Short Takes: 1984 610/12

The modern cresting wave 6 and 12 string guitar body first appeared in 1958 on the Combo 450 and 425 as an evolution of the Combo 400’s original tulip shape. The 400 series guitars would carry this shape until the 450’s discontinuation in 1984.

The shape’s use would be extended to a second family of guitars with the launch of the 615 in 1962. To allow for the fitting of an Accent vibrato, the neck had to be raised in relation to the body when compared to the 400 series guitars. Correspondingly, the pickups and bridge moved from being recessed slightly to being top mounted like the semi-hollowbodied 300 series guitars.

A “deluxe” 625 with binding and triangle inlays joined the line in 1963–including a one-off 12-string now famously owned by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The 615 was also pressed into export use in 1964 as the Rose Morris 1995. When the Accent vibrato was phased out around late 1968/early 1969, the “deluxe” 625 swapped the Accent out for an “R” tailpiece and carried on as the 620. The “standard” 615 did not, and disappeared from the line until 1986 when the 610 rejoined the line.

Except it had actually showed up a couple years earlier in 1984 as a special run for the Japanese market—and in 12 string format to boot for the first time ever.

Unfortunately the few examples I have been able to find from this run all have obviously replaced parts so it’s hard to say what the original specs were. Still, you can’t deny they’re 610s from a time before the 610 officially existed and, not only that, they’re the first 610/12s ever. And that’s worth noting!