Rebelrocker 4312ST

The Rebelrocker 4312ST is a 12-string semi-hollowbody electric guitar that 'borrows' from the famous 'Rick & Backers of the '60s. Built in China under Tokai Guitars, this guitar is their take on the classic Rickenbacker 360-12-string, first made in 1963 as used by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds and in more recent times Radiohead, Silverchair and The Church. 

Finished in the ever-popular Rick-style 'Fireglo', the Rebelrocker has an RK-style headstock, 12 diecast chrome machine heads, a hard maple set neck with rosewood fingerboard, basswood body and plywood veneer. The LP Bridge and RK Tail sound fantastic when amplified by two vintage humbuckers and the two-way volume and tone knobs do the business.

At first glance this guitar looks fantastic, very close to the real deal. A couple of noticeable differences were in the shape of the F-hole (the Rebel has a traditional F shape) and that the finish lacks depth and looks as though it has been sprayed on quickly. Otherwise, everything else looks pretty much legit, as you'd expect from Tokai.

A basswood body provides a very even tone unplugged and the semi-hollowbody design provides a long, 'floating' sound which works beautifully in conjunction with the famous steel rattle and overtones you get from this sort of instrument. The plywood veneer sounds like a bit of a letdown, but only fails a bit in the looks department, that is if you're looking for a classy, expensive instrument. Personally, I really like the look of some cheaper vintage-inspired instruments so it may work for you as well. 

The neck feels great but the action and setup need a bit of work and you might have some intonation troubles if you press down too hard on some of the strings, particularly the low E, which was set way too high in my opinion. Not to worry if you have a bit of setup knowledge, because this could probably be fixed by simply lowering the strings and re-adjusting the intonation.

The pickups on this guitar sound fantastic, providing a true '60s style jangle in the bridge and thick, bassy depth in the neck. Leaving the pickups in the middle position provides the most natural tone, but I really enjoy the variety you get with all the pickup, volume and tone settings.

I personally like the sound of this guitar going into a clean American amp with a bit of breakup, like a Fender Twin or Deluxe. I used my Line 6 Spider for a quick test and was able to get a similar tone out of my clean channel. I'd also say this guitar loves reverb, especially if you have some spring 'verb to dollop on. Not to say you can't get some killer tones with some drive, I just prefer using it in a more conventional way as it seems to get a bit uncontrollable with too much gain. Summing up, I'd have to say this is a good guitar for one's arsenal, especially for recording enthusiasts that need something different in the mix. Personally I'm more of a fan of 12-string acoustics but 12-string electrics also have their place, and if you want to part of history and are not only a rebel, but also a rocker (excuse the pun), check this guitar.