Cheap 12-strings

Squier Jazzmaster XII
Guild Starfire 12

I got two on Black Friday sorta Reverb deals so I could pick the one I like best and sell the other locally.

I was pretty set on the Starfire but figured I should give the Jazzmaster a try while everyone is so hot on Squier stuff.

Happy with my squier XII, no desire to do anything to it or replace it ever

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 8:27 pm
Guild Starfire 12

I love my 6 string Starfire. I'm really thinking hard about getting that 12st. It will give me something to play because the 6 string has become the go to favorite of Heather too and I never get to play it anymore. It's a Korean made one but it feels easily as well built as any American made guitar I've ever played. That JM is cheap though, and now I kinda want that.

I got a visa rewards card re-instated and I had such fun with a compressor build I have a Hairball Lola pre kit on the way, and then likely will build their 1176
https://www.hairballaudio.com/catalog/l ... te-diy-kit
Buddy here has two of them and I love it - should've got one years ago. I like the color and the dog on the front.

I aspired to record funky, weird sounding stuff with a variety of crappy equipment I convince myself I'm using for some kind of mood - I'm more inclined now just to get a good sound and apply garbage with plugins.

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 1:55 pm I got a visa rewards card re-instated and I had such fun with a compressor build I have a Hairball Lola pre kit on the way, and then likely will build their 1176
https://www.hairballaudio.com/catalog/l ... te-diy-kit
Buddy here has two of them and I love it - should've got one years ago. I like the color and the dog on the front.

I aspired to record funky, weird sounding stuff with a variety of crappy equipment I convince myself I'm using for some kind of mood - I'm more inclined now just to get a good sound and apply garbage with plugins.

I have 2 of their BA512 Opamps in my Warm Audio Preamp pre and they sound great. A friend has 2 Lolas with the 990's in them and they are also fantastic. I would 100% trust their 1176.

Kniferide wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:07 pm

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 1:55 pm I got a visa rewards card re-instated and I had such fun with a compressor build I have a Hairball Lola pre kit on the way, and then likely will build their 1176
https://www.hairballaudio.com/catalog/l ... te-diy-kit
Buddy here has two of them and I love it - should've got one years ago. I like the color and the dog on the front.

I aspired to record funky, weird sounding stuff with a variety of crappy equipment I convince myself I'm using for some kind of mood - I'm more inclined now just to get a good sound and apply garbage with plugins.

I have 2 of their BA512 Opamps in my Warm Audio Preamp pre and they sound great. A friend has 2 Lolas with the 990's in them and they are also fantastic. I would 100% trust their 1176.

Ah! Great to hear, I got the BA512s coming in this kit. If I do a second channel may build my own ops amps. I REALLY like Linear Systems transistors and wanted something to try them in

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:18 pm Ah! Great to hear, I got the BA512s coming in this kit. If I do a second channel may build my own ops amps. I REALLY like Linear Systems transistors and wanted something to try them in

The Stock WA412 opamps sound ok, but are aggressive in the midrange in a way I find a little fatiguing. I replaced 3&4 with the Hairballs and they sound great. A lot more smooth in the highs and less... paper bag sounding. I am replacing CH 1&2 with CAPI opamps as soon as I have time to pull it out of the rack. A friend has one with CAPIs on all 4 ch and it does not have the mids issue that makes me not super into the stock pre. It's a good sounding preamp stock, but I focused in on something that I couldn't unhear anymore. The Lola preamps are great. Everything about Hairball reminds me of Seventh Circle, which is a good thing.

they have a dog on the front

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 2:37 pm they have a dog on the front

TylerDeadPine wrote: Thu Nov 20, 2025 10:12 am Happy with my squier XII, no desire to do anything to it or replace it ever

That one came in earlier and that is a nice fucking guitar. All I did was tune it up and I sat on the couch playing it for an hour unplugged. I am on record as being Annoyed With All The Jazzmasters but damn.

Never found a big deal with the newer Squiers I played in person, but I kind of get it now. For $300 shipped sight unseen this thing is crazy.

It reminded me of the sound from Echo & the Bunnymen’s Killing Moon so much that I had to look up what that guy used - Vox electric 12 mic’d up acoustically. That tracks!