Fender 12-String Guitars: Unveiling the Electric Models You Might Have Missed

Fender 12-string electric guitars? It’s understandable if that doesn’t immediately ring a bell. Many guitar enthusiasts are unaware of their existence, or might wonder, “Has Fender ever actually made a 12-string electric guitar? Have I ever even heard one?”

The answer is a resounding yes. Fender has indeed crafted several 12-string electric models throughout its history, and chances are, you’ve encountered their distinctive jangle in iconic recordings.

Fender first ventured into the world of 12-string electrics in the mid-1960s with the introduction of the Electric XII. Produced from 1965 to 1969, this model became instantly recognizable for its unique sound. If you’ve ever been captivated by the opening chords of Led Zeppelin’s epic “Stairway to Heaven,” you’ve already experienced the magic of a Fender Electric XII.

During the same era, Fender also explored the realm of thin hollow-body electric guitars with the Coronado series. This lineup included the Coronado XII, a 12-string model available from 1967 to 1970.

In Fender’s modern period, the Stratocaster design has also been adapted for 12 strings. Several iterations of the Stratocaster XII have emerged, starting with the Special/Deluxe Series Strat XII (1988-97), followed by the Classic Series Stratocaster XII (2003-04), and the Special Edition Series Stratocaster XII (2005-10). Even the Fender Custom Shop briefly joined the 12-string foray with a specialized 12-string Telecaster model in the late 1990s.

Of all these Fender 12-string electric guitars, the Electric XII stands out as the most widely used and historically significant. Although Fender entered the 12-string electric market a bit later than pioneers like Rickenbacker, who had already gained prominence through associations with bands like The Beatles and The Byrds, Fender was determined to capture a share of the burgeoning folk-rock scene of the 1960s. Leo Fender himself took a hands-on approach, opting to design an entirely new instrument rather than simply adding extra strings to existing models like the Telecaster or Stratocaster, a common approach among other manufacturers.

The Electric XII was conceived as a completely new instrument, characterized by its intelligent design and robust construction. Introduced in June 1965, just a few months after CBS acquired Fender, its arrival coincided with the peak of the folk-rock craze, fueled by The Byrds’ hit single and album “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Interestingly, Gene Clark of The Byrds played a Firemist Gold prototype of the Electric XII on Hullabaloo in May 1965, marking one of the earliest public appearances of the guitar and, ironically, a rare instance of Clark playing guitar instead of his usual tambourine.

The Electric XII shared the comfortable offset body style with other Fender models like the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Jazz Bass, and Bass VI. It featured two split single-coil pickups, a departure from typical Fender guitar pickups, although this design was already familiar from the Precision Bass since 1957. Another unique element was its four-way rotary pickup selector switch, offering individual pickup selection, both pickups together, and a out-of-phase setting. A single volume and tone control were mounted on a chrome plate reminiscent of the Jazz Bass. The 21-fret rosewood fingerboard was adorned with classic pearl dot inlays.

However, the true innovation of the Electric XII lay in its bridge design. Most 12-string electric guitars at the time utilized six-saddle bridges accommodating two strings per saddle, often leading to intonation challenges. In contrast, the Electric XII boasted a fully adjustable 12-saddle bridge, allowing for precise intonation of each individual string. The string-through-body design further enhanced sustain. This bridge, both simple and effective, was among Leo Fender’s final designs before the sale of his company to CBS in 1965.

Initially, the Electric XII was offered in a standard three-color sunburst nitrocellulose lacquer finish with a white pearloid pickguard, which was quickly replaced by tortoiseshell. Custom color finishes were also available in the early years. Late-1965 models featured white neck binding, and block inlays replaced dot inlays in mid-1966. A black Fender headstock decal appeared in 1968, along with “F”-style tuners and more durable polyester finishes.

Visually, the most striking feature of the Electric XII was its distinctive “hockey stick” headstock. This oversized headstock was also used on Fender’s Shenandoah and Villager acoustic 12-string models introduced in the summer of 1965. Its bulky and less streamlined appearance contrasted with the body’s smooth contours and marked a significant departure from the traditional six-in-line tuner arrangement that had defined Fender electric guitars since their inception in the early 1950s.

Despite its solid construction and innovative features, the Electric XII’s stage presence remained limited. While it became a favored instrument in recording studios, “it never really caught on as a live instrument,” as noted in The Golden Age of Fender: 1946-1970. The popularity of electric 12-string guitars waned by 1967, leading to the Electric XII’s discontinuation in 1969. Leftover bodies and parts were later repurposed to create the rare and short-lived Fender Custom/Maverick model (1969-71).

Despite its relatively short production run, the Electric XII has found its way into the hands of numerous notable musicians, from its early days to the present.

Jimmy Page famously used a 1965 Electric XII on several Led Zeppelin tracks. Most notably, he employed it in December 1970 to record the shimmering arpeggiated rhythm guitar parts in “Stairway to Heaven.” Around the same time, he also utilized it to create the massive, droning guitar textures in “When the Levee Breaks.”

Page’s use of the Electric XII extends beyond his Zeppelin era. He played it on Jeff Beck’s solo single “Beck’s Bolero” in May 1966. The guitar even made a live appearance on April 4, 2009, when Page joined Beck onstage at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction to perform “Beck’s Bolero” and “Immigrant Song.”

Pete Townshend of The Who also recognized the instrument’s potential. When The Who mimed to “Magic Bus” on German TV’s Beat-Club in October 1968, Townshend was seen playing his 1965 Fender Electric XII. More significantly, he used it extensively in the studio during the recording of The Who’s rock opera Tommy in early 1969, featuring it prominently on tracks like “Sparks” and “Underture.” Townshend is known to have owned multiple Electric XIIs and was photographed with one as recently as 2006.

Eric Clapton also explored the jangly side of the Electric XII on “Dance the Night Away,” a track from Cream’s 1967 album Disraeli Gears. In a 2006 episode of Classic Albums documenting the making of Disraeli Gears, Clapton demonstrates chord voicings for the song using his Electric XII.

Bob Dylan was photographed with an Electric XII during the 1965 sessions for Highway 61 Revisited, although it remains uncertain whether he actually recorded with it.

Other notable Electric XII players from its initial era include John Pisano of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, who used it extensively (evident on 1967’s “Wade in the Water”), singer-songwriter Tim Buckley (on tracks like 1973’s “Dolphins” and “Honey Man”), Beach Boy Carl Wilson (photographed with a 1965 prototype), “Wrecking Crew” guitarist Billy Strange (who played one on The Beach Boys’ classic “Sloop John B” from 1966), and Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison of The Velvet Underground, who used theirs on “Beginning To See the Light” and “What Goes On” from their self-titled 1969 album. Johnny Winter famously played an Electric XII strung as a six-string at the 1969 Woodstock festival.

In more recent times, Electric XII players include Tom Petty, who played a white model during the first half of his 2006 North American tour; Chad Taylor of Live, who often played his blue Electric XII onstage and on their platinum-selling 1999 album The Distance to Here; and Verve guitarist Nick McCabe, who used a red Fender Electric XII (borrowed from vocalist Richard Ashcroft) during the band’s 2008 reunion tour, notably on “Space and Time” from their 1997 album Urban Hymns.

Even in popular culture, the Electric XII has made appearances. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot the red hockey stick headstock of an Electric XII in the iconic “guitar collection” scene of the 1984 rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, briefly visible as Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) showcases his special Marshall amp head – the one that “goes to 11.”

Fender’s other 12-string electric guitar from the 1960s was the Coronado XII. The Coronado line, featuring thinline hollow-body electrics, debuted in 1966 and was manufactured at Fender’s acoustic guitar facility in Anaheim, California. Designed to compete with Gibson’s 300 series guitars, the Coronados were thin, double-cutaway models with f-holes, floating bridge/tailpiece assemblies, and DeArmond pickups. However, they retained characteristic Fender elements like bolt-on necks and six-in-line headstocks – with one notable exception.

The Coronado XII, introduced in 1967, broke from the six-in-line headstock tradition and, like the Electric XII, adopted the large “hockey stick” headstock. Furthermore, the Coronado XII was also offered in distinctive Wildwood and Antigua finishes, known as the Coronado XII Wildwood and Antigua XII respectively.

Despite its interesting design and elegant aesthetics, the Coronado XII arrived as the electric 12-string trend in popular music was already waning. Fender promotional materials from the late 1960s show Coronado XII models being played by artists like The Fifth Dimension and Chad & Jeremy, but its widespread adoption seemed limited, and the Coronado XII was discontinued by the end of 1970.

The modern Fender era witnessed the emergence of the Stratocaster XII. Manufactured in Japan and introduced in 1988, the Strat XII incorporated most of the familiar Stratocaster features and design elements. However, it included a specialized 12-saddle bridge and a redesigned large headstock to accommodate six tuners per side.

Remarkably enduring for a niche instrument, the 22-fret Strat XII remained in production for nearly a decade until its discontinuation in 1997. It was later revived as the 21-fret Classic Series Stratocaster XII (2003-04), which then transitioned to the Special Edition Series before being discontinued again in 2010.

The Fender Custom Shop also ventured into 12-string Telecasters in the 1990s. The limited-edition Telecaster XII (1995-99) featured a lightweight ash body, a single-ply black pickguard, and a maple neck and fingerboard, available in various finishes.

As of 2023, Fender’s electric guitar lineup once again lacks a dedicated 12-string electric model – although they do offer acoustic 12-string guitars. However, Fender’s history is full of surprises, and the company has a penchant for revisiting its rich heritage and paying tribute to some of its more unique and sought-after instruments. The possibility of a future Fender 12-string electric guitar is always on the horizon, making it a space to watch for enthusiasts of that shimmering, iconic sound.