Electric Xii Build

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:28 pm

Finally. Well I got a venus xii and yeah yeah I'll get a lot of shit for doing this but I'm going to build an xii out of it. But wait! I'm not destroying the venus before we jump to conclusions. I am going to take the bridge and pickups from it. I will be putting a gotoh 12 string bridge and a Rhoney surround plate on it (which lines up exactly with the holes of the xii bridge) making it a drop in replacement and keeping it 12 string. As for the guard.. I haven't decide on getting a new guard made with a humbucker and single coil like the six string version or keep the original pickups in it and get Novak pickups for the xii...

Anyway.. Here's the plan... Body and guard from cooterfinger, 7.25 radius, 21 fret, with binding neck from cross, and paint by Rhoney. Same as my starcaster pretty much. I wanna go with OTM as the color too so I can match it. Plus that color looks great. I'll be doing a matching headstock. Anyone know where to get a good quality xii logo?

This is gonna be a slower build due to the cost it is gonna take to build it. Same as my starcaster or longer. But it will be sweet. Here's a few pictures of what I'm going for.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:18 pm

Novak apparently makes a bit more tame xii pickup with less treble, worth looking into.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:39 pm

Yeah. It's just the price I'm on the fence about. They're supposably exact replicas.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:00 pm

I have t been dissapointed by a set of his pickups yet, plus if you decide to sell later it is a nice thing to have for buyers

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 4:24 pm

Alright a Venus xii is 2 5/16 inch at the heel and 2 3/4 inch at the nut Which is weird. The original xii is 2 3/8 inch at the heel. Why would they make it one mark different? Should I just have a 2 3/8 inch neck made?

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:25 pm

Some cool info I found. Will help out when it comes to the body.

http://www.ggjaguar.com/e-12.html

Think I am gonna go with these tuners. Since the lefty fender F tuners are hard to get for the xii's and they don't stay in tune as well as grovers. They are Grover mini rotomatics. Unless anyone has a better idea.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:36 pm

Forgot to post this. Template I bought from Rhoney. I gave it Cooterfinger as gift. So he can make them for everyone now.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:37 pm

I've never had issue with the split shaft tuners, though keeping a 12 string in time can be a pain. First thing I would do is find the lightest tuners you can, neck dive can be a pain with 12 tuners, I have 12 Grover's on my agile and you can feel the heft.

Btw, any more word from grover on the pearl button reissues?

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:39 pm

finboy wrote:I've never had issue with the split shaft tuners, though keeping a 12 string in time can be a pain. First thing I would do is find the lightest tuners you can, neck dive can be a pain with 12 tuners, I have 12 Grover's on my agile and you can feel the heft.

Btw, any more word from grover on the pearl button reissues?

These are the minis though. I don't know. I think the body will be heavy. It will be a 3 piece alder.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:53 pm

Found that guitar I thought about a while back, note the converted MM/toronado bridge, and tony at pickguardian can do it up for you...

http://www.premierbassguitars.com/warmo ... string.htm

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:58 pm

That's exactly what I mean with the toronado bridge when I posted that one thread a while back. What saddles are they? the gotoh ones? And he can do what up? The bridge?

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Sun May 04, 2014 8:05 pm

Gotoh saddles, and tony should have a template on hand for a xii pick guard with toronado bridge cut out it you decided to go that route.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Sun May 04, 2014 8:35 pm

finboy wrote:Gotoh saddles, and tony should have a template on hand for a xii pick guard with toronado bridge cut out it you decided to go that route.

Oh nah. Cooterfinger would be able to do that. That's a really good backup plan right here.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon May 05, 2014 4:38 pm

I'm not worried about the radius. I'm almost positive it is 7.25 for the venus xii. I'll he using a 7.25 radius neck. If the venus bridge turns out to be 9.5, it won't be a big deal on a 7.25 radius neck like a 7.25 radius bridge on a 9.5 radius neck would be.

On a side note, it looks like Cross is gonna be able to build a vintage spec xii neck for me. So I'll be using that venus bridge. Check list as follows...

-electric xii neck
-maple
-pau Ferro or Indian rosewood board (doesn't matter which)
-pearl dots
-white binding
-white side dots
-vintage style fret wire
-25.5 scale
-7.25 radius
-21 frets
-60 mm at the heel
-44.45 at the nut
-drones on top for the nut
-I'm thinking gotoh mini rotomatics for the tuners

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Mon May 05, 2014 4:51 pm

Something odd. The electric xii has a wider heel width (2-3/8 in) than the venus xii (2-5/16) but the venus xii has a wider nut width (1-3/4 in) than the electric xii (1-5/8 in)

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Mon May 05, 2014 8:50 pm

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Wed May 21, 2014 10:50 am

Progress via CROSS

Untitled by punkacc9, on Flickr

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:27 pm

CROSS_guitars wrote:Progresstination!

Next step: trim the fretboard to size, glue in the pearl dots then rout the binding channel.

Awstin · Post by **Awstin** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:35 pm

CROSS_guitars wrote:

Next step: radius the fretboard to 7 1/4". Glue in the binding and scrape it to size. sand in the headstock to fretboard transition.

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 5:18 pm

Looks promisingly