added a link to post #2 to the Welcome to the Forum thread under Useful Tips and Tricks.

 

[electric__steve]

There hasn't been too much to update since I'm still waiting, just over 14 weeks so far. I'm getting excited that I might have the body and neck in another month or so. I do have two sets of Hipshot tuners, and right now I'm debating whether I might want to swap the gold buttons for pearloid. I feel like I won't know until I have everything in hand.

 

[stratamania]

Are the Hipshot tuners for the 6 or 12 string neck?

 

[electric__steve]

The 12. I've got a lefty set and a righty set, both with staggered posts.

 

[stratamania]

I think the shape of the pearl white buttons looks better, perhaps they will be lighter also in weight. Hopefully, 12 open grip lock Hipshot won't add too much weight to the 12 string neck.

 

[Rick]

Oh yeah, the plastic buttons are definitely lighter. There's a trick that one our members (Mayfly?) uses which used different buttons for the two courses. I think if you swapped out one course to have pearloid small butterbean, and the other to have chrome or gold small butterbean, you'd be much happier at string change time, plus, as stratman says, the weight would be cut down. Best place to get them is sporthightech, and check out the hipshot website for the exact dimensions and weight.

 

[electric__steve]

Right now I'm not too worried about neck dive, though I could be proven wrong when I actually get it in hand. Strat bodies do balance pretty well, though this is also a chambered body. I threw the tuners on the scale, and one set weighs 7.8 ounces. Unfortunately, it looks like nobody publishes weights for tuner sets, so I really don't know if these are heavier or lighter than average. With the Hipshot mounting plate, I don't have to drill the back of the neck, so I can test them out without making extra holes in case I'm unhappy.

Hipshot sells buttons in a bunch of different shapes and materials. Website link: https://hipshotproducts.com/collections/guitar-tuning-machines/products/guitar-tuner-buttons

I agree with you on the shape, I like the Hex shape more. They call it the "Hipshot" shape, so I guess it's their signature shape. I'll probably go with mayfly's idea of different buttons for the drone strings. One set would definitely be Hex. For the other, I could stick with the Hipshot shape, or use Butterbean.

 

[electric__steve]

Rick, it's funny that you mention sporthightech, I stole that green-background photo above from one of their listings on Reverb. Yeah, I've got bookmarks to their listings for the Butterbean and Hex shapes in both gold and pearl.

I don't remember if I actually found photos of mayfly's setup, I probably should hunt that down.

 

[Rick]

Just to make it look right, I'd make it all small butter bean, but one set gold, and the other pearloid. Chrome, in lieu of gold, given the proximity to the pearloid, would look good too.

I think the hex shapes for metal and plastic are a little different. The measurements are all on the hipshot website.

An easy search of tuner, or 12 string, and mayfly will show it.

You can always try one way, and see if you like it. I do like the hex shape, very cool, just not sure about mixing shapes and sizes, and I'm pretty sure the butterbeans are the same size.

 

[stratamania]

Those open gears Hipshot locking tuners are heavier than other tuners that I have (which is why I mentioned it). Sporthitech is where I have got Hipshots and replacement buttons from, they are usually well stocked and competitive in price compared to direct ordering from what I experienced.

 

[electric__steve]

So I'm scrolling through the showcase and came across this Tele body. It's not exactly what I've ordered for this build, but it is a nice preview.

https://warmoth.com/pt-8854-teler-replacement-body

And hot damn, I'm just drooling in anticipation. I just love the pearloid binding and the Koa.

 

[rockandroller]

That's going to be MAJESTIC!

A couple years back I got hold of an almost-free paulownia strat body, and made a "Strat-XII" out of it with a custom-order Warmoth neck (pics here). The neck turned out awesome, and I really like the performance of the Gotoh bridge.

 

[electric__steve]

I have a set of Gotoh locking tuners handy, and those weigh in at 7.8 ounces, exactly the same as the Hipshots.
I also have an old set of basic no-frills tuners originally from my 90s MIM Strat, which come in at 4.4 ounces.

So if I do have an issue with weight at the headstock, it's possible to find tuners that weigh half as much.

Gotoh has some vintage-style locking tuners that don't use the thumbwheel locking, which I presume would be lighter than 7.8 ounces: https://www.philadelphialuthiertool...ing-adj-height-guitar-tuners-6-inline-nickel/

 

[electric__steve]

What has two thumbs and shipping confirmation? This guy! Looks like it's on the slow mule from Poo-yallop to the east coast, gonna take a week to get here.

 

[Rick]

Mmmh ... that's about 20 weeks ... do you live, like me, in terms of shipping, in the most remote place in the CONUS from Puyallup?

 

[electric__steve]

The actual lead time may be closer to 18 weeks. I was out of town the last two weeks and had asked Warmoth to hold off on shipping until I got back. I live in the Baltimore / Washington area, so all the way across the country, but not quite the most remote destination.

 

[electric__steve]

Son of a fire trucking mother loving donkey bucking chimney cleaning Nixon fibbing goat monster bandit.

Shipping damage. Talk about taking the wind out of my sails.