Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster® XII, Laurel Fingerboard, Tortoiseshell Pickguard, Copper

Quick Product Summary

The Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster® XII in Copper takes the familiar snap and simplicity of a Telecaster and expands it into a distinctive 12-string electric guitar designed for rich harmonics, shimmering chords and layered alternative textures.

Created in collaboration with Troy Van Leeuwen, the multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Failure and other acclaimed alternative-rock projects, the Telecaster XII reflects a playing style built around atmosphere, texture and unconventional guitar sounds.

A nyatoh Telecaster body, maple "C"-shaped neck and Indian laurel fingerboard provide the foundation, while two Fender Designed™ Alnico Single-Coil pickups retain the attack and definition needed to keep a 12-string arrangement clear. A dedicated Telecaster® XII headstock and 12-string top-load/string-through bridge complete one of the more unusual instruments in the Squier Paranormal range.

At A Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	Squier
Series	Artist / Paranormal
Model	Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster® XII
Model Number	0371030594
Finish	Copper
Body	Nyatoh
Fingerboard	Indian Laurel
Neck Profile	"C" Shape
Scale Length	25.5" / 648 mm
Strings	12-String
Pickups	Two Fender Designed™ Alnico Single-Coils
Bridge	Telecaster® 12-String Top-Load/String-Through
Pickguard	4-Ply Tortoiseshell
Country of Origin	Indonesia
Main Appeal	Telecaster-style clarity with expansive 12-string shimmer
Best For	Alternative rock, indie, ambient, studio layering and textural guitar

What's Included?

✔ Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster® XII
✘ No Additional Accessories Included

Why Choose The Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII?

Real 12-String Electric Guitar Texture

Six additional octave and unison strings transform the response of familiar chords and melodies, creating a much broader harmonic sound than a standard six-string electric guitar.

That makes the Telecaster XII particularly useful when you want one guitar part to occupy more space in an arrangement without simply adding more distortion or volume.

Fender Designed™ Alnico Telecaster Pickups

The two Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil pickups retain the clarity and articulation associated with the Telecaster format.

That definition matters on a 12-string guitar. With twice as many strings sounding, a clear pickup response helps individual notes remain audible instead of allowing complex chords to become indistinct.

Familiar 25.5" Fender Scale

Despite the unusual 12-string configuration, this model keeps a familiar 25.5" scale length.

Players accustomed to Fender and Squier electric guitars therefore get a recognisable overall fret spacing and playing platform rather than having to adapt to a radically different scale.

Purpose-Built Telecaster XII Hardware

This is not simply a standard Telecaster fitted with six extra tuning machines.

The guitar uses a dedicated Telecaster® XII headstock and a purpose-designed 12-string top-load/string-through bridge, giving all twelve strings the hardware they need for proper tuning, alignment and adjustment.

Comparison Against Popular Alternatives

Telecaster XII vs Standard 6-String Telecaster

A conventional Telecaster is more straightforward for everyday rhythm, lead and bending techniques, but it cannot naturally produce the same doubled-string shimmer.

Choose the six-string Tele if you need one versatile primary electric guitar. Choose the Telecaster XII if the layered harmonic character of a real electric 12-string is central to the sound you're chasing.

Telecaster XII vs Acoustic 12-String

An acoustic 12-string provides a naturally large, resonant sound but behaves very differently when amplified or used with effects.

The Telecaster XII is better suited to players who want 12-string texture through electric guitar amps, pedals and recording chains, particularly with overdrive, modulation, delay and reverb.

Telecaster XII vs Simulated 12-String Effects

Pitch and doubling pedals can approximate some of the character of a 12-string, but a real 12-string creates its harmonic interaction physically at the strings.

For recording and arrangements where that sound is a major feature rather than an occasional effect, the dedicated instrument offers a more authentic playing response.

Telecaster XII vs Conventional Semi-Hollow 12-String

A semi-hollow electric 12-string can provide a warmer, more resonant character. The Telecaster XII takes a more direct solid-body approach, making it particularly attractive to players who want a familiar Fender-style platform with clear single-coil attack.

Who Is It For?

The Squier Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII is particularly well suited to:

• Guitarists looking for a genuine electric 12-string

• Alternative and indie players

• Shoegaze and ambient musicians

• Studio guitarists building layered arrangements

• Songwriters wanting a contrasting second guitar

• Players influenced by textural and atmospheric rock

• Producers looking for distinctive overdub sounds

• Existing Telecaster players wanting something genuinely different

• Guitarists experimenting with delay, modulation and reverb

• Troy Van Leeuwen and Queens of the Stone Age fans

For many players this will work best as a specialist second guitar alongside a conventional six-string rather than replacing one completely.

Playing Styles & Applications

The Telecaster XII is naturally suited to alternative rock, indie, psychedelic music, shoegaze, ambient guitar, post-rock, pop, soundtrack work and studio layering.

Clean chords allow the octave and unison string pairs to create their full harmonic complexity, while modulation, compression, reverb and delay can push the instrument into much broader atmospheric territory.

It can also be extremely effective in a busy recording. Instead of simply double-tracking another six-string guitar, introducing a 12-string part adds a genuinely different harmonic texture to the arrangement.

What Makes A 12-String Electric Guitar Sound Different?

A 12-string guitar arranges its strings in six paired courses rather than six individual strings.

The lower courses combine the main string with a lighter string tuned an octave higher, while the upper courses use paired strings at the same pitch. When played together, these pairs generate additional harmonics and tiny natural differences in attack that create the familiar shimmering 12-string effect.

The result is especially noticeable on open chords, arpeggios and sustained clean passages. Even a simple part can sound considerably larger than the same passage played on a conventional six-string guitar.

12-String Playing & Setup Advice

A 12-string electric naturally has more overall string tension than a comparable six-string because twelve strings are pulling against the neck.

Keeping the guitar correctly tuned and set up therefore matters. String changes also take longer, and correct placement of each octave or unison string is important.

For players new to 12-string guitars, we recommend concentrating initially on clean chord work and arpeggios. The additional strings reward accurate fretting and picking, and once you adjust to the paired courses the instrument becomes an excellent tool for creating parts that would be difficult to reproduce on a standard electric guitar.

Looking for advice on setting up, stringing or choosing effects for an electric 12-string? Our experienced Fair Deal Music team can help by phone, online or in-store.

Story & Context

Troy Van Leeuwen has built a reputation around guitar parts that contribute texture and atmosphere as much as conventional riffs and solos. His work across projects including Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle and Failure has frequently demonstrated how unusual instrumentation and carefully layered guitar sounds can transform an arrangement.

The Telecaster XII concept is particularly well suited to that approach. Rather than reinventing the Telecaster beyond recognition, it takes the familiar solid-body outline and single-coil foundation and introduces the harmonic complexity of a twelve-string setup.

Squier's Paranormal instruments are built around similarly unconventional combinations, taking recognisable Fender ideas and rearranging them into instruments that sit outside the standard catalogue. The Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII fits naturally into that philosophy.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Brand	Squier
Series	Artist
Model	Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster® XII
Model Number	0371030594
Formatted Model Number	037-1030-594
UPC	197955143521
Product Type	12-String Electric Guitar
Country Of Origin	Indonesia
Orientation	Right-Handed
Colour	Copper
Body Shape	Telecaster®
Body Material	Nyatoh
Body Finish	Gloss Polyurethane
Neck Material	Maple
Neck Shape	"C" Shape
Neck Construction	4-Bolt
Neck Finish	Satin
Fingerboard Material	Indian Laurel
Fingerboard Radius	9.5" / 241 mm
Scale Length	25.5" / 648 mm
Number Of Frets	21
Fret Size	Narrow Tall
Position Inlays	Pearloid Dot
Nut Material	Micarta
Nut Width	1.6875" / 42.86 mm
Headstock	Telecaster® XII
Bridge Pickup	Fender Designed™ Alnico Single-Coil
Neck Pickup	Fender Designed™ Alnico Single-Coil
Pickup Configuration	SS
Controls	Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching	3-Position Blade
Bridge	Telecaster® 12-String Top-Load/String-Through
Tuning Machines	Vintage Style
Hardware Finish	Chrome
Control Knobs	Knurled Flat-Top
Pickguard	4-Ply Tortoiseshell
Strings	12-String Nickel Plated Steel
String Gauges	.010/.010, .013/.013, .017/.008, .026/.012, .036/.018, .046/.026

Power Requirements

The Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII uses passive single-coil pickups, so no battery is required for normal operation.

Connect it to a guitar amplifier, audio interface, pedalboard or recording system using a standard 1/4" instrument cable.

Fair Deal Music Verdict 🎵

★★★★★ 5/5

The Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII is not simply another variation on a Telecaster. It gives players access to a genuine electric 12-string sound in a format that remains familiar enough to feel approachable.

Its biggest strength is the way it combines that harmonic complexity with the clarity of two Alnico single-coil pickups. Clean chords shimmer, arpeggios gain additional dimension and effects-heavy sounds can become enormous without needing multiple guitar tracks.

The dedicated 12-string bridge and headstock also make this feel like a properly conceived instrument rather than a novelty conversion.

Best suited for: Alternative, indie, ambient and studio players looking for genuine electric 12-string texture

Customers usually upgrade from: A standard six-string electric guitar or simulated octave/doubling effects

Most commonly paired with: Compressor, chorus, delay, reverb and clean or edge-of-breakup amplifiers

Our tip: Don't approach it as though every six-string guitar part needs to be transferred directly onto twelve strings. Simple chords, arpeggios and spacious parts often make the most effective use of the instrument's extra harmonics.

Showroom feedback: The familiar Telecaster shape and 25.5" scale make the move to twelve strings less intimidating, while the doubled courses immediately create a sound that stands apart from a conventional electric guitar.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

From our Birmingham showroom, our knowledgeable musician-led team helps customers choose the right instruments and equipment for their playing style, experience and budget.

When you shop with Fair Deal Music, you can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians

• Carefully checked new, used, pre-owned and ex-display equipment

• Competitive prices on leading music brands

• Secure UK-wide delivery

• Friendly support before and after your purchase

• Secure online ordering

• A large Birmingham showroom

• Decades of experience helping musicians choose the right gear

For a specialist instrument such as a 12-string electric, good advice can make a real difference. Our team can help with amplification, effects, strings and general setup guidance before and after your purchase.

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next piece of gear could cost less than you think.

We're always happy to consider part exchanges and trade-ins on a wide range of musical instruments and equipment. Whether you're looking to upgrade your guitar, bass, keyboard, amplifier, drum kit or studio gear, your existing equipment could help reduce the cost of your next purchase.

Simply get in touch with our team for a no-obligation valuation, and we'll be happy to discuss the options available.

It's an easy way to unlock the value of the gear you no longer use while making your next instrument even more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a genuine 12-string electric guitar?

Yes. It has twelve physical strings arranged in six pairs, rather than using electronics to simulate a 12-string effect.

Is a 12-string harder to play than a six-string?

There is an adjustment period because each course contains two strings and the overall tension is greater. Accurate fretting is particularly important, but players normally become comfortable with the layout once they spend some time with it.

Does it have a standard Fender scale length?

Yes. It uses a 25.5" / 648 mm scale length, which will feel familiar to many Fender and Squier players.

What pickups are fitted?

The guitar has two Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil pickups.

Can I use normal Telecaster strings?

No. A dedicated 12-string electric guitar set is required because each of the six courses uses a pair of strings with specific gauges.

What string gauges does it use?

The supplied specification is .010/.010, .013/.013, .017/.008, .026/.012, .036/.018 and .046/.026.

Is it good for effects pedals?

Yes. Electric 12-strings work especially well with compression, chorus, delay and reverb. Fuzz and overdrive can also produce interesting results, although complex 12-string chords can become dense with very high gain.

Is this only useful for Queens of the Stone Age-style music?

No. The 12-string format is useful anywhere you want additional harmonic texture, from indie and alternative rock to pop, psychedelic music, ambient guitar and studio soundtrack work.

Can it be used as a main guitar?

It can, but most players will find it works especially well as a complementary instrument alongside a conventional six-string. Its distinctive sound makes it particularly valuable when a song or arrangement needs contrast.

Does it require special setup care?

A 12-string places more combined tension on the instrument than a conventional six-string. Correct neck relief, action and intonation therefore matter, particularly if you change string gauges or tunings significantly.

Does it require a battery?

No. The pickups are passive, so no battery is needed.

What fingerboard does it use?

The guitar has an Indian laurel fingerboard with a 9.5" radius and Pearloid dot position markers.