Danelectro G-12

This is the Korean-made RI, finished in blue sparkle. Year: who knows? Everyone else has gone through the various features, but I have to point out the funky lipstick PU's and the mini-Gotoh tuners (a nice feature for a guitar in this price range). The well-designed bridge is also a nice feature. The only concern involves the cheap, concentric volume/tone knobs.

I play indie-rock and the occasional session. So far I've tried this guitar with 3 amps (a Gibson Discoverer, a Fender Blues Junior and a Mini-Twin). The guitar sounded rich and jangly through all three amps. Notes almost seem to pop off the fretboard. For maximum clarity, I would recommend not using anything heavier than an .88 mm pick on this or any other 12-string. To quote my girlfriend: "This does not sound like a $400 guitar."
The neck PU gives the guitar an almost acoustic quality, which can be accentuated by the tone control. This is great for bass-note runs. The bridge PU is thin-sounding, but usable, especially in a crowded mix. The real magic happens in the middle position; working the volume and tone controls yields some gorgeous, jangly tones.
Cranking the distortion unleashes a trashy howl; nasty, unrefined and a lot of fun. Playing it with a slide offered some rich sounds with organic chorusing. I also tortured the Dano with an E-bow: the octave strings gave a lovely, lacy texture to the sustained notes. This guitar sounds like it should be double the price.

Did I mention it was blue sparkle? Set-up (keep in mind this is a used guitar) was very good. It has a very low action, but minimal buzz on the frets. Intonation was very good; I could capo on the 7th and 9th frets without having to re-tune. The neck is much more comfortable than a Rickenbacker 12. The steel nut adds brightness. It was cut well, but the lower octave G-string pinged as I tuned it. The guitar holds its tuning under moderate playing (and overnight on my guitar stand).
Fit-and-finish was also good for the price range. I noticed some tape lifting along the bass-side cutaway (a common problem in Danos). Other than that, it all seems good. Those concentric volume/tone controls may be a problem down the road. They feel cheap, and they don't have a good taper.

Ah, the strap buttons! Everything I could say has already been said before. They will be changed at the first opportunity. For all their apparent frailty, Danos have a reputation as a tough guitar. This would never become my #1 guitar (it's a 12-string, after all), but I would definitely play it in sessions, or the occasional live song. It's a great colour axe (and I don't mean the blue sparkle!).

I haven't dealt with Danelectro, so I have no idea how they would respond. I'm not sure if the 12-string is even currently available.

I've been playing guitar for 17 years. I own everything from a SD-loaded Les Paul to a Takamine acoustic 12. This guitar has an almost insane fun factor. As i mentioned before, the neck is excellent, much easier to get around on than a Rickenbacker and the sound is inspiring. All positions are distinct and usable. It almost hurts to put this guitar down.

Granted, this guitar is not as complex as a Rickenbacker, but for the price of a Rickenbacker 360/12, you could get 4 Danelectro 12's. This guitar is a hell of a deal. If you're in the market for an electric 12-string, PICK IT UP!!!! If I could I would mark this a 20 out of 10. This is junque of the highest order.