Until now, that is. Here we have a Fender Japan ST-W Stratocaster 12+6 doubleneck, which (I don't read Japanese but I strongly suspect) is being offered for sale as a non-Export Japanese-market only model. (I've commented before that the most interesting Fender guitars seem to be made by Fender Japan for the Japanese market only). Each side of the guitar has its own volume control, but it looks as if they share a single tone control, with the middle position pot where there would normally be a tone control having been replaced with a neck selector switch. The ST-W looks all the better for having the more compact 12-string headstock as featured on the Japanese-made Fender Stratocaster XII and instead of the oversized hockeystick 12-string headstock as seen the (American-made) vintage Fender XII and Custom Shop doublenecks.
The Fender ST-W is listed on the Fender Japan website, priced at ¥246,750 (that's over $3,136 USD at the time of writing and which is approaching Custom Shop prices for such an instrument anyway).
G L Wilson
© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - 10 years and counting!
Okay, I said this on the custom shop doubleneck page, but that was before teh great comment exodus.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll repeat myself. this is not an instruemtn that will llikely sell to anyone but the insane diahrd, possibly OCD fan. The majority of mad hobbyists and intrigued players out there will do 1 of 3 things.
1). look abnd the price and go 'Bugger that!'.
2). go out and buy a doubleneck body abd two necks and thier preferred pups from warmoth and just build it themselves.
3). buy a secondhand Epi G-1275 doubleneck. Because why not, they go for as low as 600$ and that's here in Aus. Or, if they do have the cash, they may still buy a Gibson EDS-1275, as they can go fro as little as 1900.
Also, I msy just be imagining this, but part of the appeal of the SG body-style redesign of the EDS-1275 was the fact that it wasnt just an adapedted guitar, the body was thin, not too wide, and relatively short; and therefore not excessively heavy?
This is a strat thivkness body with weight added for increased size. What's heavier, alder or Mahogany?
Ugh. Strats make for gruesome double necks.
ReplyDeleteA bass VI / jaguar would a hell of a double-neck - why can't Fender do what most small guitar companies do: be creative and responsive?
ReplyDeleteComparing this to the Yngwie Malmsteen Doubleneck Strat:
ReplyDeletehttp://guitarz.blogspot.com/2012/02/yngwie-malmsteen-fender-japan-custom.html
It appears to me that the necks are farther apart here.
(Note the shape of the pickguard section between the two bridges is different.)
(Hmm, it also appears that the YM Strat has no neck switch.)