RB-612CS Classic Series : Astonishing quality for the price.

I have been looking for a 12 string electric to add to my collection for a while but knew a Rickenbacker was out of the question due to price. Budget electric 12-strings in the UK start at around £400 and rise steeply from there - if you can find them! When I saw this at under £200 I knew I was taking a chance but with mainly good reviews I thought it was worth a go. For a guitar which would only see occasional use, I am not at all disappointed.

Sure you get what you pay for to some extent - the wood is not the highest quality tone wood and I suspect I may need to venture inside the control panel with a soldering iron at some stage, but the build quality on the whole is very good indeed. I remember the days when budget guitars made in Far East Asia and East Germany were virtually unplayable - but not any more it seems. The finish and playability of this Chinese made guitar is excellent and matches guitars many times the price.

On my example I have a very very slight fret buzz at one location - but the neck is straight so it can easily be resolved with a file on the offending fret. If I wanted to upgrade this guitar I would start with the machine heads which could be smoother then look at upgrading the wiring and then possibly the pick-ups (but those fitted aren't at all bad).

Even without these upgrades the guitar is very playable, and at a tenth of the price of the Rickenbacker 620 it does homage to, it is great value for money.