Naked Venus - Cutaway Electro - 12 String

The importance of body shape:

The Venus is the much-loved, all-round winner of a shape, and is one of the 3 original Faith body shapes launched in the winter of 2002. In fact, the Venus has become an industry reference point as a guitar that strikes the ideal balance of size and sound. Thanks to its 15" lower bout and shallower body, the Venus is comfortable to play for long periods yet doesn’t sacrifice tone or acoustic power.

In its 12 string guise, the Naked Venus 12 is a joy to play compared to the majority of other 12 string guitars with an easily manageable body and remarkably slim neck profile too.

Which tonewoods are used and why?

The top of the Naked Venus 12 string is Engelmann Spruce and the back and sides are Indonesian Mahogany, both of which are all-solid, of course, and they both have a soft satin finish too. This satin finish is essentially a very thin layer of unpolished lacquer, which means not only can it be completed a little more quickly than a thicker, gloss lacquer finish and therefore be more affordable, but most importantly, the all-solid tonewood can move and resonate more than if it were restricted by lacquer. This freedom of movement afforded by the satin finish means that the tone of this 12 string guitar is sparkly and jangly, with the body proudly displaying the war wounds of every musical encounter.

How does it all come together?

The Spruce and Mahogany combo has long been a default acoustic guitar recipe, and for good reason too. The sonic and visual brightness of the Spruce is tamed a little by the more mellow, softwood tones of the mahogany. True to its ‘Naked’ name, all the woods used are left to show their original colours and grain patterns, with only the electronics breaking up the show of beautiful simplicity.

The headstock is a little larger than found on a six string guitar, but the Venus Naked 12 remains well balanced. Each tuning peg / machinehead is easily accessible, allowing you to tune with ease. And in case you're worried, 12 strings really aren't that hard to tune. 

The Electronics.

This Naked Venus 12 string is equipped with a Fishman Presys 1 preamp system and an undersaddle piezo pickup strip. This elegant solution is super easy to use, with an easy-to-read built-in tuner, an EQ contour control, phase switch (to control any feedback on stage), and a volume knob. 

The output jack is integrated into the strap button on the base of the guitar, with the battery compartment located separately for easy access.

The Gigbag:

Your Faith Naked Venus 12 string is supplied complete with a padded, Faith gigbag which is equipped with handles, backstraps and an accessory pocket, so you'll be ready to safely take your guitar wherever you desire. In the future, if your travels become more regular or demanding, you can always upgrade to a hardcase.