Details: I bought this guitar in 1996 for $475. A pretty good price for a 1966 instrument, the first year of issue. The finish and parts (including that wacky gold pickguard) are all original except for the tuners, which were replaced with Schallers. This change was actually a blessing for this guitar, because the modern tuners really help to keep it in tune. I used this guitar a lot for recording and occasionally for live performances. I used it quite a lot when I was in a Monkees cover band for all of those Mike Nesmith songs. For a short time, I had a six string Coronado II that matched this instrument exactly. I eventually sold it because it didn't sound great and it would feed back like crazy. The Coronado 12 string is very bright and jangly which tends to turn some people off. I eventually sold this guitar for that reason. While it's a fantasic conversation piece, it just can't compare to the sound of a Rickenbacker. This guitar is also very top heavy and its over-sized headstock tends to tip the instrument toward the floor if you let go! The neck felt very much the same as a Rick 360, as it was bound. This was also a motivation for me to sell it, as the unbound neck of the Rick 330 makes it just a tad easier to play. However, I'll really miss this guitar, as it had a great look and a lot of character. If I ever have the extra cash someday, I'm sure I'll get another one. Some of the custom color models are quite beautiful and of course the Wildwoods are amazing.

Fender Coronado History:

The Coronado family of guitars was Fender's attempt to capture part of the market enjoyed by the Gibson ES series and the Guild Starfire series of thinline semihollow electric guitars. It was designed by Roger Rossmeisl (1927 - 1979), a German luthier that worked for Rickenbacker before moving to Fender in 1962. Rossmeisl's guitar designs, such as the Rickenbacker Combo series and Fender LTD, usually called for his trademark German carve top. However, he chose to use a traditional arched top on the Coronado series. The DeArmond pickups are the first non-Fender designed pickups ever used on a Fender guitar.

The Coronados were also notable for their Wildwood finishes. Fender injected dyes into trees before cutting them down to produce some interesting striped color patterns. This finish was also available on the Kingsmen acoustic guitar series. The Wildwoods were numbered from I to IV, each number denoting a different finish style. This number appeared on the pickguard, which was usually white with script that read, "Wildwood" followed by its respective Roman numeral. The Wildwoods featured a more heavily laquered neck and fancier pearloid tuning pegs. They seem to be of slightly better contruction than the standard models.

Other finishes included sunburst, red, blue, green, white and antigua. Some of the colored instruments had matching headstocks. Some early models also came with checkered binding. Coronado six strings were offered with one or two pickups and an optional tremolo unit, which was essentially the same as the Mustang unit. The twelve string featured two pickups and the famous "hockey stick" headstock that was also found on the Electric XII model. Fender also made a Coronado bass, with the same body style and two pickups. It was generally available in the same colors mentioned above.

The Coronado series ran from late 1966 to 1972 and was short lived for two reasons: the pickups were not very
powerful, and the completely hollow design was prone to feedback. They were also introduced at a time that most historians describe as the lowest point of Fender quality, making them less desirable to collectors. However, Coronados had the same comfortable neck profile as found on the late 1960s Jazzmaster and its sound is well suited for a variety of musical styles. There are also several collectors who seek out the Wildwood models for their unique finishes. These instruments generally fetch more from buyers than the standard models.

Coronado Specs:
Body:  Hollow; 1-piece laminated maple top and back, laminated maple sides; single bound top, back, and f-holes
Neck:  1-piece maple, bolt-on
Fingerboard:  Indian rosewood, single bound; pearloid block markers
Number of Frets:  21
Pickguard:  Gold/white/black/white plastic laminate
Bridge:  Fender steel with vibrato tailpiece, chrome
Nut:  Brass (non-original)
Tuners:  Fender, enclosed, chrome
Pickups:  Two, Fender/DeArmond single coil with adjustable pole pieces, chrome
Controls:  Tone and volume controls for each pickup, 3-way pickup selector
Scale Length:  25 1/2 inches
Neck Width at Nut:  1 5/8 inches
Body Width at Lower Bout:  16 1/8 inches
Body Depth:  1 3/4 inches
Weight:  6.7 lb.