Fender 12 String Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I'm glad that Fender reissued the Electric XII after a very long absence. 12 string electric guitars are usually overlooked by most guitarists due to their somewhat "quirky" reputation…hard to keep in tune, neck warpage, and a nightmare to setup. If you decide to buy one, take the time to learn how to set it up. Light gauge strings, low action and a good tuner will get you off to good start. The reissue Electric XII (which is built in Mexico) is well made but had very annoying fret ends. Once I smoothed the fret ends the guitar played like a champ.Scotty Babyboomer

I have been Jonesin' for a Fender XII 12-string ever since 1970 when I played a friend's original one. Always thought it was a cool alternative for the Rics and stuff of the day. Over the years, as I watched the prices skyrocket on the originals, I wondered why they were never re-issued ??? Ta-da ! Finally the Alternate Reality Fender XII, and for a decent price ! A fine piece, and I sprung for the Arctic white/ tortoise guard color. It simply looks and sounds gorgeous ! Thank you Sam for the best price on the planet !bruce

A great guitar that came super fast and for a great price. Really comfortable to play and more usable than most 12 strings, maybe not rickenbacker chime for the Byrds but so much more practical than a RickSarah

First of all, this is a gorgeous guitar. It looks just great. It has a big, rich sound even moreso than other larger bodied guitars I've seen. The tuner works great. I love playing it. A few minor issues. First, I find the action high, & the bridge is not adjustable. 2nd, the complaints others have offered about the fret edges being VERY rough are entirely true: you can practically leave your hand bloody, I'm sure, if you play long enough, just from being roughed up by the fret edges. I'll try filing them down & refinishing them, as some have suggested. Finally, you'll want to get rid of the strings & go with a lighter gauge, partly to alleviate the high action issue. I'd get this guitar again. I think it is a $500 – $600 guitar lurking for only a little more than half that price. But before recommending it to a friend, I'd point out these couple issues.DET

Poor quality control! Neck is a mess with all of the fret ends protruding and sharp. One fret is noticeably higher causing all kinds of issues. Inside edge of the sound hole is poorly finished and some of the ribs look rough, like they weren't sanded smooth. This one's going back!Bill

Sound: I can get any sound I want just through the pickup selector, tbx and midrange boost controls, and the master volume takes it over the edge for extra crunch. Playing by myself I preferred the middle pickup, but in a band situation the neck pup cuts through brilliantly with lovely clean treble twang. This is a great guitar for biting blues or rock tones, or dial it back for a nice soft clean tone. I mostly play through a Blackstar TVP 60 or Marshall DSL40, but I keep both mostly clean where it's just starting to break up, which I can control by my attack. Features: The best feature for me is the playability of the neck. The satin finish combined with the low vintage frets is just super smooth. I played about a dozen different Strat models before finding the EC, and once I played it there was no other choice to make. The noiseless vintages pups are a breeze, and the controls do everything Fender claims. Ease of Use: The EC just fell to hand for me immediately, like no other guitar I'd played before or since. 'Nuff said. The pups allow me to keep tight control on feedback only when I want it. Quality: This is a pure quality instrument, and I love everything about it. Having said that, after 2 years there's quite a bit of fret wear from bending, so I'll need to refret with stainless steel wire for longer wear. The volume pot has started to get a bit dirty and noisy, so it needs a clean, even though I've only played in clean environments. Value: Worth it's weight in gold. I have not played another guitar that makes me want to buy it. Manufacturer Support: Haven't need manufacturer support, but in Australia I have Fender-registered luthiers. The Wow Factor: This is EC's guitar, as close as I'll ever get, which is a big selling point. But sheer playability, quality, and value for money, plus pride of ownership, make it simply the best. Overall: Just a fabulous, playable guitar, the best I've ever played.Peter

Arrived in great shape. So far, I love this guitar, and despite all the videos I watched and reviews I'd read, I was still amazed at the sheer number of tones you can get out of it. With the mid and treble boosts, you can really go from "typical strat" tones to get incredible sustain and hit the front of the amp quite hard to get good breakup.Pros:- American Strat quality, fit and finish is good, rolled fret board, etc.- The electronics – endless variety of tones. Not great for modern metal or hard rock, but anything else will work.Cons:- This would be a hard guitar to work into a live venue if you play with other guitars as well. It is LOUD, so much louder than my Les Paul or anything else I own that I have to play with the levels and EQ on the amp. In my house, no big deal. At a gig, that may be tough. That said, I don't own other guitars with active electronics, so maybe other active pickups are also this much louder?- Requires you to unscrew the back plate to change the battery. I'm sure this keeps costs down, but on my active basses it's a lot easier to open the battery compartment without screws. Make sure you have a full battery before a gig.- I was surprised at the amount of set-up I had to do to get rid of fret buzz. Given the amount of distance in shipping, time in warehouses, temperature/humidity differences, etc. my guess is that it was probably fine when it left the factory, but it's the first guitar I've bought online that had so many strings/frets buzzing. Luckily a couple turns on the saddle screws fixed it all without appreciably raising action.Neither good nor bad: – The neck profile is unique to the Clapton. It feels like "a more playable vintage profile" to me. It's definitely not a modern profile. You'll either like it or you won't 🙂 I found it really easy to adjust to, and it seems to work great for "thumb over"- The bridge is similarly vintage, and comes blocked. If you really want the newer Fender bridge, you are out of luck. Given my set-up experience (above), I'm not convinced I could just "remove the block" and have it playable without additional set-up.- Tweed case looks amazing, but is not form fitting like the new TSA case that comes with other American Fenders. I wanted a tweed case, and I don't fly with my guitar, so not a big deal to me.Overall I feel like I made the right choice in buying a Strat, and I can't put it down. If your goal is to make Clapton sounds (or any other great Blues/Rock sounds) – this is a fantastic guitar.Metal Head

I have owned a number of high-end 12 Strings. This Fender can hang with them and some Twice as expensive and more! It was perfectly set-up right out of the box. Great action and play-ability.I am still Impressed with this guitar especially at it's price point. The strings it came strung with were not for me. It is The one thing that I changed and it just made the sound POP, the voice INCREDIBLE and made the guitar even more impressive. The strings I used are the Martin Retro Monel Custom Lights. It opened a whole new sound for this guitar. I have owned this now over 4 months and am still awed. For a twelve string it holds its Tuning even when I am wailing and using my Dunlop Brass slide. You really cannot go wrong with this well built and great sounding Guitar! Don't wait if your looking, pull the trigger and BUY IT NOW! You will have NO regrets, and with AMS's great payment plans what more could you ask for?!?!?Spikeola

Things I like: -Noiseless pickups sound pretty close to regular single coils but without the annoying hum. They may not sound 100% as glassy as my Tele single coils, but if we're honest, very few people will notice the difference and the trade-off for quiet pickups is well worth it. -One volume and one master tone is user friendly like a Telecaster -Comfortable body and neck -Rotary switch adds a nice boost to get closer to Tele or p90 when needed Comments: -First time I tried out the rotary switch I thought it was kinda of dumb, but after setting it up, I think it is most valuable to add some thickness when the thinner Strat sounds needs a bit more. I like it now but still think the lower settings aren't truly necessary. Makes the neck pickup more suitable for jazz and gets the bridge close to a Tele. -After received, we tweaked it but adjusting the truss rod, filing the nut a bit for a couple strings, raising the pickups to the Fender specs (3.2mm), adjusting the rotary switch so when you turned it the knob would stop and not just keep spinning when you got to the end of the options. -Make sure you unplug the guitar from the amp or the battery will run down very quickly -Never owned a Pau Ferro fretboard before but it's very close to Rosewood. If you're on the fence, I wouldn't let it put you off. In the end, we've got a very usable, comfortable, versatile Strat that sounds great! If you are looking for a Stratocaster that can do Strat tones and can get close to Tele or even Les Paul (maybe a bit far on the Les Paul but again, close is the operative word–there is no ONE guitar) when needed, all with noise-free pickups, then this is a great choice.Steve

This is a fantastic guitar – it sounds beautiful and is really easy to play. Amazing value for money. I had an issue with my first order, and PMT were excellent with their customer service and everything got resolved perfectly within a day, and I received the guitar the following day. Thank you for the fantastic service.Melissa R.

The cool factor on this guitar is a solid 10. So many "quirky" things – the double pickguard, poly on the fingerboard, soviet-era rocket hardware…. This is my third Rick (two basses) and the workmanship on the frets/setup is second to none. But…it did take me three tries at the 330 to get an instrument that did not have unacceptable finish flaws. The first had "orange peel" along the edge of the body and headstock. I used to work for a major US guitar manufacturer, and I recognize that a right angle edge is difficult to finish, but for this price, a good finish is to be expected. #2 looked like whoever painted the inside of the f-hole black, was in a hurry and got paint on the top and then it was cleared over. Touch it up, THEN send it out. The third one had some finish bubbles on the headstock, but after three tries, sometimes better is the enemy of good and I kept it. When they get the finish applied properly – it is stunning. The Fireglow is much better than in pictures and draws you in and "moves".Reviewinbacker

I own a number of Fenders and Gibsons. Having always wanted a Rick and knowing its limitations, I bought one at the local GC. It is truly a beautiful guitar, set up was perfect out of the box for the pure nickel 10's I installed. No fret buzz whatsoever and really, really low action. Not a great neck for bending notes and that's why, in my opinion, this is a rhythm guitar. Tonewise, it's got one characteristic "Rick" tone, achieved with both pickups. Single pickup tones are ok but not noteworthy. In summary, I would not recommend this as your "only" electric, but certainly a worthy component of any musicvian's multi guitar collection. Get the Fireglow…it's the best colorBob the Strat Player

I own a Rickenbacker 330 in MapleGlo, which I purchased new in 2004. As I started to get into home studio recording, I went shopping for a Rickenbacker guitar, and literally bought the first one that I found, which, at the time, was probably the only one in town. I tweaked the set-up when I first got it, and it has only gotten better since, with almost zero maintenance, aside from string changes. It really is a great guitar, that sings wonderfully before even plugging it in, with a full chime, and smooth, blooming notes. I have long been a fan of Peter Buck from R.E.M., which was my original impetus for getting a Rickenbacker guitar, but once I got mine, it quickly worked its way into my own world of music and sound. I use D'Addario EXL115W strings on mine, with a wound G, which helps me play perfectly in tune, up and down the length of the fretboard. For jangle and chime, I tend to favor the middle pick-up position, with the 5th knob turned all the way to the neck pick-up, i.e., counter-clockwise, and the two tone knobs at the half-way point. The 330 does appear to have a slightly larger body than the 360, which I think lends itself to a fuller chime, although the 360 may rock a little better … I would say decide for yourself, if that is possible. In any case, I definitely and whole-heartedly recommend a Rickenbacker 330 in your favorite color. It is, in my estimation, the best rhythm guitar money can buy, made by a company which exhibits impeccable artistry and craftsmanship. Every Ric is exquisite, and the 330 is right up there with the very best of them.Steve

Guitar was not setup properly had to adjust everything. The cheap Vinyl that's glued on otter edge already pealing. When it arrived there was glue seeping from the edges, didnt realize until I touched it & ruined my $$60.00 gold plated strings. I replaced truss rod cover, junk. Knobs dont match/ugly replaced. Nut was junk, not cut right, made my own in my shop. The glue seepage awful. Removed cheap Vinyl treating guitar to remove exess glue, ridiculous. Huge scratch on back chip on rear bottom of neck where vynil was joined. For the 60th anniversary edition… Worst I've ever seen! My original 59 still looks plays and sounds fantastic. Cutting corners using cheap materials and trying to save money is no way to honor guitars from our past. Sound not that great but I'll have to replace some wiring & tuners as well. stuff to get it to sound halfway decent. I play in a Zeppelin tribute band at all the hotels and in Vegas, definitely not stage worthy! What a major disappointment. Way over priced. My appraisal $80.00 and that's being generous. If you want one, build your own instead.niceguyvinny1968

Someone in the band said we should do one of those early 60's songs. I listened to it, and it clearly had that 12-string jangle so characteristic of the period. The best thing for that is a Rickenbacker 12-string, but I wasn't going to spring for that for just a few songs. So I zeroed in on a few possibilities, including this Danelectro, and the Dean Boca and the Ibanez Artcore in about the same price range. But the Dano is of course pretty much the exact same instrument that they made back then, and it is arguably better now than it ever was. It was always an inexpensive brand, but had the distinction that a lot of famous people played them. Therefore it has that "original vibe", like the Rickenbacker, but at a fraction of the price. So the Dano was the obvious choice, and I got this NOS version (No-S = no S or F hole which some other models have and the originals did). They say it is still made from Masonite, but you can't tell since it is completely painted and while the website says it is laminated, it is very light-weight. And it still has that textured plastic tape around the whole perimeter like it's supposed to have. The neck strap button is in an awkward location, so you may have to cut a piece off your strap to make it fit (I did, and I replaced my strap buttons with Schaller black strap locks). These guitars are made in Korea, and the build quality is excellent. I was afraid that I'd have get a setup, but the one I received has a fine neck with a nice rosewood finger board, has low action and plays easily enough (for a 12-string), so I'm going to leave it as is. The sound is great! It has that unique Dano sound because of the two lipstick pickups. It may be too bright when using the bridge pickup only, but the thing is you get used to the tone really quickly, so it may work just fine. It certainly will cut through the mix! It is louder when using both pickups, which is probably what I will use most of the time. In sum, I'm very happy with it! It will do!Willy

I didn't have high hopes for a 12 string electric at this price point, but I also couldn't resist, and WOW – am I completely satisfied! This guitar plays really well. It came with a good set-up and when I fine tuned it all the systems worked as they should. You can even adjust intonation on all twelve strings. Thus far the neck has been straight and easily adjusts to string or environmental conditions – I've given it a slight adjustment once it acclimated to my desert conditions and since it has been stable and true. Of course I should protect my guitar from the elements, and I bought a gig bag, but it stays out pretty much constantly and is used daily. This guitar is tons of fun. It easily does the Byrds style of 12 string sound. Also, I never knew just how many early Beatles riff where on 12 string until I started messing with this guitar. It's a blast. I own a Rick 6 string and have always wanted an electric 12. This Danelectro is great quality and great fun and it more than satisfies my itch (for now) at fraction of the price. You will not regret buying this guitar – it will unlock a new world!Mike

I've owned several Strats over the years, including a 1968 (my first real guitar) and a Custom shop with Ibarra pickups. The Eric Johnson is as good or better for me than any of them. I play mainly blues-based classic rock, Hendrix, Clapton, Zeppelin, Beatles, etc. I've had this white-blonde with maple fingerboard for a little over two months at this writing. The larger-than-usual neck is outstanding–much like a Custom shop. Although the 12" radius isn't as comfortable for chording as the standard, rounder 9.5", it provides a more consistent feel for fast playing, runs, etc., imo, because my fingers don't need to adjust to the larger curvature. It's like a classical guitar in that respect. The pickups with their staggered pole pieces sound lovely–almost vintage sounding with loads of classic character. The neck position is honky, midrangy, not smooth like normal Strats, so it cuts. Where I might have preferred the neck position on other Strats, I prefer the 4th position on this one, which has the fat smoothness appropriate for mellower rock rhythm or fills. The middle pickup (without tone control) is louder, and a great go-to for a quick volume and tone change for solos. 2nd position is quacky and biting, great for distorted solos that cut, and the 1st (bridge) position is good for higher gain leads (with the tone rolled back a bit) or for twangy country licks. I've never much liked the bridge pickup on Strats, but this one is less harsh than usual, and with the tone rolled back to 5 or 6 is definitely usable. I'm leaving the tremolo with five springs on, flat to the body for tuning stability; but I do miss being able to whammy in both directions rather than just downward. The staggered tuners undoubtedly help maintain tension, and a bounce on the whammy bar resets intonation pretty well, though not perfectly (this could be due to other factors such as the nut, string gauge, etc.), so I don't use it much. I'm using NYXL9544 (the 9.5 "half-size" gauge).Tanuki

Very nice guitar that is era correct. Has flash coat nitrocellulose finish like original 50's strats that is thinner than other model ej strats. Even has correct '54 patent pending stamped saddles and smoothed headstock corners. These are slightly heavier than alder body EJ strats and doesn't have as deep of contours but is correct for '54 models. Neck is dead on with '54 profile, very slightly larger than previous models. It is listed that it has quarter sawn neck but mine isn't, it is more between flat and rift sawn like original '54. You can tell that fender went through some effort, likely from ej's request, to make these as close as possible to original'54 specs. Only non '54 items are pickups and Bakelite knobs but "Virginia" had these changed out.N. Collins

Beautiful white blonde finish, silky smooth neck finish. The soft V is quite round and is a robust neck, but the V keeps it from being ball bat. If you really like the "Modern C" you may find the neck a little large. It's certainly comfortable to play, and I like it a great deal, even though most of my other guitars are modern C's or similar. So, maybe you won't. I've found that I like larger necks more the longer I play, and the resonance of this neck is just a great feeling. Hard to explain, but it seems more alive than most strats I've played. Some folks have found the neck sticky, but I didn't think that at all. Plays amazing right out of the gate. Intonation was perfect out of the box and setup was just fine, although I may play with it a little for my personal preferences. Tuning stability is good. Came with all of the springs installed on the bridge, so the trem bar was not even usable, but with one spring removed, it allows the trem to be functional while still keeping the bridge hard against the body for better resonance and stability. Pickups are amazing. I have some strats with Texas specials and I've had just about every pickup out there, but these are just perfect. Sounds like a strat should sound, and the "in-between" positions are more usable and pleasing that on any other strat I've ever played. Volume knob reacts perfectly and really changes presence and drive in a predictable fashion. Break up is sweet, and can get quite crunchy on the bidge. Neck is just a perfect blues tone with lots of options to shape character with volume and tone. The treeless headstock is nice…I've had better tuning stability for my plain strings than other strats, and I didn't find the plain strings dead or lacking in any way. This is certainly my new favorite guitar. I don't really know how much having no trem pocket cover on the back of the guitar helps tone, and it kind of looks unfinished without it, but I don't know that I'll bother to add one. Case is great, also.DJ

Overall: Always wanted a Nashville Tele but several things were stopping me from buying it. I could have made some mods myself but that kind of defeats the purpose of a new guitar. No bridge + neck pickup option was a biggie.No locking tuners. All my guitars have locking tuners. 3 saddles instead of 6 individual. I just prefer the 6 even for a Tele.No noiseless pickups. Now they've also done a couple of things I wasn't necessarily looking for but are nice addition. The rolled fingerboard edges are a really nice touch as well as the belly cut. Again, not expected but very nice additions especially since I can roll my own fingerboards but have never attempted my own belly cut on a Tele and probably wouldn't but they are really nice on my G&L's. For the not so great stuff. The neck had entirely too much relief in it but this was rectified with a truss rod adjustment. I did have to do a fret level, crown and polish. The guitar also had a bit of fret sprout and some sharp ends. I easily fixed these issues but would understand others might have to take it to their local tech for a fret job. After a little work on my part the guitar plays wonderfully. The neck is really comfortable. This is every bit as good a guitar as the US produced Fender's I have played recently. The sounds are exactly what you would and should expect from a Nashville Tele. Overall, this is a very well made guitar. Played 4 gigs with it over the New Year break and I gotta say, this is probably going to be right there onstage with my EBMM's. No, it's not as good as my Cutlass and LIII's but it doesn't need to be. I think this guitar is a great bargain and I'm pretty picky. Fender finally got the Nashville Tele right. It's really nice to see.Richie

What a absolutely beautiful instrument. I got mine surf green and the online pictures don't do it justice. Guitar arrived flawless and played great out of the box. Action seemed a little higher than I like, but still plays great with the vintage frets to my surprise. Definitely has that telecaster sound with very nice cleans and twang. Also hitting it with a tube screamer or distortion pedal it has a snarl. Playing through a PRRI, 78 SFDR and 67 Vibro Champ. The C shaped neck does seem slightly beefier than other C shapes on my AVRI strats, but I find it just as comfortable and a nice difference. Clay inlays look really good on the rosewood neck also. There is also a tint to the neck that's more than what was on the previous line of AVRI guitars but I think it looks good.Don

This telecaster is legendary. First, the noiseless pickups immediately distinguish this tele from others and result in ZERO hum and stays that way on all pickups. Second, the C-shape fretboard design makes for effortless phrasing. Third, this guitar is impressively light (much more so than my strat) and is therefore my go-to guitar for gigging. And I should add the unique color configuration makes this tele stand out from the rest. Apparently "Aged Candle Apple Red" is Fender's own thing. Finally, I should note that I run this guitar through my Marshall DSL40CR. The combination makes for great depth and a fullness that rivals my strat — including on clean tones. I'm very happy with this purchase and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a compliment to their rig (particularly if you have a strat and want to expand the universe of sounds).Chad the Bad

Fantastic! Tried so many Fender Strats and replicas by other manufacturers and the Vintera guitars were the only ones with the neck dimensions, shape and fretboard radius I was truly happy with. So easy to play. Very pleased.Giles B.

Beautiful guitar. I thought I wanted a Fender Player until I tried the 60s Vintera. Once I tried it I knew it was the one for me! I have small hands and thought on paper that the neck would be too big but I found it way more comfortable for my hands to the slim modern c neck of the player. I also sounds great. Also, the ice blue metallic is a fabulous colour!Reviewed by Project Music custom

This version of Fenders latest incarnation of Stratocaster is simply superb. It feels great, brilliantly built and finished and plays like a dream. I have an American Strat (1980s) which is amazing, and this particular Strat is as good. The action is excellent and the fretboard feels great. Best of all, however, is the price – absolute value for money. I can, without a moments hesitation, recommend this guitar. You will not be disappointed.5110nigel

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

I just got a grey aerodyne SSH strat. I've never gelled with a fender before. After playing my first gig with this thing I'm so impressed. The neck is amazing. Looks are a amazing. The weight is perfect. That top contouring is so comfortable. The controls… I thought I would want to swap the metal knobs out for traditional plastic knobs because they were smooth, however I had no issues making adjustments to the volume and tone mid song… and they look amazing. The knobs are staying. The pickups. wow. just wow. The traditional strat sounds are here, but they offer more to my ears. More aggression when I needed it. The neck and middle pickups worked perfectly with that bridge humbucker. Switching to the bridge for leads was so satisfying. The sound guy came over after we finished and complimented my tone. He asked me what pedals I was using, and was surprised when I told him I just used delay and reverb. Everything else was the amp and adjusting the controls. These pickups… even when I roll off the tone they somehow still retain clarity. The right kind of clarity. I've played other strats, even American strats (but never custom shop), and these aerodyne pickups are in a league of their own. Bottom line… I've never bought a guitar and wanted to immediately go out and buy another if the same guitar "just in case" something happens to the first one. This guitar is THAT good.Sam

Everything they said about this guitar in the reviews is correct. Quality product and great pick ups. Like the colour, sound and feel.Will M.

The CC 60sce has a more cheery upper range, great for folk or country songs. The tuner is accurate and easy to read. The colors of the guitar really shine in good lighting. I'm not sure if it's the strings being new or if it's just the guitar but they seem to need some frequent tuning. Other than that, this is a great guitar for beginners hoping to play for a small audience or jamming with friends at home. Finally, I noticed it has good response vibrations in the body when you strum a full chord. It reacts nicely against your body. Would buy it again.Kai

Great feel and sound. But the little $1.99 door that holds the battery for the Fishman electronics is or will break, and it's a non-repairable part. You have to return the guitar to repair it. Disregarding the battery, the guitar is great. And I would buy it again. It's not a top of the line $1000 guitar, but it is a top of the line $200 guitar (with an extra $150 added on for broken electronics). The overall size is good, and the neck and frets are a good size for my 12 year old daughter. The action feels good with little fret buzz and it seems to stay in tune all day. I've had 2 of these now. My first one had a broken batt door when opening the box. Per Fender's rules, I returned the whole guitar for a replacement. Great! Except on the 2nd one the little door is too wimpy to stay clipped shut. So the battery just falls out. Maybe I'll have to resort to a big strip of duct tape to hold the door shut. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Or just rely on the clip-on tuner I already have and use a Mic to amplify it.Ben (again)

Great guitar for a beginner like me. Shame that the plastic battery cover didn't fit properly and I broke it trying to install the battery on the first day. That said, this is a really nice guitar for any level player. Good quality guitar but Fender should spend a few more pennies on that battery cover. Brilliant delivery from PMT ordered late afternoon arrived first thing the next day.Stephen D.

I am in love with this guitar! I always wanted an electric 12 string, and I'm delighted with this one. Andertons had it at the best price I was able to find anywhere, either in-store or online. It was perfectly set up and in perfect conditionReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I just got my aqua model and I’m very happy. First off, it was in tune so it was great to be able to play it right away and not go thru nightmare tuning! The fit and finish is excellent as is the sound. Both plugged and unplugged. It plays so easily that I found myself playing leads in all positions. Unlike most 12 strings of the past. Definitely well worth the $$$.Brian Limmer

This is a phenomenal instrument for its price. It looks, plays, feels, and sounds like a far more expensive guitar it is worth every cent. After getting this guitar I simply don't find any of my other acoustic guitars to be on par with this one. Playing this is effortless the size is perfect the best thing about this guitar though is that it produces an amazing warm tone that is surprisingly Loud for its size. Lastly the woods, hardware and electronics on the hellcat are amazing quality and again this thing looks, sounds, and feels like a guitar that cost a couple thousand dollars not 450. Can't recommend it enough it is my daily acoustic guitar now.Daniel Boutchyard

So far, so good. The guitar was shipped to me and arrived in pristine condition. It's gorgeous to look at and the sound is just what I wanted. Very warm and resonant. I'm not a small person, but I wanted something a bit more compact to get my arms around and learn on but didn't want anything too bright sounding. This fits the bill perfect for me. I did want to say, I was looking for a guitar that was made in the USA, and while Guitar Center has its country of origin as USA, this was manufactured in China. If that is important to you, you may want to keep searching.Rebecca D

I did a bunch of research on acoustic electric guitars priced around $500 or less and landed on the Hellcat. Three reasons to buy. First, the construction and materials that are built into this guitar punch well above the price tag. Solid mahogany top, mahogany sides and back; scalloped bracing and fishman electronics. Most guitars with that lineup are going to cost you substantially more $. The fretboard and saddle are walnut, but that doesn't bother me in the least nor does it effect the sound. The nut and saddle are plastic, and over time maybe I will upgrade. Second reason, is the sound. With all mahogany this guitar has a very warm tone. If you're looking for more of a bell-like tone, this is NOT the guitar for you. To me this is a very bluesy, folk sounding guitar. Third is the size. This is a small body concert guitar. Pick one up and give it a feel. You will either love or hate the small body. I like it… fun, easy to play and very portable. The last reason that will either draw you to the guitar or push you away is the aesthetic. The hellcat and skull inlays are not for everyone. I think they are fun.John

This guitar is very versatile and well built. Setup came perfect out the box. It has a harmonic ring to it , I guess from high quality tone wood. This one is definitely special.Dude

Lange von Fender nicht solche stimmige Gitarre mehr in der Hand gehabt, bei dieser Tele stimmt alles,der Hals lässt sich sehr gut bespielen, V-Form ist einfach klasse. Die Pickups klingen hervorragend. Der Steg Pickup klingt nach sehr schönen erdigen Blues mit moderner Nuonce. Der Halspickup macht süchtig mit leicht angecrunchten Sound. Zusammen klingen beide auch sehr ausgewogen. Verarbeitung 1 AAA , wie aus dem gehobenen Custom Shop. Be Happy ….Norbert

While I don’t play line a legend, this guitar could be played by one. I have always enjoyed the sound achieved by players while they were utilizing a Tele. I usually play on an old classical guitar. I have grown used to that neck shape so I usually find the shape of the standard Tele neck to feel unfamiliar to my hand. The neck on this guitar feels wider and flatter so more like a classical to me. I’m not saying it is a classical style neck just wider and flatter feeling to me. I was not sure about buying it because I’ve played other Tele’s and was not sold on how the neck felt to me, they sound great but didn’t feel right. I got this one well because “Jimmy Page “ so even if I didn’t like the neck who cares again “Jimmy Page “ so whatever. Then I played this guitar and I was like .”this guitar is magical!!”. I had never played a Tele that felt like it just wanted to be played like this one does. I cannot recommend this guitar enough. It is expensive but worth every penny. Take advantage of the no interest payment plan I did and am glad I did.WillieBWillie

Just started using this in rehearsals and recorded some new songs with it. Killer tone and everything you'd expect from a Jimmy Page model. Fun to play under the lights with the reflective materials, and strikingly great to look at. I only took off one star in the rating for some improvements I made in the action, and replace the bridge with Graph Tech bridge to allow for less friction and more steady tuning. Love it.Gregmedia123

Loving this guitar, already used it tracking on two of my new songs. If you want that authentic early Zep or Ybirds tone, plug this in and crank it up. If you're a snappy picker Americana kind of player, it works for that too. The only thing I can say wrong is that the guitar wasn't strung properly went I got it, it's a through the body setup and the strings were just put through the bridge plate. Restrung it properly and away we went. Maybe American Musical should send me a free set of strings!Gregmedia123

1 month review with guitar being setup professionally: Great pickups and tone and overall good sounding guitar after a proper setup, gorgeous nitro finish and paintjob. Relic effects are beautiful. The nitro finish feels thin enough for you to eventually make your own marks from repeated playing – a perfect way to tell a story and give the guitar character. Worn in neck feels amazing to play and not sticky to touch. Worth noting that the Pure Vintage 59 pickups on these don't have a reverse-wound middle pick, so there will be hum including positions 2 and 4. If you are easily annoyed with single coil hum, these pickups might not be for you. Also worth noting that these pickups do sound a bit warmer than a stock Fender Player pickups. These respond so MUCH better to high gain type of playing, all while still sounding amazing on low-gain and clean playing. Despite the pros, there are still some areas are lacking and needs improvement. The guitar had razor sharp frets along the binding that could easily cut you, meanwhile I have a $700 MIM fender player didn't have this problem straight out of the box. It's crazy to think that $700 guitar went through better QA than a $1200 guitar, but whatever, the frets are bound to be polished and worked on anyway with your initial setup regardless. CME's shipping page policies say "Every guitar gets a full inspection, as well as basic setup." Guitar came with an inspection card that had overall playability specs checked but some of it was questionable. The guitar was not playable at all out of the box despite letting it acclimate for over a day before opening BUT that is a given considering it spent time in a delivery truck trunk in freezing winter. However, it was a bit bogus how they even checked off volume output when the pickups were NOWEHERE near the appropriate height out of the box and there was BARELY any audible output on the treble side of the guitar. I highly doubt weather and temperature fluctuation will make the pickup screws spin by themselves to the degree at which the pickups came out of the box. Secondly, the tremolo springs at the back also weren't ******* in the appropriate depth for a either a floating or flushed trem setup – it was just sort of in the middle of the cavity. Weather fluctuation from their shop and may have affected string tension, but I also don't think it would make the claw springs in the back unscrew themselves to the degree the guitar came. Makes me wonder how thorough the inspection was. These might not matter as much to some especially those who will get their new guitars setup anyway, but it's good to note that you may still need to budget for a setup if you aren't doing it yourself. Although there could've been improvements on Fender and CME's part that I don't think could be blamed on external factors such as weather and climate fluctuations, overall, I would still 100% recommend this guitar, and it's a gem. The guitar played well after a proper setup, so I'm happy with it now. The price may be too expensive for some considering it's not made in USA, but it must be considered that this is the cheapest proper nitro-finish guitar you will currently find. The next best thing are Fender custom shop, so this guitar is perfect for those looking to enjoy vintage style paint/nitro body finish, and vintage specs without paying custom shop prices. The appearances are just a plus, since they sound and play amazing after a proper set up.Carlos T.

I've been playing for a little while, I rehearse with my band once/twice a week so my guitars definitely get played quite a bit, I've preferred Stratocasters from an early age. The shape is legendary and the tone is versatile. I own Chinese, Japanese, U.S. and Mexican Strats. This one is very comparable to my American Professional Stratocaster, the neck profile, the weight and intonation. Electronics are great, single coils produce a sweet twangy clean tone and the humbucker roars really nice with the right amount of gain/distortion. Makes it a very comfortable instrument that plays as easy as mantequilla on a hot tortilla. Only issue, (hence the 'almost comparable to MIA strats comment in the headline) are the frets… They are a little bit on the sharp side, I'm guessing it comes down to a player's preference? A competent luthier can dress the fret ends and make this one a real player/main axe. Other than the sharp frets, everything else is pretty solid and straight, the vatos down in Ensenada MX do great work producing these!Benjamin

So my story goes like this, I flew into Portland Oregon for work and immediately drove from the airport to Guitar Center. Upon walking in, someone was shredding on a guitar and it went on for a good 10 minutes. The guitar he was playing was the Candy Red Burst Fender Stratocaster Player Series. After he was done, I grabbed it and saw why he played it so long. It felt just solid in the hands. The strings, fret board and neck were silky smooth; Super easy to glide up and down with no fret buzz. The pickups are all Fender Player Stratocaster series which I have had no issue with and perform great out of the box. Also, just holding the guitar is a treat in the hands. It's a beautiful guitar. The Candy Red Burst has a very high functioning coat that gives a deep black fade anyway you turn it. It also fit my bill for something to remember Oregon by since the guitar is a deep Rose Red and Portland is know as the City of Roses.The Pau Ferro fingerboard is also eye candy as it has black veins that run through the grain matching the black hardware of the guitar. Other then that, I have had this guitar for 5 months as of this review and absolutely love it. The guitar holds its tune very well I enjoy playing it every time. Wait, you still reading this? Go get one already!Allan

Absolutely fantastic instrument. Great sound. A bit challenging at first to play. Great value for the price. Great service.Milton H.

My neighbor had trouble getting his Villager in tune, so I brought it home for a look. Just a weak battery in the tuner. So I used the opportunity to compare his Villager to my Applause AE35. Both have that beautiful jangly high end. The Villager has a stronger bottom end than the Applause with its lychrachord back, especially plugged in. Both have reasonable action for a 12 string, though both will give you calluses in a matter of minutes. Overall I liked the Villager for tone, and the Applause for general industuctability. I consider the Villager a reasonable, though not amazing, value in a 12 string. So I would definitely consider the Villager alongside the slightly cheaper Applause and slightly more expensive Seagull (acoustic electric).Mikey Bikey

I had bought a Fender Acoustic 100 amp from here over a week or so ago which I love. The only problem was ,it doesn't work well with passive pickups as far as volume levels are concerned. I've been using a Taylor BBT along with a Duncan Woody SC which sounded great but just was not projecting the volume I needed . So I ended up going to a reputable dealer and ended up doing a cash/trade deal for one of these in the Natural finish just today. It is exactly what I have been looking for since I got my amp and it thanks to the Fishman Presys pickup, sounds great and projects the volume I needed and more in spades. I find that the tone on this one also projects more compared to the Mahogany model which I had for a while as well. I'm a happy camper and now have a rig that sounds really amazing that I can use with my solo Acoustic act.JeffO46

I just purchased this for my sister for Christmas as she tried to run away with a lot of my personal guitars. I was looking for a basic guitar but not too basic so that it wouldn't become boring too fast as she began advancing. This guitar is far from basic. In person, this is a fantastic looking guitar. I picked it up and fell in love, and I have never been too partial to Fender (however this is the first time I picked up a Fender acoustic). Pictures don't do it justice. The built in tuner is an awesome feature. I am actually very jealous and am having second thoughts about giving it away 🙂joehd8811

Wanted to try a double coursed instrument for lead playing. So I bought one of these open box and took off the octave strings leaving only the B and high E doubled. Tonally it's as fine as any mid range Martin I've handled, not as funky, purer sounding with better sustain than my myrtlewood Breedlove, Better made than, but reminds me of my rebuilt Yamaha 180 in character: it will grow mellow with age and only increase in value. Worth every penny.tapcity

My teacher set this up at practice and declared it one of the best Strats he has ever played and he owns 4. He loved the neck, pickups, tone. From a distance it looks OK but up close the finish appears to have been heated and put in a freezer. The finish fracture is worse up close with thousand of spider web, broken glass specs which could not be photographed. Sounds amazing but I prefer NOS.William

All right… First, I have to thank Brad at Musicians Friend for seeing this purchase thru, for me obtaining a true Time Machine. In 1958, I would have been 9 years old, but I was already listening to Rock and Roll music on the AM radio, here in the San Francisco Bay Area(KEWB). If my parents would have given me this guitar, I know I would still have it, and now I do. I'm not a big lead player, so, I'm content to be the rhythm guy in the band. Not a problem. This guitar is Aztec Gold, but the Custom Shop aged it to Perfection. When I hold it, and play thru my Bassman Re-Issue, my mind goes now where no other guitar in my Collection can take me. I've noticed that there aren't too many reviews on these high-end axes because maybe their minds are blown by how good they feel, or they're too busy jammin' to write a review. I don't know. But this I do know, these Relics, from 50-odd years ago, will get you thinkin' about what your life would have been like IF you had one in Grade School, and how your life would have changed. Just a note: Leo Fender started making the Esquire when I was born, so maybe I feel like I'm in a parallel universe with the solid body guitar in California. So, if you think you can afford one of these Relics, pick a year, and get one that you like from the looks, and I think you'll be on your way to a totally different place when you plug in…..Hope this helps.John out by the Golden Gate Brid

Guitar arrived quickly and double boxed as a guitar off this level should be. As I tuned it up I noticed that the bridge was pulling way up, like it was never tightened to where it should be for a playable set up. So I looked down the neck and saw that the low E side appears to have more relief than the high e side, such a let down.. The nut was cut just enough to hold strings. Due to that poorly cut nut, strings.were really far from first fret So even though I already wasn't going to keep it, I plugged it in and WoW! This strat has just enough glass in the highs and still has grunt with a little drive. I'm not sure how it does both, but despite how poorly it played, it sounds incredible! If the neck wasn't twisted and it had even a decent set up, I would keep this guitar forever.D