Raven RX-12

The previous review by Russell describes the guitar perfectly, I don't think I could do any better. My RX12 is in the green/black burst finish, top only, with the back, sides, neck and headstock painted black. The top wood is quilted, sort of.

I got this instrument on ebay, used, and I think it's a real bargain. The original owner kept it in perfect condition, and packed it very well for shipping. Practically speaking, I got a new one.

I've had a lot of 12 strings, right now my only other one is a 1968 Rickenbacker 330. I don't play it much any more because the neck is way too narrow for my liking, the pickups hum a bit, and the thing is a real pain to set up; it's generally a tempermental guitar. Pretty, though.

When I first saw the RX12 on the Raven website, I liked its looks. I also have a Raven RP450, and having a good experience with it, inquired by email about numerous specs and features, and they were very responsive. I'd have bought one from Raven if the opportunity to buy the one on ebay hadn't occurred.

My style, such as it is, would be readily appreciated by anyone who dropped a lot of acid in the 60's. A mixture of flat and finger picking, something like if Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell had a child, who was later adopted by a kindly but demented Warren Zevon. The instrument is just right for this style, and others. It lacks the woody jangle of the Rick, to a degree, is more like an old Hagstrom 12 I had many years ago. It sounds nice and bright, and the notes ring pretty good.
I've used it with an old Fender amp, and a newer Marshall valvestate combo, but mostly for recording direct. It works well with everything I've played it through.

The guitar was missing a B string when I got it, so I replaced the string, tuned it up, and started to play. YIKES!...The thing handled like a two by four. A warped one, at that. What gives?
Having set up, built, and generally lived with guitars for decades, I saw right away what the problem was, the nut was way high. I mean WAY. Did I say way? Putting a capo on the 2nd fret, I tried it again and the action was much better. Good in fact. The strings make an unreal bend where the capo clamps down, and that nut will have to be replaced or reworked. I estimate it's about .040" or more higher than it should be. Makes the instrument almost unplayable, but it will be easy enough for me to fix. Some Quality Control guy over there in Korealand must have been having trouble at home the day this guitar came through his department, though this reminds me of some advice a fellow worker gave me when I was an inspector, years ago. When I asked him how come the other guys seemed to work so much faster than me, he replied..Well, you actually measure things...
Anyway, I like the wide neck, one of the best I've seen on a 12 string as far as its design. It handles just right with the capo on, I will be content with it I'm sure after I get the nut fixed.
Overall, fit, finish, etc., are very good. The top wood, though by definition is really quilted, is not very high grade stuff, but OK. Everything else, except for the nut, was well made and adjusted pretty good.
The reason I bought this guitar in the first place was because I like a nice wide neck on a 12 string, and it was a bargain at that.

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Do I look that stupid?

I've only made inquiries to the company about various features and specifications of their guitars, and they were always heplful and truthful. Have had no problems with either of my Ravens, therefore no firsthand experience with their policies. I'm not sure if a used instrument would be warranted, hope not to find out.

I started playing in 1964, back before electricity was invented and guitars were powered by steam and/or domestic animals. I've been through enough gear to stock a small music store, starting with a '59 Duo-Sonic. At the moment I have a Strat, a Les Paul, The above mentioned 330, a P-bass, and a few guitars I built or modified beyond recognition, plus some acoustics.
I wish I'd asked for introductions to some of the girls shown at the Raven website; maybe next time.
If lost, it would probably find its way back home. If it didn't, yes, I'd probably buy another one. People don't dare steal stuff from me.
I wish it had prettier wood on the top, also, a case would have come in handy.

-Made: This is a new Korean-Made 12-String Electric Made by Raven Guitars, and purchased from Raven West. Guitars in Southern California. Probably made in 2001.

-Top: Solid Mahogany Body & top, laminated trim. Very light weight for mahogany.

-Finish: Blue/Purple Quilted Top. Absolutely beautiful.

-Neck: Maple. Appears to be two pieces including the head stock. Definitely a Gibson SG shaped neck--which I am very, very please with by the way. Not as round as a Les Paul, for example.

-Fretboard: Rosewood, I believe. Simulated mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Dot markers on the side. 22 Frets, likely jumbo

-Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-way toggle switch.

-Pickups: Passive Humbuckers (don't know manufacturer)

-Body Style: Double cutaway. Cross-between a ca. 1965 Gibson Melody Maker, or Travis Bean Artist

you can see what it looks like at

http://store3.yimg.com/I/ravguitar_1666_639379

-Bridge style: Tune-O-Matic-style with a very basic tailpiece.

- Hardware is all gold-metal plate of some sort.

- No accessories

I think the RX12 suits me just fine in general. I am using a Mesa-Boogie .22 Caliber amp, and the tone is reasonably rich after playing with the EQ a bit.

Although the current pickups do sound a tad watered-down, who can complain for $300 brand new? I may eventually replace the current humbuckers with EMG's or something. In the meantime, I am getting as close to that twangy Roger McGuinn sound as expected for this kind of expenditure.

No noise, no buzzing, nice sound in general. Brighter using the bridge pickup only.

Factory set up was OK. The bridge was already adjusted down as far as it would go--for that, I downgraded to a 9 from a perfect 10 rating in this area. All that said, the action is wonderfully low and the guitar plays like a dream. I would like to go lower still, but I may need to either remove the washers spacing th bridge from the body, or just replace the bridge with something else. The intonation at the octaves is off a bit, which may be the result of a poorly aligned bridge, poorly designed bridge, or maladjustment. I will need to play with this awhile to find out for sure.
The nut sounds and helps sustain pretty well, but the sharp edges hurt my hand when sliding down onto the nut---another reason for downgrading to a 9 in this category. No idea what the material is--looks like bakelite or some sort of black plastic.

The action is almost a dream come true--especially low for a 12-string. No string buzzing. May try to see what i can do to get it just a tad lower. If I can't, no worries. Plays just fine.

The wood, the finish, and the hardware looks just beautiful. A pro job all the way. Someone really knew what they were doing here.

Tuning pegs look like Schaler copies. Seem to work reasonably well, and also seems to keep the guitar pretty well in tune. This is another area where 12-strings generally have difficulty, and this one passes the staying-in-tune test very well.

Altogether the subcategory ratings are:

Action Set-up: 8
Action in general: 9
Pickup Adustment: 8
Bridge Setup: 7
Quality finish: 10
Overall quality: 9

I give this category a 9 overall.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? The guitar seems just fine, and will no doubt take as much of a beating as any.

Does the hardware seem like it will last? Time will tell. It is made in Korea you know. I may not trust the hardware as much as a Kalamazoo Gibson guitar--or Schallers, or Grovers, etc. The only reason I give the guitar an 8 in this category is that I have no idea who made the hardware, and can't trust a name that hasn't proven itself yet over time. Again, we'll see...

Is the finish good enough to last? Looks like an excellent finish job. I would be really surprised if it just wore off.

Are the strap buttons solid? Yep.

Can you depend on it? I think so.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Never know what can happen--may not be the guitar's fault, but always use a backup!

Don't even know how to contact Raven, but let me tell you--the guys at Raven West Guitar are outstanding to deal with, extremely helpful and responsive. Said ultimately if I wasn't happy with the RX12, could return it--no questions asked. Well, I'm keeping mine!

I have been playing for a good 33 years--although I am just rediscovering the musician in myself after a bit of a time out. What other guitars do I own? Two Gibson SGs ('72 Cherry Sunburst, '68 Red Mahogany SG/Les Paul Deluxe with Vibrato), a '65 Gibson Melody Maker that I hotrodded, a 12-string Epiphone Acoustic.

Would I buy it again? Probably, but I am currently in non-Gibson experimentation mode. I am a Gibson SG man 100%, but am checking out what new stuff is out there. Who know, I may break down and dish out thousands for an SG 12-string electric one day.

What do I love about the RX12? The neck feels like an SG, plays almost like an SG.

What do I hate about it? The stupid-ass nut that bites my hand everytime I get down to the end of the fretboard. This has gotta go.

Anything I wish it had? Better pick-ups, better nut, better bridge. A vibrato would be nice, but its hard enough to keep a 12-string in tune without adding that to the equation.