Custom 12-String Basses

Here are a few custom 12-string basses that have been built by enterprising individuals!

Custom built by Chris Whiteley in the UK
Read the Article about how Chris built this bass from scratch

2006 Rickenbacker-Style 12-string bass - Shown here with the original Galveston headstock

George Downing from Tennessee built this Rickenbacker-style 12-string bass using the neck and electronics from a Galveston 12.

George writes, "This was a project for a friend of mine. Yes, he is a Cheap Trick fan. He bought a Galveston 12-string bass because he really wanted a 12-stringer, and that's what he could afford."

"It turned out to be a very nice playing bass despite the price and it being a mass produced import. The neck is quite nice actually but he hated the body. So we got to talking about making a new body for it and we both liked the Idea of using the classic Rickenbacker 4001 shape."

"The wood is buckeye. Originally he wanted it painted black, with white binding. I chose the buckeye because it has super fine grain and would provide a nice smooth surface for the black. Plus, I have a bunch of it. However, when I showed him the wood he went all goofy over it, and so we did it dead clear with tortoise binding. All the hardware and electronics remained stock, manufacturer unknown."

When asked whether he worried that Rickenbacker might object to his use of one of their body styles, George responded, "I'm not too worried about what Ric might think. If they built a 12-string bass, this guy would have gladly sold two or three of his guitars to buy one. But they don't, nor do they seem to have any intention of doing so. In fact he inquired, and got a rather humorous response: Something to do with a fish suspended by a dozen monofilament lines. Also, the construction is almost entirely unlike that of a Ric, except for the fact that it's made of wood. To top it all off, I received no money for it, just did it to build my chops, as it were. In fact I think I spent about 25 bucks on binding, glue and sandpaper, so if Ric really wants a piece of the action, they can send me a fiver."

1994 custom 12-string bass, 34" scale, single EMG active pickup. The builder described it as being a "KISS-style" bass.

Starting with a Carvin 5-string bass replacement neck-through-body neck, the maple body was attached with epoxy. The front of the body and headstock are covered with 1/8" thick Plexiglas mirror. The back is covered with a metal flake automotive paint and high gloss finish.

The neck is 1.75" wide at the nut and 2.75" at the 24th fret. Single truss rod. Very unusual!

Japanese custom 12-string bass similar to Tom Petersson's original Chandler Royale.
Produced for Kinko Kenichi of the Tokyo-based Cheap Trick tribute band Cheap Track.
The headstock is inscribed "Cheap Trick".

Produced by custom New York guitar builder Joseph Jesselli. Solid body with a shallow bowl sound chamber under the bridge. Body is hand carved from mahogany in the art nouveau style typical of Jesselli's work. Four tuners are positioned on the body. The custom bridge and tailpiece were made by Jesselli from sand cast bronze and ivory. Passive electronics with a single volume and tone control, the pickup was hand wound by Bill Bartolini. Mother-of-pearl inlays on the ebony fingerboard and truss rod cover, ivory nut. The headstock was inlaid with a large "J", also in mother-of-pearl.