Rickenbacker 360/12 JG

I've adored the electric 12-string sound forever, but never got myself into buying one because a) felt like too much of a risk getting a cheapish one that I might end up being disappointed with and b) the proper ones cost a lot of money.

Everyone reading this probably knows which category the Rickenbackers fall into. I noticed Thomann had 360/12 Jetglos in stock, and having the chance to buy one now I finally pulled the trigger. To be honest I was a bit sceptical, as it seems people either love or hate (modern) 360/12's.

Fortunately, I couldn't be happier. The guitar arrived incredibly fast to Finland, and I was playing it in less than two days from ordering. Packaging was diligent: there were two sturdy cardboard boxes within each other containing the great quality hard case and, of course, the guitar itself. The instrument is beautiful, of great quality. Love the black finish. The factory intonation seemed quite spot on, so just gave it a tuning and plugged it in, and through a proper amp it's heaven! Everything from shrill jingle-jangle to phased-out psychedelia or modern indie ring out beautifully and the strings stay in tune for hours straight. I find myself liking the high-gain mics, not considering the toasters for now. The bridge mic can be as crystal clear and icepicky as you can imagine yourself wanting to, and the neck pickup provides a nice bassier and mellower sound. The notorious "fifth knob" is actually really useful in getting the most out of the sonic palette while performing. My individual came with vintage style knobs by the way (they had a shortage of the usual metallic coloured ones in 2020 or something), but this is fortunate as I actually prefer them.

One word of warning: all the talk about the neck being quite narrow for a 12-string is true. I myself find it enjoyable and really playable as I have long, thin fingers. But someone with big hands and thick fingertips might really run into trouble playing a 360/12, so be sure to try one in advance if you're in doubt.

I had always wanted a Rick 360/12 (I already owned a 360 six string and rare 1960s 325 with f hole) and ordered one from Thomann some months ago - finally they got stock and it was delivered to me last Friday. Beautifully made and plays and sounds as I would have expected. Unlike Gibson, Fender etc, Rickenbacker still make all their guitars old school in California which is why they're pretty expensive and can take some time to be delivered! - personally I love them both for the sound and how they feel - Thomann emailed me to request product review - to be honest anyone spending this much on a guitar will know about Rickenbackers etc. This was the first time I had bought anything from Thomann (or any instrument on line as opposed to a shop) and I have to say the experience has been very good.