Italia Rimini 12-String

Got this lovely jangly 12 string, made in Korea I believe. I really like it. It's my first 12 string and it took me a while to find one that suited my needs. I play some jangly rhythm stuff, like The Smiths, and really needed a decent semi-acoustic 12 string. I'd never heard of Italia until I found some information about them online. I knew I had to own one.
It's a 22 fret neck, and plays nicely all the way up. Very smooth and just the right thickness. It takes a while to get used to a 12 string though.
It's got 2 decent Wilkinson Humbuckers which provide a decent, if not too powerful output. There's no pickup switch - only 2 volume knobs, which doesn't bother me too much; I usually keep both at 10 (as well as the tone switch) and just meddle with EQ on my amplifier (A hybrid valve amp). It's got an agathis body, with a black ash back. Sounds lovely.
The neck is set in and stays in tune absolutely perfectly. I've got mine in Cherry Burst, which looks delightful, not unlike the Rickenbacker equivalent.
Headstock a little heavy so my left arm gets tired after a while. But I don't care, I'm a skinny lad. So not too flashy on features, and the style certainly isn't for everyone, but I love it.

A great jangly sound for its price range (a little under ??500) and perfect for Smiths/Byrds/Cure sort of thing. The Dean Boca is cheaper but slightly better sounding with the right amp, but it looks dead boring.
I recommend it with an AC30, preferably the real thing, but modeled sounds great too. I run it through an AC50 model on a Vox Valvetronix, with plenty of treble, with both pickups on full. Sounds beautiful with a bit of toppy chorus and some compression. The pickups are very quiet humbuckers, set in a little flimsy, but great sounding. Bright and jangly, just how I like it!

It played perfectly out of the box, perfect action, the bridge is well aligned and never goes out of tune. It all seems very solid.

This should play well pretty live - I hope to test it soon. The plastic setting for the control pots seems dubious but I don't plan to play it too hard. It seems very light so I don't know how well the wood is going to hold up live. Strap buttons are fine - I haven't dropped it once in over a month. I would probably use a backup for live gigging - but that's because it's a speciality guitar and not suitable for everything.

These are EXTREMELY hard to get hold of. Their distributor went bankrupt and they're currently waiting to be redistributed by John Hornby Skewes. After much researching I found exactly ONE left for sale in the UK and bought it instantly. I believe it has a one year warranty, though I don't think I'm going to have problems with it; none that I cant' handle myself anyway.

I've been playing about 5 years and own 6 other guitars (bit of a horder). This is certainly a favourite. I took a chance buying it without playing it but this has been worthwhile. If it were stolen I would certainly replace it. There aren't many guitars similar to this so you're limited in choice. Vintage do a 12 string ES335 but I have never played one. And I don't like solid electric 12 strings at all. The Dean Boca is the only alternative but I find it very plain looking.

Basic working features, easy tuning, pickups, volume and tone controls noise free. Very solid well built for the price.

Great sound with any style of music full and rich, played though a acoustic and guitar amp. Good volume. works well though guitar processer.

Action could not be better, plays like butter, out of box, tuned and played.

Has a good wieght, solid with a expensive high price guitar feel.

When through Musiciansfriend, the guitar had a small crack on the cover for the volume and tone controls, they adjust the price and kept the guitar, it sounds to good to give back.

As all the all ratings, best 12 string I played, going on 30 years of experience.

Stock tobacco sunburst-with hardshell case.

I own several Rick 12's-and I have to admit, this thing plays as well, if not better than most of them!

Perfect factory set-up, excellent right out of the "box"!

I do not foresee any issues with using this guitar out extensively!

No need thus far

If you are 12 stringer-or just want a touch of that jingle-jangle, do not hesitate! This is, by far, the best electric 12 I have ever purchased! All the "R" sounds you know and love, and some other very usable tones too!

2008 apple green model.
truely superb. you know the spec so i won't go into detail.
it arrived pefectly set up (and i mean perfect!)the balance, the action, the neck the total feel of this guitar is pure quality

even unplugged it sounds better than most acustic 12 strings but when i plugged it in, i soiled myself! it is utterly beautiful.

it is the easiest and most enjoyable 12 strings i have ever played (been playiing over 30 years) there is nothinmg that come close.

it's so veratile, gutsy, yet mellow, warm, full, rich...truely beautiful. will suit a vast range of styles and types.

the actions was perfect right out of the box, i didn't need to change a thing. everything was simply perfect!

i have to keep reminding myself that i'm playing a 12 string...it shouldn't be this easy...but it is!

stays in tune...never and i mean never drifts. the guitar is very sturdy and built to last. this is a future classic.
everything about this guitar says excellence.

never needed to contact them but if i did i just know it would be as good as their guitars.

been playing over 30 years and this is the best 12 string i have ever played (and i've played loads of them). there is nothing that touches it for, quality, sound and playability.

i had never heard of italia prior to purchasing the rimini.
i needed a new electric 12 string and after trying out a bunch of various makes was just drawn to it...didn't even test it out...saw it on the net and took a chance.

it's enhanced my playing and it's a total joy to have it around.

i have since test drove a few italia guitars and every one of them has
simply wiped the floor with the competition.
these guitars are truely awesome and are setting a new bench mark.

if you ever get the chance, buy one.

i'm busy saving for my next italia...but they're all so cool...i like the look of the d'man...i just wish the prices would drop slightly.

rimini = best 12 string on the planet ever!

Won in 2008, Really Great 12 string,
All features described by others. This guitar is well worth the money.
Mine has the Mother of toilet seat white pearl top with Cherry red mahogany back, but a very cool retro type look and very well done with no finish flaws what-so-ever. Pickups are Wilkinson and sound great. Neck is very well finished and is super easy and fast to play, in fact this is the easiest 12 string guitar to play. Have the Italia hard shell case which is a must as with the wider body this guitar will not fit into strat cases.
Restringing is a little time consuming, but then what 12 string isn't.

This is a Great sounding guitar has all the 12 string jangle you could ever want. Nails Petty, early Stones and Byrds etc. and also has a tone all its own. A very Rich and full tone but can get nasty if run through the distortion channel. Has all the jangle and tone of the Ric but at a fraction of the cost, and IMHO a far better value for the price.

Setup was spot on from the factory, and everything works just fine. I looked hard as I was very scepticle of this guitar having not heard much about it and knowing it was from Korea, but I have not found any flaws at all. The only thing that I can find a possible area of improvement is the plastic unit that houses the Volume, & tone pots and the output jack. This is spring loaded into the guitar as a pickup would be and can be depressed if pushed on, but it seems sturdy enough.

haven't had it long enough to tell but it sure looks as good in that department as any other 12 string I've played/owned.

Don't know and for the price don't care.

Been playing for 40 something years, I own Several 6 string Fenders, Clapton, Vaughn, Am Deluxe, and standard strats, A Custom,a Deluxe, a 52 butterscotch and a Baja Tele's. Gibson SG, and Les Paul Custom, Michael Kelly hourglass, Ceilo LP, Korean PRS Clone, and a Custom double cut away LP. I have owned countless others, way to many to list and way to many I should have kept and others I should never have acquired. Amps include various Fenders, Deville, Deluxe, 93 Concert, Pro 185, and Princeton Chorus, Carvin MTS3200, Marshall JCM800 and 600, and 8100, Vox AD60VTH and 30vt, and Orange Crush 30R and a Crate V32 and Vintage Club 50. Same for the amps as for the Guitars. I have tried this Guitar through all my amps and its Great through everyone especially the ones with the better cleans and reverbs and chorus. This is a really great 12 string and if it disappeared somehow I would deffinately get another over the other 12 strings out there.

I just purchased this guitar brand new (something I never do). I wanted a 12 to inspire me and wasn't feeling ready to buy a pricey ric so I investigated this instrument. They are made in Korea and have Wilkinson Pickups. No gig bag included. Agathis top and Ash back.

It has two volume knobs instead of a pickup selector switch, which I kind of enjoy because you can get very specific with the blend and it makes the guitar's lines a little smoother. I am a lot less focused on pickup selection as I dial in what I am looking for and then focus just on my playing.

I play in a folk, bluesy, rock kinda style and this instrument is a great addition to my extensive 6 string arsenal. I have tried a lot of twelves and the tuning always scared me away and the playability seemed a bit suspect till i found this one. I always wanted a nice jangly one that fit my hand and this delivers that in spades for a VERY reasonable price. I play it through a blockhead amp and the sound is clear, the pickups are super super quiet, and the tone is sparkly and adjustable. Mine has mini humbuckers not p90s...which I'd be curious to hear based on the reviews below.

Wilkinson pickups have a new fan.

It nails petty, mcguinn, harrison, jangle. And who doesnt like THAT.

I havent played it in a band setting yet, so I dunno how it will cut it, but for recording it was pretty cool with a little compression.

Not a outrageously versitile sound (its a twelve...thats pretty distinct sound), but a great sound nonetheless.

I am not a luthier, nor do I pretend to be one but...

nice setup, beautiful finish...this does not look like a guitar that costs 650 bucks...the quality looks like a new ric.

Too early to tell. But it stays in tune well and that is more than half the battle.

Nice people at their American distribution center. They answered some questions about what pickups they are being made with (mini humbuckers) and whether or not there is a pickup selector (no). Any guitars with those features were experimental.

I'd be curious to hear it with a p90 or pickup selector only because I love the way it sounds and I would buy another with a slightly diff tone TOO.

I've been playing a long time and played many a guitar in many a store. I own a dozen vintage gibsons, fenders, gretschs, and this is a wonderfully reliable new addition which hopefully will not require the maintenance that my others do. I'd still love to buy a great ric because this has gotten me so into playing 12 strings. This guitar IS NOT A KNOCK OFF...its a great, unique 12 that's well worth the price.

Agathis (Asian mahogany) chambered body with ash back; hard maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. Set neck. 22 frets; 25" scale. 48mm graphite nut. Die-cast Italia machine heads. 12-string Tune-O-Matic bridge. Italia trapeze-style stop bar. Two Wilkinson Mini-Humbucker (WMH) pickups. Two volume controls; one tone control. Three-position pickup selector switch. White pearloid finish on top and headstock.

This guitar sounds nothing short of dynamite. Instead of buying a Rick 12, buy one of these and you'll have enough left to buy a Rick 6! As a bonus, the neck feels much wider to me than that of a Rick 12 (I have big hands), and with the low action on this guitar, it plays just about as easily as my Les Paul 6. Stays in tune like no 12-string I've ever had...even survives my ham-handed bashing away on stage!

I play it through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp and the tone is incredibly bright on the bridge pickup. The real jangle you know from all those Beatles, Byrds, Tom Petty tunes, etc. The neck pickup is smoother and jazzier, a little more subdued for playing in the background. Produces three distinctive tones, all usable.

The pickups are super-hot P90 copies, and they're LOUD. When I unplug my Les Paul and plug this in, I have to turn the amp down...this guitar is substantially louder and brighter.

This guitar also sounds great when run through my Real Tube overdrive pedal. Much to my surprise, it makes our heavy tunes sound even heavier!

This guitar is beautifully built. It's incredibly solid, with a set neck and attention to detail evident all over. The back is bookmatched and looks just gorgeous. Frets are smooth and the whole guitar is imminently playable. Sitting across the room on the stand, it calls to me!

There are a couple of factors that could use improvement, but they're pretty nitpicky. 1) The cool-looking, highly functional machine head configuration makes re-stringing a time-consuming pain in the butt. 2) The bridge has shared saddles for each pair of strings, making precise intonation adjustment impossible (though it hasn't been a problem). 3) The homely silver-colored bezel around the pickup switch looks like an afterthought compared to the over-the-top style found everywhere else on this striking instrument.

This guitar is rock solid. I've played it out at gigs several times now and it's as dependable as my Les Paul. The strap buttons are fine, and are actually maybe slightly too big, if anything...but you know your strap will stay on.

Whenever I pull this guitar out on stage, jaws drop as the stage lights burst off the pearloid finish. All the guitarists in the crowd always want to see it up close and ask lots of questions about it. It's a real attention-getter, and has the quality to back it up.

I bought this guitar used, and have had no need to deal with the company.

I have been playing for nearly 25 years and have owned many great guitars of all kinds: 1980 Gibson Les Paul Studio/Standard, Rickenbacker 360, Fender Jazzmaster, Danelectro Bellzouki 12-string, Squier Telecaster, 1974 Alvarez jumbo acoustic, Corth Earth Series 12-string, Guild S-50, Rickenbacker 4001 bass, Gibson Les Paul, Jr., etc.

This guitar is everything you'll ever want or need in an electric 12-string guitar. It plays like a dream, sounds dynamite and looks fantastic. If it was stolen I'd find another one just like it. If you're thinking of getting a 12, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Seriously.

thinline semi acoustic in honey sunburst (this is what makes it a 'Deluxe' model - the other models are in flat colour or a kind of ludwig drumkit pearloid finish, depending on the price).

it has a flat rick style tailpiece, a tune-o-matic 12 string bridge, and italia branf tuners, which will be some variant of the Wilkinson non-locking tuner.

the first great thing about this guitar is the neck. it's 24.75 scale, with a 45mm neck at the nut, but it feels MUCH slimmer than those figures suggest. it plays SO easy, as the neck is very shallow from the back to the front. your hand doesnt have to stretch at all, which is great.

it came with an Italia gigbag, which was a nice touch, and it isn't a crappy one either. shoulder straps, nice '60s influenced design. a grat touch, in fact. when i took the guitar out the box, it was a very welcome surprise to find it in a bag.

right, as quickly as possible...

22 frets (im guessing medium-jumbo)

a lovely top, but probably laminated. arent most semi acoustics these days?

a volume control for each pickup, and a mster tone. not as bad as it sounds, as you actually think about the guitar's sound instead of just toggling between off/on/between as with other guitars with a 3 way switch. and the tone knob comes in handy, trust me.

two mini humbuckers. at least i THINK they're humbuckers. if not, they're the smallest P-90s i ever saw.

i've never played an electric 12 before (bought this on a whim - nothing more - god bless store credit!) and couldn't be happier. the sound is SO alive, it jumps out and makes you almost worried. it's the ricky 360/12 copy my cheap-assed George Harrison copy collection was waiting for, and it fills the space beautifully.

now, the tone switch i mentioned earlier...

it came with roundwounds on, and as i've only had it for 72 hours, i've not changed them yet. to be honest, i'm happy with how it plays, but GOD does it ring... this can apparently be cut down with flatwounds, but a simple EQ mix using the controls (yes, all three of them) can give you a great, great, balance.

there's not much more to say. if you ever heard an electric 12 string (hollow bodied, of course) then you KNOW this sound. think beatles late '63 -'65, or Byrds. awesome.

no bad news here either, at least not with mine. Came from the store in tune with itself (but a semitone off concert - no big deal, i tunned it up when it arrived, played it for hours and it's still there (with only the most minimal of tweaks - it IS a 12, afterall...)

the pickups are perfect height/position, the action is not too high, not too low, and the finish is just great. no flaws, bound body, and a GREAT fret inlay.

i'd use this live, and can't wait to. stupid ill band members including me :o)

nothing about this seems short-term, including the length of time it stays in tune. i always use those little plastick button-holder things to make sure my guitar doesn't suddenly take a trip floorwards, and although this is my first and only 12 string, i NEVER play a gig without a backup guitar. if this went wrong, i'd play the song on one of my 6ers. i mean, we aren't the frikkin' Byrds or anything!

no idea. i think i have some warranty. bought it from www.andertons.co.uk so go check there. i recommend them, at least - they were great.

ok, i've been playing guitar for about 14 years, and have a bunch of guitars, mostly based around what George Harrison used with the beatles, from a Gretsch (pro jet, i'm afraid - a duo jet is beyond my money) through some not-so-cheap semi-acoustic copies, to a fender strat.

the guitar IS insured, so if it were stolen i'd give them a ring and get another one, and wouldnt hesitate to do so. its a great guitar.

as i'm the only guitarist in my band and sing either lead or harmony on every song as well (stupid three piece bands!) i have to fill the sound out, and this will certainly help some of the time. i cant quite play my lead lines like i can on a 6 string, but then that's not what a 12 string is for. i think it'll fit in just fine though.

in my weaker moments i do miss a toggle switch, but then i guess i've just been spoiled by having one on every other guitar i've ever owned :o)

2004 model, outrageous blue/silver finish with dark blue back, binding on rear side, made in Korea (not Italy). This guitar has one of the highest build qualities I've ever seen. This is NOT a cheap guitar by any means (I think the list price is over $600). Shaped kind of like a Rickenbacker 360 but wiht high-gain clear P90 style pickups, very flat smooth neck, block inlays, tune-a-matic bridge, excellent tuners, very stable guitar. fit and finish are A. I modded the guitar with a new set of Pyramid flatwound strings ($25) which made a big difference. Also modded the 2 volume, 1 tone control, to just a volume for each pickup with a standard 3-position toggle to switch & blend the pickups - much better control overall now.

I've had every 12string ever made (well almost), I like this Rimini model better than anything else I ever had except for my original 65 Ric 360-12 which is long gone...... Other than the Danelectro 12strings which are pretty good, the Rimini sounds much better and has a smoother neck and action.

After taking it to the tech for a setup/intonation, the guitar is outstanding, but you MUST install a set of Pyramid flatwound strings to get the sounds out of this guitar.

A+ build, everything is solid and top-notch.

Unknown.

Love this guitar, it's a keeper, high-class all the way!