❌ SOLD❌ Rickenbacker 660/12 Solidbody Electric 12 Natural Maple, 2009

Introduced in 1998, the Rickenbacker 660-12 is a solidbody, compact electric 12 string guitar with Rickenbacker’s traditional ‘Cresting Wave’ body design. This model is very similar to the 620, but uses higher graded, more figured woods, ‘Toaster Top’ vintage style pickups, and a squared tailpiece rather than the ‘R’ two-section tailpiece.

Rickenbacker has delivered many firsts over its long history. Adolph Rickenbacker made metal components for the earliest National Resophonic guitars, and in 1935 produced the Ken Roberts electrified model – the first production Spanish-style guitar (as distinct from Hawaiian or steel models).

In 1963, Rickenbacker had the idea to bring the 12-string concept into electric guitars, which were at the time fairly popular in the Folk genre. Adding six extra tuners to the model 360 already in production, three prototypes were made. One was taken to New York, to be shown to The Beatles, and wound up being claimed by George Harrison, and the rest is history. Aside from being the only electric 12 string model available at the time, Rickenbacker gave their models a sonic difference by ‘reversing’ the order of the string pairs, so that the bass string is picked first, giving the note a fuller and distinctive sound.

Here we’re looking at a Rickenbacker 660/12 in MapleGlo finish, built during the 36th week of 2003 – August 31 to September 6 – and is in and very good original condition. Wear of any kind is minimal. As a 660, the Maple used is well figured, with clear curl or flam on the body ‘wings’, and Rickenbacker’s distinctive checkerboard binding on the top.

This guitar plays very well, and sounds great – just like a Rickenbacker.

The original molded Rickenbacker case is included.

Here’s what the builder has to say about the Rickenbacker 660/12:

“The Model 660 and 660/12 feature a charactered Maple cutaway body based on an innovative design from the 1950’s. A Rosewood fingerboard is punctuated beautifully with triangular pearloid inlay markers, while the maple double bound neck and body are solid through and through.

Rickenbacker’s trademark “checkered” black and white binding set off the body, while white binding graces the neck. The 660 is electronically engineered to the exacting standards of the vintage reissue series, complete with Rickenbacker’s own Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top™ pickups.”