Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

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11-22-2003, 12:13 PM
gt5litre

Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

I have been playing a Fender Electric XII a bit recently. It is in decent shape and at first it was hard to play; the string spacing seems different from my Tele's and LP's. I adjusted and got some very good tones from the guitar. My other choice is a new Ric 360-12 and both will cost about the same to acquire. The Fender could be 100-200 dollars less after trade. Both guitars can produce similar tones, but can sound very different as well. Which way should I go? Advice and opinions are requested so chime in.

gt5litre
11-22-2003, 12:46 PM
Falstaff

Rick 12 strings are pure magic. The benchmark. If you have the cash, go for the Rick. The quality is excellent, and you know how they sound. The best thing is that you can blend the pickups to find the sweet spot. Once you get used to it, you'll be hooked.

YMMV, of course, but I see it as the Eldorado vs. the Toronado. Sure, the Olds does all the same stuff as the Caddy, but how many songs have you heard that mention the Toronado?

Good luck and let us know how you make out.
11-22-2003, 01:45 PM
Old Tele man

.
11-22-2003, 02:58 PM
gt5litre

Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

I owned a 1967 330 12 a few years back;forced to sell to pay obligations that came out of my wife's battle with breast cancer. My wife is still here so it was worth it.

gt5litre
11-22-2003, 05:06 PM
TeleDave

Although the Ric is a fine instrument (I had one and loved it) the fender has a kind of quirky cool to it, Jeff Buckley had one, and you can't argue with that, he was as cool as it gets.
11-23-2003, 08:52 PM
cubba65

Re: 12-String: Fender vs Rickenbacker?

Quote:

Originally posted by Old Tele man
how many HIT songs (think McGuinn, Eagles, etc.) can you recall played on a Fender XII...

uhhh, "Stairway to Heaven."
11-23-2003, 08:58 PM
chuckocaster

don't forget that the tele was used for the solo. check some pics of pete townsend around tommy era, that's the XII'er also...
11-25-2003, 03:02 AM
Zendocon

I've got a Ric 330/12. It really is a slice of heaven. Chimes like bells. :D
11-26-2003, 11:20 AM
cubba65

Quote:

Originally posted by Zendocon
I've got a Ric 330/12. It really is a slice of heaven. Chimes like bells. :D

i had a 330-12 and while the tone was the bee's knees, my fingers couldn't fit on the ungodly narrow neck to play chords

always buzzing off of my fingertips, but loved it for lead gtr

the Tom Petty model has a fatter neck, but i opted for a fender xii and never looked back...
11-26-2003, 08:36 PM
Kap'n

Re: 12-String: Fender vs Rickenbacker?

Quote:

Originally posted by Old Tele man
how many HIT songs (think McGuinn, Eagles, etc.) can you recall played on a Fender XII...

Lots of Stan Ridgway tunes. Not big chart successes, but some awesome sounds. "Stormy Side of Town" sounds big and spooky with the Fender XII.
11-27-2003, 03:38 AM
frank thomson

i think i'd go for the fender......imnsho
11-28-2003, 12:07 AM
Zendocon

Quote:

Originally posted by cubba65
i had a 330-12 and while the tone was the bee's knees, my fingers couldn't fit on the ungodly narrow neck to play chords

always buzzing off of my fingertips, but loved it for lead gtr

It's all a matter of getting used to your guitars. Lots of people play Ric 12-strings and play them well. It took YEARS before I could feel comfortable playing a Gibson... but when it comes down to it, you can't get a Les Paul tone from any other guitar. Same with a Strat. Same with a Ric 12-string. I've played the Fender XII as well... but I like the Ric MUCH better. However, there's a current reissue of the Strat XII that's priced VERY competitively. Looks cool too ;)
11-28-2003, 12:21 AM
Zendocon

Here's another interesting 12-string....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=33039
11-28-2003, 03:11 AM
frank thomson

in The NEW MF......they have a 12 Burns strat
01-14-2004, 03:53 PM
PG13

If the Fender XII sounded like the Ric, it would be a no-brainer. The Fender is much easier to play and restring, but the Ric has THE SOUND.
01-14-2004, 07:37 PM
Dwell

I can't play the Rick 12 string necks. Like toys.
The new Strat XII has a good neck on it- the ones from the early 90s had 24 3/4" scales and didn't have the right feel or sound.
The original Fender XIIs can be good guitars, but for the money I'd go for the new Strat XIIs. Or make a "partscaster" 12.
01-15-2004, 11:36 PM
Zendocon

I'm quite fond of the Ric 12 string necks. I've had one for years and I'm quite used to it. Rics are NOT hard to play. And they're the only 12 string with "the chime". You know what's even easier to play than a 12-string Fender??? The TV remote. Get the Ric. Be thankful you aren't a mandolin player.
02-06-2004, 04:30 PM
PG13

I was listening to The Doors' "Love Her Madly" at lunchtime today. Sounded like the thinner Fender XII sound to me. Anybody know for sure?
08-01-2004, 03:17 PM
treeofpain

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

I like the feel of the Fender 12, but the sound of the Ric is classic. The Ric is a "one trick pony", so don't expect a lot of variety.

It would be fun to buy a newer issue Strat 12 and experiment with pickups. They sound pretty good stock, but I think you could get some really great sounds - even pseudo Ric sounds - from a Fender.

You can do a little tweaking with a Fender 12, but the pickups aren't standard size, which is a pain.
08-01-2004, 03:27 PM
gt5litre

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

I ordered a Ric 360-12 in Fireglo with the "Toaster Top" vintage pickup option. The wait will be long and excruciating.

Brent
08-25-2004, 07:59 AM
Rickenjangle

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubba65

i had a 330-12 and while the tone was the bee's knees, my fingers couldn't fit on the ungodly narrow neck to play chords
always buzzing off of my fingertips, but loved it for lead gtr
the Tom Petty model has a fatter neck, but i opted for a fender xii and never looked back...

My thoughts exactly. I have a Ric fetish, as you can tell from my username, and had a Ric 360/12 that I had to sell to pay the mortgage...and the reason I sold it instead of selling my blood or hocking my left testicle :D is because the string spacing made it difficult to play cleanly. If I get another electric 12 I probably won't get a Rick.
08-25-2004, 08:01 AM
Rickenjangle

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zendocon

I'm quite fond of the Ric 12 string necks. I've had one for years and I'm quite used to it. Rics are NOT hard to play. And they're the only 12 string with "the chime". You know what's even easier to play than a 12-string Fender??? The TV remote. Get the Ric. Be thankful you aren't a mandolin player.

You're right about the sound, but if you had fat fingertips like I do you'd think twice about the Ric.
08-25-2004, 08:43 AM
gt5litre

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Only 6-7 more months to go till my 360-12 arrives.

Brent
10-15-2004, 10:44 AM
Rickenjangle

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt5litre

Only 6-7 more months to go till my 360-12 arrives.

Brent

Hell, you coulda driven to the House of Guitars...they always have some Ric 12's in stock.
10-15-2004, 11:42 AM
Kap'n

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Rick has a 12-string with a wider neck. I forget the number, but it's got the "cresting wave" shape, like the Tom Petty model.
11-18-2004, 09:29 AM
Rickenjangle

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Kap, that's the 620-12, but I think that the stock ones had the same slim neck and that the Pettys were the only ones with the wider necks...celebrity hath its priveleges, eh?

On a broader electric XII note, has anybody tried the Danos? I played one at a local store, used, for $280 and if the price had been $30 cheaper I think I would have gone for it... Sure, it's not a Rick, but at 1/4 the price?
11-18-2004, 12:20 PM
Offshore Angler

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

Rickenjangle - no decision here. The Rick tailpiece comes off and makes changing all twelve strings a breeze - well as much of a breeze as a twelve can be. It's definately the better of the two.
11-19-2004, 03:45 PM
birdy

Re: Fender Electric XII or Ric 360-12????

I played a 660 - 12 that was at the local guitar store
on consignment. The neck felt nice(I have ape hands)
compared to the 330. Went home, thought "Ya...I'll get it".
Next day....*SOLD* before I got there.
One of these days though..... :ahem

:nelson