The Fender Electric XII is a purpose-built 12-stringelectric guitar, designed for folk rockers. Instead of using a Stratocaster-body style, it uses one similar to a Jaguar/Jazzmaster body style. It also departed from the typical "Stratocaster"-style headstock, instead featuring a long headstock nicknamed the "hockey-stick" headstock to cope with the twelve tuners. The original Electric XII employed a unique split pickup design and had a 4-way pickup rotary selector allowing for neck, neck & bridge in parallel, in or out of phase, and bridge only options as opposed to the Alternate Reality version which sports a standard 3-way toggle switch for pickup selection. It also used a string-through-body design similar to a Telecaster to help increase sustain.
Designed by Leo Fender, the Fender Electric XII was introduced in late 1965 with the bulk of the production taking place in 1966 before it was discontinued around 1970. Unlike its competitors' electric 12-string models which were simply existing 6-string guitars with six extra strings, the Fender Electric XII was a purpose-built 12-string designed to capture a part of the folk-rock market. The bridge has an individual saddle for each string making precise intonation possible. The Electric XII was not particularly popular during its run, and by 1969, it was dropped from the Fender line before being reintroduced as a part of the Alternate Reality series in 2019. The body overstock was used for the Fender Custom (a.k.a. Fender Maverick).
Johnny Winter also used one briefly (strung as a six-string) during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Pye Hastings used one during the early days of Caravan, notably on their album For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night in 1973.
Gustavo Cerati of Soda Stereo played and recorded with a Fender XII between 1988 and 1990, notably seen in the videos of "En la ciudad de la furia" and "de Música ligera".
Chad Taylor of Live prominently used a lake placid blue Fender XII both on stage and in the studio, most notably to write and record the single "Run to the Water", as well as several other tracks on the band's platinum album The Distance to Here.
The Verve guitarist Nick McCabe used a Fender Electric XII for live performances on the band's 2008 comeback tour, notably on 'Space and Time' from their 1997 album Urban Hymns.
Tom Petty used a white Fender XII for the first half of his 2006 North American Tour instead of his signature Rickenbacker 12-string
John Paisano, the "official" guitarist of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass used the Fender Electric XII extensively; it is heard in the intro of their recording of "Wade in the Water".
