Fender Electric XII 1965

£5,500.00

A stunning 1965 Fender Electric XII in classic Three-Tone Sunburst, dating from the first year of production of Fender’s distinctive American-made electric twelve-string.

Featuring its unmistakable offset body, elongated ‘hockey stick’ headstock, split single-coil pickups and individually adjustable twelve-saddle bridge, the Electric XII is celebrated for its rich, shimmering twelve-string sound.

An interesting and increasingly collectable chapter in Fender’s 1960s history, offering both vintage appeal and distinctive musical character.

1 in stock

1965 Fender Electric XII 12-String Electric Guitar – Vintage USA

Name: Fender Electric XII 1965
Availability: InStock

Step back into the golden age of electric guitar design with the 1965 Fender Electric XII, a distinctive American-made vintage 12-string from the very first year of production.

Introduced in 1965, the Fender Electric XII was designed to capture the shimmering, jangling sounds that helped define the British Invasion, folk-rock and psychedelic music of the 1960s.

Unlike conventional electric guitars adapted to accommodate twelve strings, the Electric XII was designed specifically for the purpose, combining Fender’s celebrated offset body styling with innovative electronics, a unique bridge design and its unmistakable elongated ‘hockey stick’ headstock.

Classic 1960s Fender Design

The Electric XII features a contoured offset body, inspired by Fender’s established Jaguar and Jazzmaster styling, delivering the unmistakable appearance of the company’s adventurous mid-1960s designs.

Its maple neck and rosewood fingerboard offer classic Fender construction, while the striking twelve-machine-head arrangement makes this one of the most immediately recognisable instruments from the period.

One of the guitar’s most significant innovations was its fully adjustable twelve-saddle bridge, allowing individual intonation adjustment for every string. This was a particularly thoughtful feature at a time when many competing twelve-string instruments relied on shared saddles.

Distinctive 12-String Sound

The Fender Electric XII is celebrated for its bright, shimmering tone, rich harmonic content and unmistakable twelve-string character.

Two specially designed split single-coil pickups provide a distinctive tonal palette, while the four-position rotary selector allows players to explore individual pickup sounds, combined pickup operation and an additional out-of-phase setting.

From sparkling clean chords and melodic arpeggios to atmospheric studio textures, the Electric XII delivers a sound closely associated with some of the most influential recordings of the 1960s and 1970s.

A Guitar with Recording History

Although the Electric XII enjoyed a relatively short original production run, its contribution to popular music was considerable.

The model is famously associated with Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, while Fender’s electric twelve-string instruments also found favour with musicians exploring the expanding sonic possibilities of studio recording.

Today, original examples remain distinctive reminders of a particularly inventive period in Fender’s history.

A Vintage Fender with Real Character

For collectors of American-made Fender instruments, the Electric XII represents something genuinely different from the familiar Stratocaster and Telecaster.

Its unusual styling, innovative twelve-string construction and connection with the sounds of the 1960s make it an appealing instrument for vintage enthusiasts, recording musicians and players seeking an authentic electric twelve-string voice.

Supplied with Generic hiscox hardshell case.

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