By the mid-1960s, the rich jangling timbre of the 12-string guitar was the sound of the moment, and Leo Fender hoped that his Electric XII solid-body, introduced in 1965, would challenge more established 12-string manufacturers, such as Rickenbacker.

The new guitar had a strikingly shaped headstock, and a pair of pickups will split groups of pole-pieces to enrich the tone of the lower strings and add edge and clarity to their treble counterparts. It also boasted an ingeniously designed bridge, which made the guitar easier to finger.

The guitar attracted several leading players, including The Who’s Peter Townsend and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.