Hagstrom 12 String F12 F-12S Vintage Electric Guitar 1966

For your consideration is an awesome blast from the past. An early 1966 Hagstrom 12 string, or F-12S here in the USA. These guitars went under the radar for many years, being gobbled up by collectors. Now with Stu from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard rocking a'66 (same year as this one) they're finally getting some recognition. Overall conditon is as good as it gets for a guitar that's actually going to be played. Aesthetically it has bumps and chips as shown. A good "10-footer" or so, but once you get close you'll notice it's imperfections. Please see photos, but basically some chips on the horn, some more chips and dings on the edges in general. There's a spot on the back where something streaked down from the numberplate and looks like it may have pulled some of the finish off, see the 4th photo for that. Visible in some lights not in others. Some small bucklerash on the back too, but really less than you'd expect for a 50+ year old electric. Also worth noting that while the volume knob is still original (rare) it is missing the "VOLUME" sticker on the top which commonly falls off on these old Hags. I'm looking to track down a complete original knob in the meantime and may update the listing if I find one.

As far as playing condition: This may be the best playing Hagstrom 12 out there, and I'd argue that it may be one of the easiest playing vintage 12 strings out there. For a guitar without a trussrod the action on this is unbelivable. VERY little fretwear as shown in the 4th photo. I did lightly polish the frets to get some of the surface oxidation off, didn't remove any material and didn't need to. The fretboard looks damn near new as well.

Pickgruard has it's share of pick scratches but nothing more. Eplacement is a very good replica as you can see (or can't see, rather). All original wiring, and none of the other solder joints have been disturbed.

All the rest of the hardware is original. The pot and switches have all be hit with DeOx and sound great without the scratchiness of old electronics. The "MUTE" switch is also in perfect working order which is rare on these old Hags as they tended to not get used and then broken when forced. The tuners were in decent working order, however I did remove the covers and clean all 12 out one at a time and re-lube them to make sure they last another 50+ years. Some wear on the gears as to be expected but again, more than usable which is nice given the age.

As far as sound, with its single-coil pickups this guitar is absolutely full of mojo with a warmer, fuller, neck response and perfectly-bright chime and jangle in the bridge. The tone switch kills the highs for a dark but pleasant tone and the mute switch dips the output for a warmer and mellower sound. The slim neck moves effortlessly from the nut to the cutaway and the body's slim size makes it a breeze to navigate around.

Includes the original case which may be the nicest out there. It's got some dings here and there, but overall above reproach for a vintage glorified chipboard case though inside it's much nicer than chipboar.

Sorry, but that's how it's got to be. The guitar is for sale locally as well, and any potential buyers who would like to try it out are welcome to.

I don't think anyone will find a better playing vintage 12 string, Hagstrom or otherwise. It's got it's "character" scars as far as looks, but playability is top-notch.

This item is in the category "Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Acoustic Electric Guitars". The seller is "selma_junkoff" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Body Color: Sunburst
String Configuration: 12 String
Model: F12
Model Year: 1966
Series: Vintage
Type: Electric
Fretboard Material: Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple
Handedness: Right-Handed
Body Material: Birch
Brand: Hagstrom
Body Type: Solid