The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Have a project creating a 12 string electric from an ES style hollowbody.
Have been scouring websites trying to determine what was the last years of the Aria four bolt necks before going setneck.
Trying to find a decent ES style body with usable electronics, as I will be switching the bridge and adding a 12 string trapeze.
Realizing it will be a morph 12 string as using an Epiphone 12 string neck but will serve the purpose intended far less expensively than pursuing vintage 12 string models.

Interested in any comments ( constructive) that will aid my quest....

Welcome.
Bolt, set and thru necks were all made at the same time. It wasn't a progression.

+1 on Jorg's comment.

A few other thoughs: Make sure the neck matches the body on scale lenght, number of frets and dimenssions at the heal. Also be aware that bolt on hollowbodies frequently have probklems with the neck pockets distorting under string pressure. This is not something you arer likely to be able to tell from a picture of a body. Sometimes this can be remedied with a ship or carefull shaving of the heal. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

I hate to sound smug or like a braggert but I just scored a twelve string Aria Diamond. I would like to see how you do with your project and will try to offer all the assistance I can.
Mine has a nice finish and the neck seems stout enough to support a dozen strings, I had pots rolling around inside the body and only six strings to play. Single coils and a roller bridge, but borrowed the bridge to use on my Lyle six string for some bottleneck blues. Those roller bridges aren't too solid and move and rattle a little on the low A & E but got some nice lift and decent tone with moderately heavy strings.
If you can get the angle right on the neck joint you can run light strings on the twelve but bolt ons' are a little weak for twelve strings.
Good Luck and keep posting updates for all us twelve string nuts.