Rick, Rick, Rick:
 
Shame on you!  
 
the characteristic sound that all electric 12's have in common  
 
With a name like Rick you should know better.  There is NOTHING that sounds like a Rickenbacker 12.  I have two electric 12s, a Fender Strat XII (MIJ version), and a recent Ricky 360 12.  The Fender is far more playable (Ricky 12s use the same neck as the 6s which is fairly narrrow to begin with), but the Ricky has that unique Ricky twang that is clearly different from the Fender or any other electric 12 I've heard.  I suspect the difference comes partially from the fact that Rickys are strung differently from most 12s.  The common set up is with the bass strings on the bottom of each pair.  On a Ricky, the bass string is the top string of each pair.  The idea of an Alembic 12 is very intriguing to me.  I have a set of Alembic strat pickups that I plan to install on the Fender 12 when I get the time.
 
Bill, tgo

I love the sound of a 12 string. Unfortunately, two of the things I hate most in life are changing strings and intonation. For me, a guitar like this would be one of Dante's nine circles of hell! Throw in the Series electronics that I'd need to learn how to master and my wife would find me swinging from the ceiling by my guitar strap.

Jon, if you live as funny as you write, you could have your own reality show, Guitar MD.
 
All you would need is a goofy brother named Mikey.
 
I actually enjoy the hours spent setting up a guitar prior to dropping it off at the shop. They tell me it would be much cheaper to drop her off before I do my thing. I need a number of instruments as most are unusable once I attempt an adjustment.
 
I played a Rick bass for 10 years in the stink hole bar circuit without ever making any adjustments, including strings (wince), and never had a problem. Now that I have tools, time and a workbench, my guitars are all over the map.
 
I would set this 12 string on fire shortly after it arrived.

relisted at $4450.  gotta wonder when the listing fees are gonna catch up with the item price.   kinda like that persuader with the 3 fretboards that GC relisted about 100 times a while back....

OK, I take it back.  I just bought the Miroslav Vitous/Larry Coryell tribute to Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro.  Coryell's 12-string playing is awesome.
 
Rick

Pat Metheny used to play electric 12-string a lot too, with Gary Burton's band and I think even on Bright Size Life.

Roger McQuinn.  'Nuff said.
 
Bill, tgo

Deja vu here

Don't get me wrong - I didn't say I didn't like the sound of a 12-string electric.  I've been a huge Byrds fan since about the time I could walk upright, and I think I am the only person I know with not one, but two McGuinn post-Byrds solo albums in my collection.
 
The point I was making - or trying, but failing, to make - is that so many people playing 12-string electrics are doing it primarily to get that kind of open, sweeping, jangly eight miles high sound - which is evoked by almost any electric 12-string, whether its a Rickenbacker or a Micro-Frets.
 
Who knows, if the price on the Alembic 12 keeps going down, someday I may actually get a chance to experience the difference.
 
Rick

It's back again, and the price has been reduced, IMHO, to the almost-but-not-quite-reasonable range. $4250 BIN
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110044035097&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1
 
Bill, tgo

I was thinking the same...
...I recently bought a 2004 stratocaster from the seller, everything went very smooth,immaculate strat.
 (I bought it to use the neck and parts for a 1994 aluminum strat body...once I recieved the 2004 I couldn't,she was too cherry).
cheers

What would a straight up '80 Series I  six string guitar in similar condition go for?
 
 Anybody considered buying this one and stringing it as a 6? (Well, I guess I have. Anyone else?)

As I noted above, I bought my '76 Series I guitar in very good condition off of ebay last February for just under $2500.  You can see it in the showcase section. That's probably the low end, but you should be able to find one for $3000 or less, I believe.  They seem to come up 3 or 4 times a year on ebay, as I recall.
 
Bill, tgo

Thanks, Bill. I sure would like to at least see one come up for around that $3K price. Not sure I could pull the trigger, though.  
 
David

It's back again with a price drop, this time with a $3999.99 BIN.  That's almost reasonable.  Almost.
 
Bill, tgo
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/1980-Alembic-Series-1-Electric-12-String-Guitar-w-OHSC_W0QQitemZ110062217230QQihZ001QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem