Coronado XII - Rainbow Blue Wildwood II

A rare late-1960s Fender 12-string thinline hollowbody with one of the most distinctive finishes the company ever offered. Designed by Roger Rossmeisl after the CBS takeover, the Coronado line was Fender’s first real push into fully hollow double-cutaway electrics to compete with Gibson ES-330s and similar instruments. The XII added the large “hockey-stick” 12-string headstock.

Wildwood II (Rainbow Blue) used a short-lived process in which dyes were injected into living beech trees before harvest. The color followed the grain, producing unique blue, gold, and brown patterning on every instrument—no two look the same. The laminated beech body is fully hollow with bound f-holes, bound edges, and a bolt-on maple neck with bound rosewood fingerboard and block inlays.

Dual single-coils deliver bright, detailed, chiming 12-string tone with good snap and hollowbody air. Controls are two volumes, two tones, and a three-way selector. Typical hardware includes an adjustable bridge on a wooden base and a 12-string trapeze tailpiece. Scale is 25.5". These are generally lightweight and resonant.

Wildwood Coronados were produced only briefly (roughly 1967–1970) and the XII is scarcer than the six-string models. The Rainbow Blue Wildwood II finish is among the more visually striking variants and remains a conversation piece as well as a playable vintage 12-string.