#7 - a birthday 12string

[Marcel]

Have been tossing the idea of building a 12 string around for quite a while...and since my birthday is coming up at the end of the month it's as good a reason as any to take another plunge into building an axe, but which one to choose as my 7th PBG build ? ... A TLA-12 or a RC-12 or a RCM-12 or ES-12G ?... each has its own unique charms on offer, but I have so many other "unique" guitar builds that things start getting really confused...

I already have a 30 year old Italian 12 string acoustic so realistically the ES-12G I've put at the bottom of the list as a more solid body 12 is more the order of the day to diversify the axe heard. And as I have so many "Rosewood" fretboards in the heard and I'd like another Maple fretboard to balance the numbers a bit so that strongly pushes the TLA-12 up the list. But I so love working with and the looks I can get with Mahogany so the RCM-12 has a lot of list climbing traction there. I don't have any Blackwood fretboards that I know of so the RC-12 has got its claws into me there.... I have two Tele's already and one has a Maple neck, I have an Ash Strat with a thick '50's Maple neck too so the novelty factor of the TLA-12 looses a little ground... I have an RCM-4 bass so again the build novelty is kinda lost with the RCM-12... Seems the RC-12 is sorta winning against the TLA-12 but I have 3 other Basswood builds being a JB and two Strats and I so want another Maple fretboard....

Ohh.... What to do ?? Which one to choose ?? Seems I need me a small dose of forum wisdom...

[Simon Barden]

Put the numbers into a hat/bucket/saucepan etc. on pieces of paper and make a draw.

[Dedman]

go the RC!. it's on my hit list too

[Tony]

I'm gluing the neck in on my RCM 12 today, it ticks so many boxes in terms of the iconic 12 string. Just leaving aside the Mahavishnu Orchestra dreams.... The Mahogany is lovely

[Marcel]

After a modicum of too-ing and frowing, and a flip of a few coins, some head bashing on the desk, and a browse of dozens of build diaries, and a noisy session with a few axe's on the JVM, and some mental numerical gymnastics between a HP11c pocket brain and the PBG website, I took the plunge...

One TLA-12, a full set of Grover tuners, and a set of Entwistle AT52 PU's have been ordered and paid for....

Now for the excruciating wait until the back order is filled for the TLA-12. Maybe I might fill the time by "playing" soldering skills with a EF86 and a pair of 6L6's...

[Marcel]

A little side note... GAS is not without its drawbacks, one of which is becoming forgetful of the stuff you do have...

I was chatting with a friend and they asked how many axe's, amps and pedals I have... I gave out some estimated numbers, then went home and had a recount and concluded I had given out wildly low wrong answers on all three...My bad!... lol

Just for the record this TLA-12 build will bring my axe herd to 18 unique stringed individuals, amp numbers currently hovers at 7 units that actually work as intended, and usable assembled guitar pedals at somewhere past 25....and then there is all the lights, lasers, mics, keyboards, drums and recording gear, and then there is the much larger radio department and then all the test gear.... Nah! I don't have GAS...

[FrankenWashie]

18 stringed instruments, 7 Amp’s, 25 odd pedals and a shed full of optic and audio/radio gear.

Where is the problem again? 🤪😂

[Marcel]

18 stringed instruments, 7 Amp’s, 25 odd pedals and a shed full of optic and audio/radio gear.

Where is the problem again? 🤪😂

Yeah, I don't see a problem...

[Marcel]

Actually, I do see a problem.... playing this 12 string build as good as this guy... BIG problem...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpSMWWBrYDo

[Marcel]

I just checked the PBG web site and it says "Order now for delivery in late May", but when I ordered my TLA-12 it said due in April... I do hope this is only due to high demand and that backorders are selling out before consignment delivery to the PBG warehouse...