Mystery kind of solved with respect to my guitar. The seller responded to my query and apologized for sending me the 12-string when I ordered the six-string. Also, they said that it is, in fact, a 3/4 scale guitar and also apologized for not mentioning that in the description. They offered to exchange it for the 6-string I ordered or to give me a refund if I wanted to send it back, but I opted to keep the 12-string since I like the sound.
I should also admit that, technically, they didn’t really need to say that the guitar was a 3/4 scale model since it’s based on the Rickenbacker 325Rickenbacker 325 that John Lennon made popular, and that was a 3/4 scale guitar. Also worth noting is the fact that it wasn’t the seller who asked to take the listing down. It was Rickenbacker. I suppose they saw it and thought the Cozart “tribute” was a little too close to the original for their taste.
In case anyone is thinking of buying one, here’s a short video to give you a sense of what it sounds like. I went with the cliche and played the opening riff of “Mr. Tambourine Man” since I figured that would give you good point of comparison.
I ordered a guitar from eBay the other day, but the guitar that arrived at my door wasn’t the guitar advertised. I’m thinking, though, that the guitar I ended up getting might be better than the one I ordered.
The guitar I ordered was a 6-string Rickenbacker copy made by a company called Cozart, but the guitar that arrived at my door was a 12-string. That’s the guitar that Roger McGuinn of the Byrds made famous with songs like “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Tom Petty used one on “The Waiting” as well. Oh, and a guy named George Harrison used one when he played with a band called the, uh…
Sorry, the name escapes me at the moment.
I should have known something was a little fishy when the notice I got from FedEx regarding the delivery said that the guitar was being shipped by the Fluoro Swimwear Company (which was not the company my money went to). When the guitar arrived, I counted the strings and realized there were six more than I was expecting. And when I checked eBay, I got a message stating that the listing had been removed by the seller.
Curiouser and curiouser.
The good news, though, is that the guitar sounds great. In fact, if anyone out there is looking for an inexpensive Rickenbacker copy, try to get your hands on a Cozart 12-String Honey Burst Semi-Hollow. I paid $175 for the one I got, and I’ve seen others going for around $350 (both prices include shipping). Compared to genuine Rickenbackers, which go for between $1400 and $3000, this is a great deal.
One slightly odd thing about the guitar is that the body is somewhat smaller than I expected. The neck is standard, but the small body makes it feel like a 3/4 scale guitar. It’s hard to tell in the photo, but here’s what it looks like:
And after a bit of research, I found a picture of this guy from some obscure band in the 60s playing one. The size and scale of the guitar in the picture look comparable to mine.
Sometime soon, I’ll try to post a recording of what the guitar sounds like. For now, though, I’ll just say that it sounds to my ears exactly like the (very) few Rickenbackers I’ve tried out in music stores, riffing away with no intention of buying, much to the salespeople’s chagrin. And if you stumbled upon this blog post wondering if this guitar is worth the money, it most definitely is.
Abominations 
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