While still popular today, the heyday of the 12-string guitar was undoubtedly during the folk rock boom of the late 60s and early 70s - which means this 1969 Martin D12-20 isn't just any vintage guitar, it's the chiming, jangly acoustic sound that you recognize from some of the most classic records ever made. With a solid Sitka spruce top and a mahogany neck, back, and sides, the D12-20 borrows from the spec sheet of the company's flagship D-18 model, and boasts all the same high mids and trebles that its six-string counterpart has become so renowned for. The D12-20 also sports a 12-fret neck and a modified, slope-shoulder shape reminiscent of much earlier models the company built for Ditson in the 1910s and 20s. All told, this is a truly unique 12-string with a great story to tell, at a price that even a working musician can swing.

We consider this instrument to be in very good condition, with light to moderate playing wear below what might normally be seen on a guitar approaching its 60th birthday. Most of the wear is fairly minimal aside from one crack on the guitar's back, about 3.5" in length. While not a finish crack, the crack does not extend all the way through the wood and is not visible when inspecting the guitar from the inside. Glue has been pumped inside as a preventative measure, but it's unlikely that this crack poses any real threat to the structural integrity of the guitar's back, especially given its age. The finish condition is overall better than might be expected, and the finish on the back and sides appears to have been sprayed over with lacquer, likely within the last 20 years. It cannot be said definitively whether this guitar has seen a neck reset but playability is overall excellent, with consistent, playable action and no fret buzz. The saddle is non-original, and the nut may be as well. Included in the price is the original hard-shell case.

Specifications

Top Wood: Sitka spruce
Back and Sides Wood: Mahogany 
Width at Nut: 1.81"
Bracing Pattern: X-braced
Scale Length: 25"
Frets to Body: 12
Fingerboard and Bridge Wood: Brazilian rosewood
Body Binding: Black
Rosette: Classic multi-ring
Headplate Material: Brazilian rosewood
Headstock Inlay / Logo: Martin script logotype decal
Neck Binding: None
Neck Shape: 12-string low oval
Fingerboard Side Dots: 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets 
Fingerboard Inlay: Mother-of-pearl dots at frets listed above
Pickguard: Black teardrop
Tuners: Chrome open-gear six-on-a-plate with cream buttons
Electronics: None
Case: Original hard-shell case