Eastwood Guitars Nashville 12

Purchased 9/2009
Made: Korea
This 12-string model features classic 1960???s design with 335 body style,
22 frets on a rosewood fretboard, set maple neck, laminated maple hollow body with flamed maple top.
Two New York Mini-Humbuckers.

Great sound. Was originally shopping for a Ric but the prices were unbelievable. Stumbled upon their guitar web site and found that Dean Wareham used one (not that he plays a 12 string all that much except some of the Dean & Britta stuff but he does seem to always use top notch equipment). Listened to the sound samples and figured I would take the chance. Not sure if there is much difference between the Nashville and the Classic other than where its made but figured for $800+ vs a Ric I cannot go wrong. I've played it several times now through my Artisan Blackstar 12 with and without compression and it really sounds great. I haven't played a Ric in several years but from my memory it is quite comparable.

Not going to complain too much here because value is a quality/price measurement and this is a great value. When I received the guitar it was shipped in the case I purchased from them. The pickup selector switch had come apart in shipping. Not a big deal. I was able to reassemble it (nothing broken, just came apart). This guitar looks great, frets are good. I would say the hardware is a bit cheap (tuners etc) but again for this price its an unbelievable value. Stays in tune without a problem

Cannot comment on long term durability. A 12 string for most is a secondary niche guitar which I think this would hold up well. If it was my main guitar I would probably replace the tuners and knobs.

They shipped it right away and emailed after wards to make sure everything was OK. They offered to mail me a new pickup selector switch but I don't need a new one.

I've been playing on and off for 20 years. Anyone considering a Ric I would strongly suggest checking these out. I would buy another if it was lost or stolen. I would certainly consider buying another Eastwood Guitar in the future.

Korean made probably in the past year. Nashville 12 is basically an epiphone riviera 12 string with gold hardware and gorgeous flamed maple underneath the translucent cherry finish. It has two minihumbuckers of good quality(surprising compared to what goes into offshore epi's), a set neck, trapeze bridge which looks cool and classic, and stable tuners. The neck is on the fat side and nice and wide for the double strings. Basically it's well built, 2 volumes, 2 tone controls, nice white pickguard. Your standard ES330 look. It looks awesome!

Let me be clear, this guitar absolutely nails the Birds sound from Turn Turn Turn which is what everyone wants from a 12 right? Play it thru a fender tube amp, bridge pickup selected, with some reverb and there you go! No compressor necessary. It's all there, trust me. Dial the tone back, or play thru a vox and you suddenly step into Beatles territory. Very musical, just gorgeous tone for strumming and especially picking chords out.

The neck pickup and the middle position also sound really good. I cranked my vox ac30 just a bit to add some gain recently and the tone was so good I honestly thought about cutting the octave string, making it a six string, and just playing it as my main axe. The octave string is progressively less apparent and warm with the middle and neck pickup selected. Still very usable and nice tones.

I give this guitar a 9 and not a 10 only because it's not as versatile on the neck and middle position. But I would honestly put this guitar up against a 12 string rickenbacker any day of the week. I personally believe most people would prefer the Eastwood over the Rick! Then factor in that I paid under 900 bucks and not 1500 - 3000 for the Rick and it's a no brainer, unless you need the name on the headstock.

The Korean made Eastwoods are really solid. Frets are all shaped well, no sharp edges, the finish, wood grain, binding look really good I'm telling you. I give it a 10 because it's probably as good as anything except art pieces, but who plays those anyways?

Everything feels solid so I assume this guitar will last. But seeing as I've only had it for a few weeks, can't say for sure. But I have really little doubt I'll have any issues. I would bring it to play out without a backup, let's put it that way.

The guys at Eastwood are everything you want in customer service. The guitar came in like three days, no issues. Cool and funny guys over email.

Overall I cannot give this guitar anything other than a 10. 900 bucks for a guitar that looks amazing, sounds gorgeous, and competes with 3000 guitars. I had a really hard time believing an Asian made guitar could be good quality and have quality electronics. But this guitar is legit. Definitely better quality than the Classic 6 I tried which is Chinese made, although that wasn't that bad. But if you're trying to decide between the two, pony up for the more expensive one, it's worth it.

I don't think it's necessary to upgrade the pickups, but I have thought of dropping gibson mini humbuckers in my nashville 12 because I believe it might make it a fuller ringing tone. But seriously, I would play it stock out at a gig without hesitation.

I have other quality instruments so I am not just blowing smoke - USA Fender Tele, Gibson j45, epi dot with gibson pickups(another amazing deal). Amps - 1965/66 all tube Cambridge(best amp I've probably ever heard), 1950's Rickenbacker M8E tube, fender champ 600 w/ jensen 5 watt.

I play out regularly at blues jams around the bay area as well as almost every sunday at church. And I am definitely a tone-freak. This guitar kills it and is especially great for worship picking open chords/arpegios, single notes, or just letting chords ring out to accent the other guitar strumming. It's a total player, good tone, great looks, easy neck to play, and stays in tune. What else can you ask for? Oh cheap, well it's certainly cheap compared to what a gibson ES335 or 330 12 string would cost. And even way cheaper than the reissue epi riviera 12 which was 1500(if you could find one).

If you're debating the purchase like I did for literally months, just buy it already!

The Nashville 12 is a set neck guitar. It has a flamed laminated maple body, two New Yorker style mini humbuckers, bound body, bound neck, two volume and two tone controls. It has a 3 way pick up toggle switch. It has block inlays and a rosewood fretboard and maple neck.

Here is where I was disappointed. I ran the Nashville 12 through a Vox Valvetronix modeling amp. I used compression as my only effect. I played Beatles and Byrds songs that used Rickenbacker 12 strings as lead instruments. I did not get the sound I was looking for. It was not the jangly treble sound associated with the Ric 360 12 string. I felt the output was more mid range and the weaker than I expected. The pickups were quiet, no hum. I have owned one other 12 string. This was a Harmony made in Chicago in 1969. The sound that I get from the Nasville 12 is very reminicent of the DeArmond pickups of the Harmony.

I liked the Nashville 12's feel as soon as I picked up. It is light weight. It is a true hollow body-no center block construction. The guitar is easy to play and the action is low. The red wine finish is beautiful. There were no flaws. The frets are nicely dressed. I believe the hardware is good quality. Overall, the guitar was constructd very well.

This guitar will last a long time. As I said, it is well made. I do not play professionally, but I do feel that it is a road worthy instrument. I replaced the original strap buttons with Dunlop locking strap buttons which I put on every guitar I own.

I have spoken with Mike, the owner of Eastwood guitars. He is an honest person, and a pleasure to deal with. He said if I didn't like the guitar I could return it with no questions asked.

I'm 59 years old.I play with my son primarily for enjoyment and as a stress reducer.I play classic rock (60's) and jazz. I own a Triggs San Salvador for jazz, a Heritage 140 (which is modified) for both jazz and rock an Eastwood High Flyer and a Morgan Monroe accoustic-electric. I definately would get another Nashville 12. I checked out the Rickebacker 360 12 string. They have really gone up in price (too much in my opinion) and the waiting time is between 6-12 months once you order it from a Ric dealer.

Made in 2008 in Korea,
22 fret neck joins body at 19th fret,
58 Gibson profile, 24,3/4" scale, width at nut 1,7/8",
Rosewood fingerboard with side dots and block inlay
Nicely figured bound maple top back sides neck and f-holes,
Gold vintage Kluson tuners Gotoh knockoffs
2 mini humbuckers with a three way selector, two volume, two tone
It is a full hollow body thinline shaped like the Epiphone Riviera
Gold trapeze tailpiece, set in bushings hold a tune a matic bridge
Hardshell Case was included

Very light in weight @7lbs it can handle any style of music that is not too loud. The full hollow body is too resonant to use with a Marshall stack. For jazz, blues, country, folk, pop, surf and rock & roll this guitar can handle a pretty broad range of playing and musical styles.

For the light weight it's well balance not neck heavy and is comfortable to play sitting or standing the neck's depth is not too thin and is straight from first fret to last.

I use it in the studio running it through a POD 2.0 into a tube mic pre and tube optical compressor into a MOTU 896HD. Live I have two old Fenders, one old Marshall, two Dr Z Carmen Ghia heads, two Epiphone Valve Jr heads and one Vox AC30CCH all run through a variety of speaker cabs.

The mini humbucker pickups are wax potted and dead quiet even when opened up. They along with the body can produce almost acoustic 12 string detail on the neck, Ric on the Bridge and a great chime combined but has its own distinct voice and it does not take much effort get a myriad of tones just playing with the vol/tone pots.

Effects are Compressor, OCD pedal, Dunlop Crybaby w/hardwired bypass,TC Chorus pedal , into Carl Martin DeLayla pedal. The most common effects I use are Comp, TC pedal on Octave to add an upper harmonic and slap back delay using the Delayla.

Dislikes? None.

Guitar came in case tuned less than a whole step below concert pitch. PU's were adjusted well enough and making pole piece adjustments PU height adjustments was easy. The action was set low very comfortable with no binding in the string nut no dead spots and no buzz as the frets were properly installed crowned and polished. The electronic hardware is very solid not a scratchy pot or PU selector rattle.

The gold trapeze tailpiece was properly secured to the guitar. It was designed to hold six strings. I bought an after market exact replacement that had 12 individual retainer holes one for each string so as not to have strings twisting and or otherwise binding. Unlike the Gretsch clones Gibson/Epiphone type 12 string trapeze tailpieces are being made and are available for sale at various web etailers like GuitarPartsResource, and Allparts. I would have preferred it as
original equipment and if that cost a couple extra bucks on the price I paid it's well worth it.

This guitar will be a workhorse and from the way it feels I'd say with minimal care and feeding it'll last a long time. The gold plating looks rich and nicely done I do not expect to
see bubbling. The finish smelled like Nitro Cellulose Lacquer when I first opened the case. It
could also be a combination of kimchee and polyurethane. Time will tell. Strap buttons are
solid, the one close to the heel has a white felt washer between it and the wood, nice touch.
The tailpiece has a strap button anchored into (hopefully) the tailblock with two added screws
making a triangle so it should be very solid. I will use it on gigs without a backup. I'd say its Very Dependable.

Mike is a classy guy who will go out of his way to make his customers happy.
Never had to send one back
I think the warrantee is Ltd Lifetime as long as you have registered it and original receipt

I've been playing 54 of my 58 years, over 30 just on guitar. If stolen I'd buy another and I might do that anyway as there are a few 12's out there but none this good at this price point.
I've owned an original 65 Fender XII, Squire Venus XII, Schecter TSH12, Eastwood Classic 12,
and I've tried Rics but all of the necks on Rics except for the 660/12 are pencils.
I love the light weight and the feel of the body resonating when strings are picked plucked or
strummed this guitar is Alive.

Model Name: Nashville 12

This 12-string model features classic 1960???s design with 335 body style, 22 frets on a rosewood fretboard, set maple neck, laminated maple hollow body with flamed maple top. Tone is superb featuring two New York Mini-Humbuckers.

Colours: Flamed Red Wine
Body: Bound Laminated Maple, Flame Top
Neck: Bound Maple, SET neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 24 3/4"
Width at Nut: 1 7/8"
Pickups: Two New York Mini Humbuckers
Switching: 3-Way
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic, Trapeze Tail
Hardware: Vintage Kluson Style Gold
Unique Features: Flamed Cherry Top, low action.

I play primarily surf instrumental music. My intent was to add movie soundtrack songs to our set list, but this goes way beyond just that! I have been playing Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Stones, The Smiths, Dead Kennedys, and on and on. The breadth of sounds that can be achieved are endless.

I have a 1974 Gibson ES335 TD which has the same body style. I have had a hard time finding anything with action like that. Out of the box, and a quick tune, I was rippin' on the NASH 12 as if it were a clone. I wonder if they come from the same factory?
In terms of fit and finish, nothing to note for flaws. Intonation and overall setup must come from Eastwood before they ship. I normally have to tweak a guitar before it's to my liking. The woodgrain visible through the finish is outstanding! A true work of art.

I ordered the NASH 12 with a hardshell case. Same that came with my Gretsch 6120. The finish and hardware is as solid as any $2000+ guitar I own. Yes, it will gig without a backup.

Eastwood told me "If you're not happy, I'm not happy. That's the policy. Return it." 'Nough said. I have now purchased the Airline MAP, and Airline DLX in addition to the NASH 12 and kept them all, so, I assume Eastwood is happy.

I have been playing since I was 14. I have a long list of gear, including 3 Jazzmasters, Gibson ES335, Gretsch 6120, etc,etc. For amps, Fender Showman, Fender ProSonic, Bassmaster, Fender'62 Reverb Tank, Mesa Boogie 2-12 bottom bin, etc. My overall rating is that it would be tough to find a better 12.

From the Eastwood Website:
Featuring a Trapeze Tail with tun-o-matic bridge, New York Mini Humbucker Pickups, 2 Volume, 2 Tone Controls, 24 3/4" scale, 1 7/8" at the nut, 5-ply Maple top back and sides, Maple Neck set at 19th fret with Rosewood fretboard, bound body, F-holes and neck.

Here is what I say:

It's based on an Epiphone Riviera, I imagine mid-60's. I had a chance to view a Riviera from that era before purchasing the Nashville 12 and the comparison is favorable. Both are extremely attractive to me though I didn't get to play the Riviera. I have no doubt that the Nashville is as good or excels in features. That is the Eastwood trademark, I think. They take an existing, eccentric though cool, design and make it better.

Factory strings arrived in tune after 3 days in UPS transit.

The set up is about perfect out of the box.

Though sparingly compact, the binding is very symmetrical with no noticeable issues as one usually expects with Asian manufacturing.

The input jack is very convenient to live playing - I wrap my
chords through from the jack through my strap to he amp.

Knobs are VERY Gibson clear and very easy to read. They seem a bit elevated, to me, which I like. That makes it easy to manipulate.

It's richly colored and somewhere between blood crimson and rich
brown w/burgundy - depends on the light. This guitar is serious eye candy and it even smells good!

I like the white binding & pick guard along with the Gold strap buttons, buffered with felt. They just look great.

The top & back are better book-matched, "sculpted" or fitted than current Gibsons - that is not being trite. That is my sad experience looking for a Les Paul at Guitar Centers.

It came with a very cool hardshell case and an Eastwood guitar T-shirt. Tremendous value for the price - seriously.

My only dislike is the trapeze tail but that's personal and it doesn't detract from anything but my time when I have to change strings (smile).

It fits my style both rhythmically and in terms of fill/solo work. I suppose my style is rock/folk/country/pop in no particular order. I compose a lot of three to 4 minute songs. I like the form.

I have played the guitar through my Fender Blues Jr (nice) and my Chicago Blues Box, 30 watt (nicer).

Through the Fender, without any tweaking,the bridge pickup is very bright with he tone knob all the way up and almost a bit brittle unless you roll off some of the volume and turn the tone knob to about 4 - BUT it's a very clean. I expected more mud out of an Asian pickup. However, when I played this through the Bluesbox, with other musicians, I did not experience the harshness.

The tone pots are high off the guitar (nice touch) and easy to see and
conveniently placed IMHO. I wish manufacturers would (again) make
tone pots that ease into the volume instead of being suddenly on, but
Fender has the same issues lately. I guess they cannot all be my
ex-'64 Esquire.

The neck pickup runs the gamut of very, very dark to smooth, clear and
silky. It can have creamy overtones but creamier through the Blues Box than the Blues Jr.

Now - when I put the pickup in the middle position, as I am wont to do
on many occasions - AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - Angels wept for
the sound. It's very nice.

I have owned a couple electric 12's in my life including a Ric 620/12 and a Strat XII. So here is a comparison.

This guitar is distinct from a Ric but I think that's because it's easier to phrase (finger) because of the neck width. Well that and a Ric is a Ric. A Ric is strung different with the 12th string being thicker than the 11th as on all other 12's. Rics are serious Eye Candy too. The Nashville competes fine with that. Certainly the Nashville is a better bargain for the same (yet different) quality of sound.

Compared to the 80's Strat XII? I'll have to do a side by side but I always ran the Strat XII through effects boxes to get odd lead tones. I didn't use it much as a rhythm instrument. Again however - the great thing about the Nashville 12 is it's ease of play because of neck width. It's much easier to play than the Strat XII and I think the Strat XII is easier to play than Rics.

This guitar worked well in a band scenario. It has it's own unique voice which blended well with other guitars and harmonicas yet cut through the mix at reasonable volumes. I've never had a 12 that could do that before.

It only gets a 9 because of the bit of harshness I got through the Fender Amp and that may be the Amp and not the guitar. I love this guitar's sound.

As far as I am concerned the instrument showed up, perfectly set up and in tune after three days of being on the UPS road. No flaws that I can see and - oh yeah, it also stays in tune and seems quiet through the amps.

The book-match is a bit off but as I mentioned above, it's still better than current Gibsons these days. I have no beef about the book-match. It's still a gorgeous guitar and it's possible off book-matching is in vogue..

Oh yeah - it's easy to finger pick... try that with most 12 strings.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Been there! Done that! It passed with flying colors.

Does the hardware seem like it will last? So far but it's new.

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? I think the finish is just grand and will stand the test of time.

Are the strap buttons solid? Yes and very cool looking too as I mentioned above.

Can you depend on it? I think so. I have no reason to believe otherwise. Remember it's new.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Without a backup 12? Yes. Without another guitar? Hmmmm - I don't see why not but time will tell.

I've bought two guitars from Mike Robinson of Eastwood Guitars. I also have a Delta 6 (very cool too). Mike and Peter McCraken were very informative, helpful and patient with my sometimes dumb questions. They were also patient when I screwed up my on-line transaction. Eastwood has an excellent reputation.

How long have you been playing? Since 1962 or 1963

What other gear do you own? I have GAS (Guitar acquisition Syndrome. I own approximately 12 guitars including an EJ Strat, Ric 1997, Fender Custom Shop Esquire, Faded Gibson SG with Crescent Moons, Souped up Stagg Tele copy with Bigsby and Rio Grande Pickups, Guild JF-30, and a Guild D25M 100% mahogany.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar? No. This guitar exceeded my expectations. I'm sure I will keep it for the duration of my playing lifetime.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again? Yes. It is THE electric 12 string to own in my humble opinion.

What do you love about it? Everything from visuals to sound to smell. It feels comfortable in your lap or with a strap. This guitar makes me as excited as I felt when I was a teen, in the 60's wanting and eyeballing all the guitars in hanging high up in stores. The ones I wished I could own and play. I suspect that is the inspiration for Eastwood Guitars as well. I love (L-O-V-E) this guitar.


What do you hate? Trapeze tail but I hate everything that's not a Tele, body through style of restringing. Not the guitar's fault.


What is your favorite feature? Ease of play. Geez - You can even finger pick it. Honestly, I have not been this excited about a guitar in years.


Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? As mentioned above I own a 80' Strat XII and I have owned a Ric 620/12. This compares favorably or exceeds them, especially in ease of play.

Why did you choose this one? I previously bought an Eastwood, Delta 6 and the quality of that guitar for a far less price was so superior to guitars costing $100's more that I had no qualms buying from Eastwood. That and their reputation was good. The vibe of the Nashville 12, to me was/is tremendous.

Anything else you'd like to share? I wish the Eastwood Website had better pictures for you to see. I posted a photo of mine to a group guitars website. Here is a link: http://launch.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/rusted-guitars/photos/view/fa2f?b=9

Oh yes... Though the guitar is $799, expect some additional freight costs. Mine landed at $848.00/

I own a Gibson 335 and thicker bodied 150 and this guitar is very comparable to both in quality. A beautiful cherry red finish,hollow body (no center block)..keeps it very light and balanced at the neck joint. Tune-O-Matic brige, trapeze tailpice. ..all hardware is gold color...very nice and regal looking....white binding on the body, neck AND F-holes...nice touch!! Neck joint at the 19th fret makes it very accessable to the higher register. Not too wide of a neck for a twelve string. Mini humbuckers. I am amazed how straight and good the neck feels....spot on.

I play mostly blues, TexMex Conjunto, roots rock'n roll and some Zydeco. I use a 1968 Fender Blackface Deluxe and a few small practice amps. With the pickups dialed in at 10, the sound begins , I repeat begins ....to breakup nicely...not too much, but if you want a very classic clean 12-string chimey sound, you might need to back off the volume to 8. This works super for leads where you want a little grind....nice touch here!

It arrived threedays after I bought it....mine too, was in-tune right out of the super nice , hardshell case (love the ergonomic handgrip)...that was experiment #1 after reading some reviews here....I'll be dang'd..!
It was tuned to standard EADGBE too,... not a step down...string tension seemed to be fine too. I may need to adjust a "G" PU pole piece higher, but everything pretty much sounds very even volume!
Everything is solid construction, no flaws...beautiful cherry finish, with a remarkable woodgrain underneath. Love the white pickguard too....a total class act!

The guitar seems very solid and should last a lifetime of playing and wear....if you have any doubtful opinions on a Korean made guitar...I gotta tell ya' you just can't beat the quality of workmanship here for the price. I wanna repeat here...the hardshell case is excellent, keeps the guitar very secure. Like I also said ealier...I am used to playing Gibson 335s. I haven't used it on a gig, but I will soon. I would not do a whole gig with a twelve string....but it might be fun....then you might get known as the guy/gal who plays the cool red tweleve string!

This is a no-brainer....Michael at Eastwoods is a guitar player's dream! If you play, you gotta have a cool looking guitar, right?
Part of the whole deal is the OOOO and AAAs....and Eastwoods delivers art and quality on all fronts..of coolness of design and sound to match.
Listen.....would you plunk down your hard earned cash on a guitar without playing it first??
Most of you would say no, butI did....have done it many times at Eastwoods Guitar and I am not BS' here....got a better guitar than I'd hope for every time.
I have bought the Red Stripe, ultimate artsy blues guitar with uber tonal variations...my new main axe, a cool very inexpensive Tele copy for the wife, a extremely wonderful artsy, sparkle Italian Itallia Modello with Mother of Toiletseat covering the back, that really is a head turner and now this Nashville 12. These are beautiful pieces of art folks and are hung on the wall at our house.
Check out his story of the Mosrite guitar....we can all identify....their new "Listen" page is very helpful too. My only problem is that I need a bigger closet for the cases.!! I never meant to be a guitar collector, but at this level of quailty and price it is hard not to be....mainly thank to Mike Robinson at Eastwoods....three cheers!!!

I have been playing for 32 years...(gee I hate writing that).
I still own the Gibson 335 I got when I was 18.
I am discovering that is a golden age of re-issuing cool looking guitars like Eko, Airline and Goyua (sp)....I never thought I could own one and if I did it would be worth the cost....but Eastwood makes them available with BETTER that the original features.
That is the key here.
I am loyal to my gear and these Eastwood guitars have won my heart and ears. I know it sounds gushy....but my experience has always been
above and beyond my expectations. Michael always email me back very quickly with guitar info , even if I never wound up buying anything.....and I appreciate that level of customer support.

This is a brand new Korean made 12 string clone of the Epiphone Riviera guitar/ This one has gold plated hardware, two mini humbuckers, trapeze tp, mini Schaller type tuners, a very tight grained flamed maple top and back, and the fit and finish you would expect on at least an Epi Elite.
It came with a 6 clasp hsc......thanks Eastwood!!!
The neck is wide enough that you can play the 12 strings with no problem and the profile is thin yet not too thin.

The guitar sounded good even before i plugged it in.....but when i plugged it in I was surprised on how fat it sounded> The combo of the mini humbuckers and the maple top I believe makes the guitar have a very unique sound.......and to my taste a very usable sound. Somewhere between a Rick 12 and a Gibson 335 12 string outfitted w/ standard sized h-buckers.
very quiet guitar, and stayed in tune.......actually it was in tune right out of the box!!!
all three sounds were usable and distinct.

The guitar upon very close inspection had no flaws...the action and set-up believe it or not were perfect.
as i said earlier the top was a nearly perfect match.....definately bookmatched.

This guitar has gigged with me twice....a very vigotous workout and did very very well.
No backup needed.......solid axe for sure.
hardware on this and most of the eastwoods i have seen is unbelievable for the $$$............

Eastwood numero uno...hands down...........Mike Robinson answers his phone.....period..... and does not BS!!!

Just go and get one if you want a high quality 12string that will blind people with the look, and have a great sound to boot.
Look its great guitar..for around $700 bucks!!!
I hear these are limited editions........a word to the wise.