electric 12 string neck width

[DCBirdMan]

of the 1960s electric 12 strings.... non reverse Bird, Melody Maker (SG body) and 335...

Anyone know if the neck width is the same as its six string model? Just like Rick 12s have super narrow necks that some people give up on...

 

Just wondered, cause on the Bird and 335, the headstock is like a B 45 12 which is a killer wide neck So maybe the question is how wide is the 335-12 neck? How about the Melody Maker 12?

 

Also the question to end all Bird-12 questions... of the under 400-500 made, any guesses on how many were custom color... I have only heard of Card Red, Pel Blue as documented, recently seen colors. I passed by a Card Red one about 15 yrs ago and have carried major regret ever since. I'm trollin for one.

 

BirdMan

[zurdo]

of the 1960s electric 12 strings.... non reverse Bird, Melody Maker (SG body) and 335...

Anyone know if the neck width is the same as its six string model? Just wondered, cause on the Bird and 335, the headstock is like a B 45 12 which is a killer wide neck So maybe the question is how wide is the 335-12 neck? BirdMan

 

I had a 335-12 and the neck width was identical to my 6-string 335 except a little bit beefier. Yes, wider than my Rickenbacker 370-12 but there is no comparison, the Rickenbacker is in a class of its own. The 335-12 neck couldn't cope with the 12 strings tuned to A=440hz, and after the 7th fret, it was pretty much unplayable. I've never given up on my Rickenbacker, it plays in tune all the way.

 

 

I gave up on 335's and went to the ES-150 DCW (a 335 body but fat like a ES-175). Best Gibson I ever had after my 1972 SG Custom.

 

 

 

 

[Grog]

I measured my '68 ES-335 12 & '67 ES-335 & they were exactly the same within .010. 1.580 & 1.570.

[j45nick]

All of the ES 335-12's were built near the begining of Gibson's "narrow neck" period, and should be about 1 9/16". That's just over 1.56", or just under 40mm. My '68 ES 335-12 has this basic width. Tuning to A440 Hz is tough on any 12-string, including the 335-12. One solution is to go to slightly lighter strings, which is what I did (Elixir Nanoweb 10's). The other, as mentioned above, is to tune down a half step or whole step, which is common on both acoustic and electric 12-strings.

 

And yes, I did have Ross Teigen do a neck re-set on it, and mine holds tune extremely well now, and plays just fine all the way up the neck.

[zurdo]

All of the ES 335-12's were built near the begining of Gibson's "narrow neck" period, and should be about 1 9/16". That's just over 1.56", or just under 40mm. My '68 ES 335-12 has this basic width. Tuning to A440 Hz is tough on any 12-string, including the 335-12. One solution is to go to slightly lighter strings, which is what I did (Elixir Nanoweb 10's). The other, as mentioned above, is to tune down a half step or whole step, which is common on both acoustic and electric 12-strings. And yes, I did have Ross Teigen do a neck re-set on it, and mine holds tune extremely well now, and plays just fine all the way up the neck.

 

 

funny how a Rickenbacker neck, being so thin and narrow in every which way, can hold up fine to normal gauge strings tuned to A=440.

 

Personally, I don't care for light strings, I grew up in the 1960's when there were no light gauge strings. Light strings sound (you guessed it), LIGHT. Same analogy as comparing Digital and Analog: Digital sounds thin, Analog sounds fat. The lowest gauge I use in my Rickenbacker is .011 and that is only for the octave G string. For E-strings I use .012 and .014 for B strings. If a 12-string can't hold the tension, (electric or acoustic), they should stay out of the kitchen. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DCBirdMan]

I am sure the numbers are our there-- or even posted here somewhere, but there had to me more 335-12s than Firebird 12s or SG/Melody Maker 12s. What I am trying to figure out is if the Melody Maker 12 or Firebird 12 had same neck width (at nut) or if they were different. I would go for whichever is wider, but these rarely come up for sale anyway.

[zurdo]

was there ever a 12 string SG? I've never seen one, but I doubt it unless you are talking about the Doubleneck SG like Jimmy Page's.

 

 

 

[DCBirdMan]

was there ever a 12 string SG? I've never seen one, but I doubt it unless you are talking about the Doubleneck SG like Jimmy Page's.

 

No, when the Melody Maker went to SG body in 1966, there was a 12 string version for 2 or 3 years. Very produced.

[j45nick]

I am sure the numbers are our there-- or even posted here somewhere, but there had to me more 335-12s than Firebird 12s or SG/Melody Maker 12s. What I am trying to figure out is if the Melody Maker 12 or Firebird 12 had same neck width (at nut) or if they were different. I would go for whichever is wider, but these rarely come up for sale anyway.

 

My references say just over 2000 ES 335-12's were made between 1965 and 1970, with a slight majority being sunburst rather than cherry. Production peaked in 1967, when about half the entire number were made. It's not coincidental that groups such as the Beatles and the Byrds were using 12's then, even though both used Ric's rather than Gibsons.

 

What's odd is that Gibson acoustic 12-strings generally had wider necks than their six-strings, but at least the 335-12 always had the same narrow neck as the six-string 335's of that period. Go figure.

[DCBirdMan]

My references say just over 2000 ES 335-12's were made between 1965 and 1970, with a slight majority being sunburst rather than cherry. Production peaked in 1967, when about half the entire number were made. It's not coincidental that groups such as the Beatles and the Byrds were using 12's then, even though both used Ric's rather than Gibsons.

 

What's odd is that Gibson acoustic 12-strings generally had wider necks than their six-strings, but at least the 335-12 always had the same narrow neck as the six-string 335's of that period. Go figure.

 

Yep... I have a B45 12 up on the bay now, and it, just like B25 12s, has a killer wide neck. So they did widen the neck for the acoustics but not for the electrics. Maybe they thought the electric 12 was just a fad to cash in on and not worth the redesign to widen the neck.

 

So way more 335 12s the MM or Bird 12s

[KL]

 

What's odd is that Gibson acoustic 12-strings generally had wider necks than their six-strings, but at least the 335-12 always had the same narrow neck as the six-string 335's of that period. Go figure.

 

I think, like Rickenbacker, when Gibson made an electric 12 string version of an electric guitar they used the same stock necks they were using on 6 strings at the time. This makes them fairly uncomfortable to play.

 

I find the reverse with a Rickenbacker 660 . . . the 6 and 12 string versions both have wide necks and it is perfect for the 12 string, but too wide for me as a six string.

 

The Fender Electric XII was designed from scratch as an electric 12 string and has one of the best playing electric 12 string necks around, especially those made in 1965. In 1966 they went to a slightly narrower neck and they are not quite as nice to play, but still great.

 

It seems they put a bit more effort into the design of the necks for 12 string acoustics.

[zurdo]

I think, like Rickenbacker, when Gibson made an electric 12 string version of an electric guitar they used the same stock necks they were using on 6 strings at the time. This makes them fairly uncomfortable to play. I find the reverse with a Rickenbacker 660 . . . the 6 and 12 string versions both have wide necks and it is perfect for the 12 string, but too wide for me as a six string. The Fender Electric XII was designed from scratch as an electric 12 string and has one of the best playing electric 12 string necks around, especially those made in 1965. In 1966 they went to a slightly narrower neck and they are not quite as nice to play, but still great. It seems they put a bit more effort into the design of the necks for 12 string acoustics.

 

sounds like you can't be pleased with any neck ! 6 or 12. Have you tried carving a 2 X 4 to your taste?