The Rickenbacker 625/12 prototype was an early solid-body electric 12-string built by Rickenbacker in 1963, during the company’s first experiments with electric 12-string guitars. Unlike the better-known semi-hollow 360/12 associated with George Harrison, the 625/12 used a smaller solid-body design that later became closely related to the Rickenbacker 620/12 model. It featured Rickenbacker’s compact 12-string headstock layout and the bright, chiming sound that became associated with the company’s electric 12-strings. One of the best-known examples is Mike Campbell’s 1963 Fireglo 625/12 prototype, which he bought used in Los Angeles in the 1970s and later used on several Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recordings.
