Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII 12-String Electric Guitar - Copper Age

Troy Van Leeuwen has built a career around adding distinctive colors within heavy music, making a 12-string Telecaster a fitting addition to his signature arsenal. Best known for his work with Queens of the Stone Age, Troy has also brought his textural, atmospheric approach to Failure, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer and other influential alternative-rock projects. The Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII electric guitar channels his musical curiosity through a 12-string construction and the direct simplicity of a Tele. A nyatoh body, maple C-shape neck and Indian laurel fingerboard provide familiar foundations, while dual Fender Designed alnico single-coils supply the guitar's electric voice. Lastly, a dedicated Telecaster XII bridge accommodates its doubled strings, and the Copper finish, tortoiseshell pickguard and chrome hardware give this signature model a distinctive visual identity.

12-String Configuration Expands the Telecaster Palette

The defining feature of the Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII is its six doubled string courses, which add harmonic complexity and natural shimmer to chords, arpeggios and layered guitar parts. Rather than placing that sound in a traditional acoustic or semi-hollow format, Squier builds it around a solid nyatoh Telecaster body and 25.5" scale. The Telecaster XII top-load/string-through bridge is designed specifically for the 12-string configuration, providing the necessary anchoring and organization for all 12 strings. For players interested in dense chord voicings, ringing melodic figures or additional texture within an arrangement, the format offers a markedly different voice while retaining the straightforward feel and layout of an electric guitar.

Fender Designed Single-Coils for Traditional Tonal Character

A pair of Fender Designed alnico single-coil pickups gives the Telecaster XII a simple two-pickup architecture well suited to its harmonically rich 12-string voice. The bridge and neck pickups are controlled by master volume and master tone knobs, keeping tonal adjustments direct and familiar. A three-position blade provides access to the individual pickups as well as their combined setting, covering brighter bridge textures, a fuller neck sound and the additional dimension of both pickups together. That uncluttered electronics layout complements the naturally rich voice of the doubled strings, keeping the Telecaster XII’s distinctive chime and harmonic character front and center.

Familiar Feel Meets 12-String Playability

Despite its expanded string count, the Telecaster XII retains familiar Fender-derived dimensions. Its maple neck has a C-shape profile and satin finish, paired with a 9.5" radius Indian laurel fingerboard and 21 narrow tall frets. A 1.6875" Micarta nut provides spacing for the six string pairs, while the 25.5" scale maintains the tension and response associated with a full-scale Telecaster. Vintage-style tuning machines complete the traditional hardware approach. Together, these elements place the unusual voice of a 12-string electric within a recognizable playing platform rather than turning it into a specialized instrument that feels disconnected from Troy's other electric guitars.

Copper and Tortoiseshell Forge a Unique Visual Identity

The Telecaster XII's signature treatment extends beyond its 12-string configuration. A gloss Copper finish gives the nyatoh Telecaster body a warm metallic appearance, contrasted by a four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard and chrome hardware. The elongated Telecaster XII headstock immediately signals that this is something different from a conventional six-string Tele, while pearloid dot inlays keep the fingerboard treatment restrained. The combination places the Telecaster XII comfortably within Squier's Paranormal concept, where familiar Fender design elements are recombined into less conventional instruments.

Troy Van Leeuwen: Bringing New Colors to Rock Music

Troy Van Leeuwen has spent decades exploring the spaces beyond conventional rock guitar, using texture, atmosphere and carefully chosen tones as integral parts of an arrangement. His path through Failure and A Perfect Circle eventually led to Queens of the Stone Age, where his ability to move between instruments and find his own sonic space has become an important part of the band's layered sound. That versatility helps explain the appeal of a 12-string electric in Troy's hands: its doubled courses can add shimmer to a chord, complexity to an arpeggio or an entirely different layer within a dense guitar arrangement. The Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII reflects that same exploratory mindset, reworking the familiar Telecaster into a distinctive instrument for color, texture and new musical possibilities.