Opinions On Fender F-5-12 12 string?

[castpolymer]

I am considering buying a Fender 12 string acoustic ( used ). Any opinions on price point ( it seems to be in excellent shape ) and how it sounds? Thanks, Dale.

[pohorsky]

I'm always leary about Fender acoustics. Fender makes great electrics, but I have never been impressed with the acoustics. With so many companies that make great acoustics I wouldn't buy one, especially if you can't play it.

[Colt W. Knight]

I dont know what the price range is, but I wouldnt invest much in a Fender acoustic. Yamaha makes some good inexpensive 12 strings. You can find a good one used for 200-300$ depending on condition.

[Rhymeworld]

Originally Posted by castpolymer

I am considering buying a Fender 12 string acoustic ( used ). Any opinions on price point.

Contrary to other responders' comments, I recommend the F-5-12. I bought mine second hand over 15 years ago and paid £100. The neck has never had to be adjusted and the action is beautifully low. (Lower, in fact, than both my Yamaha 6 string acoustics when I originally bought them). As is quite usual amongst 12-string players, I keep mine tuned one whole tone below concert pitch. Fingerstyle playing is perfectly possible. Playing up to and beyond the 12th fret is no problem. The body joins the fretboard at the 14th fret. The sound is well balanced but maybe not as jangly as many players prefer when buying a 12. I have had several 12's in the past and the Fender is the one I've stayed with. If you search Youtube, you'll find quite a few demonstrations of several Fender 12's, including the F-5-12. As ever, I recommend that you play the instrument before you buy it. I do agree that Yamaha 12's are good, but I'd counsel you to beware of cheap 12's. The potential for bana necks or bridge-lifting can be enormous. Even more costly 12's can suffer one or both of these problems (the tuning tip is one way to reduce this). My own F-5-12 shows no signs of either fault.

[Tim73]

I had a 12 string Fender acoustic for a while & it was awful; badly finished frets, sky high action, poor finish but quite nice sound. I've also owned a Fender mandolin which I upgraded to a cheap Chinese make that was great. I don't know that Fender's strength is in the acoustic end. The above post suggests (as always) that there are exceptions & interestingly this is on an older model when perhaps quality was better so I'd say try before you buy.