What's a bass player doing with a 12-string?

[songdog]

In the late '70s, I bought a 1966 FG 360/12 from a luthier who had repaired the broken headstock. I'm not quite sure why. I guess the price was right, and it was pretty both to look at (as long as you didn't look at the back of the neck) and listen to. Never played it much, my fingers are much more suited to my 4001 than to twelve strings on a narrow neck.

In the mid '90s, I decided to clean it up a bit and try playing it. I had it on a stand in the bedroom with much of the hardware removed -- and my youngest, just a toddler at the time, knocked it over and broke the headstock repair. Off to another luthier to get it glued back on.

So then it sat around in the case some more while I played my basses (my fingers aren't getting any skinnier).

Now that I've found this forum and all the expertise and enthusiasm around old Rickenbacker guitars, I pulled it out again. The headstock repair seems to be holding, but the neck is bowed. The front of the guitar body would probably look brand new if everything were polished up; the fretboard shows some wear. The back has some buckle rash, including a couple small spots that wore through to bare wood.

So I'm trying to decide what to do with this tattered classic guitar. What potential does it have to be a playable instrument again? Is it worth repairing and restoring? Or does it belong in more capable hands than mine?

[jdogric12]

Man, what is it with those 66's??? Seems to be common for that year. I've got one still collecting dust after a good repair but bad refin. Got pics? I'll bet you could get it fixed up and still have a valuable enjoyable piece.