Home Forums Guitar Discussion Guitar Fender Acoustic Guitar, Model Gemini II

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  • #21561
    RWells
    Participant

    Can anyone tell me anything about a Fender Acoustic guitar, called a Gemini II ? The serial number (8301300) can be seen on the interior of the body on a round sticker. This is also where the model name (Gemini II) can be seen. My father owns this guitar and he believes it to be about 30 years old or so. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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    • #79935
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I inherited one of these guitars. I would like to know if it is a solid body guitar or laminate? Also, trying to determine the age. The serial number is: A5106975. I’d appreciate everyone’s input. Thanks!

    • #79764
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I bought mine new in 91. It’s a budget guitar but my first good guitar. I’ve replaced the tuners but the original ones were awesome. Mine just wore out. I’ve bought and sold Taylor’s, Martin’s , Ibanez but I’ve kept and played the Gemini the whole time.

    • #79247
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I bought mine new in 1986. Since I play lefty, the guitar shop replaced the nut with a bone nut cut lefty (it was nearly impossible to get a lefty in stock in those days). It has a nice tone, that has aged beautifully, and as it has been said earlier, damn near indestructible.

      The only issue is the bridge is still oriented for a righty, which throws the intonation off. I have started the process of changing the guitar to a true lefty by replacing the bridge (the glue is drying at the time of this writing). I have already replaced the nut to a graphite version (the b string was always sticking on the old nut). The tuners are also showing its age, so that’ll have to be changed as well.

      This was my first brand new guitar, and I’m hoping to give the old girl new life!

    • #127772
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Hi,
      I have had my Fender Gemini II for around 28 yrs, its always been a great guitar but around 10 years ago the neck had bowed out slightly and now the action is raised quite a lot at the hole end.
      I took it to a guy to try and alter it and he said the only way would be to reduce the height of the saddle almost to wafer thin and it probably wasn’t worth doing due to the low value of the guitar.
      Its a shame, it still plays reasonably well , but not as it should. I may have a crack at altering the saddle at some point as there is nothing to lose really, its a shame because otherwise its immaculate.
      Ser No 5471272

    • #78851
      Anonymous
      Guest

      My uncle gave me his “old beater” guitar in 1999. It was my daily player for years, when I was learning and playing a lot during undergrad. I can remember going to the guitar store regularly and playing thousand dollar guitars and never felt too bad coming back to “my” old Fender.

      Even as I sit here playing it now…would I like to buy a thousand dollar Martin, sure. But I love the history that I have with this old guitar.

      Serial Number: S0000000798

    • #78711
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I have a Gemini II that I bought from a pawn shop sometime around the end of 92 and beginning of 93. The s/n is A6618964. I’m guessing it was made in 86 but I could be wrong after looking at the S/N lists for Fender. There was probably a method to the madness but no one knows what it was. It seems they didn’t have a good book keeping system back then in Korea. If you check the link below it makes it look like Fender doesn’t know when their guitars were manufactured in Korea. They say it started in 88 but the other link from the Fender site above shows the date of 84. There could have been others made in Korea also because the page shows earlier guitars imported from the general area of Asia. As far as the sound quality goes, I have to agree with most of the posts here, it sounds better now than it did when I bought it.

      https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/212846826-How-can-I-find-out-when-my-Korean-made-instrument-was-manufactured-

    • #78719
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I have a Gemini II E (serial 9647919), which is the electrified version. I bought it here in Spain at the end of the 80’s, and since then she has given me lots of hours of happyness. Glad to know that I was not becoming crazy, since I’m delighted with her, and through the passing of years I realized that it was sounding better and better. I can only recommend to buy one if you find it in ebay or similar at a good price.
      Regarding the year of manufacturing, here you are what Fender says in https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/214343883-How-can-I-find-out-when-my-acoustic-instrument-was-manufactured

      GEMINI SERIES (ACOUSTIC GUITARS IMPORTED FROM KOREA, DISTRIBUTED IN THE U.S. BY MIDCO)
      MODEL YEARS MSRP MATERIALS
      Gemini I (Classical) 1984-1988 $140 to $165 Spruce top, nato back and sides
      Gemini II 1984-1987 $165 to $189 Spruce top, nato back and sides
      Gemini IIE (Electric) 1987-1990 $240 to $260 Spruce top, nato back and sides
      Gemini III (Black) 1987-1988 $199 to $209 Spruce top, mahogany back and sides
      Gemini IV (White) 1987-1990 $220 to $240 Spruce top, mahogany back and sides

    • #78767
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Gentlemen I came across this acoustic guitar and have been reading your comments. Judging by your feedback I believe I should invest in a bridge and bridge pin kit and strinngs. My only concern is some of the string tuning keys may have issues. The guitar says Gemini II Serial # A 6618439 can anyone tell me the year made with certainty. I thank you if you may

    • #78507
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I bought this at Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks, California in 1986 and I am willing it off to my niece after I die because she has stolen it scores of times since she was three (now 14). All I ask is that she not tear off the KNAC 105.5 PURE PURE ROCK FM stickers off:

    • #78013
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I bought my Gemini ll in 1983 for school guitar class. Used it for the three month class and stored it till 2017 when my daughter decided to try guitar. Glad I saved it.
      Serial no. 8301825
      Hope this helps someone.

    • #77953
      Anonymous
      Guest

      For mine, the Fender logo seems off. But the serial number inside is 8440077. Is this common/factory error? Or a fake?

    • #77751
      Anonymous
      Guest

      This Fender site seems to indicate ALL Gemini II guitars were built between 1984 and 1987.
      https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/214343883-How-can-I-find-out-when-my-acoustic-instrument-was-manufactured-

    • #77650
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I also have a GeminiII that I acquired from my Father in Law. He purchased it
      in the late 70’s. The serial number is 0000654. It has gotten much better sound wise over the years.
      Mine is in like new condition and I read an
      article somewhere that Prince usedthe same
      guitar in the studio when he recorded Porpke Rain. Not sure how much truth there is to that but it sure does sound good.

    • #127677
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Hi guys
      Just picked up a Fender Gemini 11 Serial no A 6511487.
      Still needs a few strings but tuners and internals are nice and body resonant and the bass strings show good promise. Neck was broken at one point but fixed ok to play and is still straight. Figured it was worth the $50. Any ideas on this re age and what strings to use ?

      tks

    • #77495
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Great tone and sustain got it yesterday 2-6-2018

    • #127665
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Great tone and sustain got it yesterday 2-6-2018

    • #77349
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I need a new saddle nut on a Gemini 11 acoustic I’m restoring in England.
      Bought the shell of the guitar and only need the saddle nut to finish restoration.
      I have no idea what the size is or how it looks. Anyone help with a picture and measurements.
      PaulBLD4A

    • #76997
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I have always wounder at the value of my fender gemini 11 made in north korea electric and acoustice both, got in 85 or86, best sound ever. if anyone has a answer please let me no?

    • #77019
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Your guitar is a 1979.

    • #76818
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Girl friend many years ago gave me Spanish nylon stringed guitar for Xmas, good guitar & I liked it but really preferred steel string. After we broke up I traded it in, in pawn shop. She had paid £15 for it in same pawn shop, they offered me £30 trade in price against £80 Gemini II, so Gemini cost me £50. That was in 1988. Guitar has “SE–88” stamped on label inside, Serial No 100897. It’s a nice guitar but really doesn’t have “presence” of tone of better guitars & I am thinking of trading it in for more up to date guitar.

    • #76834
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I had one, struggled with it for years, and then eventually sold it. Horrible boomy thing. Could never get a good recording from it. I took it into many London studios on sessions I was engineering, and no Neumann, B&K, or Schoeps could rescue the thing. Just awful. It wasn’t a very comfortable guitar to play. I got an old ’67 eko ranger to keep as a beater guitar instead of the Fender..Those are also built to last, and a helluva lot more fun!

    • #76803
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Hey I’m about to own this nice little guitar but it was sold to me without a pickguard. The previous owner said it was originally manufactured like this. Could it be a fake? Cause I have not seen any without it on the web.

    • #76837
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I own one of these as well and it is in excellent condition. Willing to sell if anyone is interested. I need an Acoustic/Electric

      and I found an Epiphone that I love. Email me if you know of anyone that might be interested. Just put new strings on it yesterday.

      • #102438
        Anonymous
        Guest

        I have one that I’m refinishing and would like to have another in nice condition to play while I work on it. If you still have it, what do you want for it? Thanks in advance, Mike

    • #76829
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I have to agree with all the post, i too was curious to what others experience with the guitar i have several high end acoustics and i have to work the electronics to get a decent recorded sound i just plug and play when i record by myself . Only this week with one of the best guitarist i know, and he was disgusted with all of the recordings of his guitars and he asked me if i had one that i liked to record. I could see the look
      On his face when i broke out this little
      Fender. But after the track he was also amazed. Just something about the recording ability of this cheap guitar is amazingly ng

    • #76821
      Anonymous
      Guest

      My dad bought mine at a yard sale for $100 and everyone fights over it to play because of the awesome tone and ease of play…..Love mine!! Wouldn’t sale,it for 10 times that.

    • #76536
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I have just bought one of these in absolutely mint condition and it plays like a dream . Ive read various threads on wether its a laminate top or not but if you look closely at the sound hole you can see the grain all the way through. I think its a solid top just a very thin one . I was comparing it to my takamine, which has a thicker top but looks like its made from the same wood . What do you guys think? Its hard to find much info on these guitars .

    • #127637
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Forgot to say, even Prince recorded with this guitar a few times. Have a read:

      http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/gear-stories-sylvia-massy-prince-and-gemini-ii/366174

    • #76261
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I don’t think his guess that the first two numbers mean the year is correct. I own this guitar, and mine was bought in the mid-80’s, and the first two numbers are 96, so it throws that theory out the window, at least for mine it does. Can’t be the last two numbers either, because on mine it’s 98.

      About the guitar though, I agree with everything that’s been said about it on other sites, it is absolutely worth owning, which is weird to say for a Fender acoustic. Perhaps it is the age. Yet, that seems unlikely. From what I was told from people far more knowledgeable than myself, the wonderful “aging” which happens to some guitars is limited to those with a solid top. Laminate tops like this Fender, supposedly don’t get any better than the day they were made. So that’s strange, if true.

      Perhaps I got a good one (as did the people who wrote the other glowing reviews), because it doesn’t just sound good “for a cheap guitar”, it sounds good period. Not good by the standards of a Martin, Lowden, or some Gibson’s, but good by comparison to any of the dozens of sub-$500 guitars I’ve ever played, like those horrible Epiphone J200 lookalikes. Those sound like poop.

      Interestingly, this cheap little Fender records really well. I’ve been using it for recorded material for decades, and with a variety of mics and different rooms. Rarely do I ever have to spend much time tweaking, it just records great.

      I found this page because I was so happy with a recent recording that I wanted to see if there was anything posted about it.

      There are much much better guitars, of course. But nothing even comes remotely close for the price you can find these used. Last one I saw on Reverb, was only…..hehehe….$75! Cmon, that’s just silly. See if you can find a guitar for three or even four times that price which is decent.

      If you’ve got more than $500 to spend, then ya, you can probably find a slightly better sounding guitar. Sometimes you can find a used Tacoma (the early pre-Fender models) for around 5 to 6 hundred, if you are lucky. If so, buy it! Those are truly fabulous, even compared to the multi-thousand dollars guitars. Usually though, the used ones are closer to a grand, or more. But if you find one with tons of scratches and dings, you might find one that low. There’s one right now on Ebay, and the bidding is at just over a hundred bucks, BUT, it has a horrible crack on the back and sides, which is pretty wide and would cost a lot to have fixed.

      But back to the Fender. If you do find one of these incredibly inexpensive Gemini II Fender models, and if the neck, tuners, action, and everything else seems ok, considering buying it. If you do, upgrade it with a bone nut and saddle, that makes a pretty noticeable difference in the sound. And of course, have it set-up by a professional. In your future recordings, I assure you that not a single person will know you made it with a $75-100 guitar, there’s just no way.

      In the world of guitars which usually sell for less than $200, this guitar probably has no equal. And furthermore, it’s not something you’ll get rid of soon. I have a few fairly expensive guitars, and yet I still record with this one now and then.

    • #57375
      Benrose
      Participant

      I was reading about another person on here that owns a Gemini II and they had a serial # with 6 or 7 numbers and they were told the first 2 numbers are the year it was made? My serial number is 00000710 can anyone tell me more info about my axe? This was my fathers and as far as I know he bought it when I was about 6 or 7 years old, about 28 years ago. What I’ve read about this axe is true, it almost never needs tuning and the sound has gotton better with time, I have 4 boys and traveled a lot with this axe and it seems almost indestructble. Thanks for the info!

      • #102748
        Anonymous
        Guest

        your looking in wrong place, you need to look in the sound hole in the inside at top bracing, near the neck, you will see another reference no, hope this helps…

    • #57329
      JimR
      Participant

      [quote=”RWells”]Can anyone tell me anything about a Fender Acoustic guitar, called a Gemini II ? The serial number (8301300) can be seen on the interior of the body on a round sticker. This is also where the model name (Gemini II) can be seen. My father owns this guitar and he believes it to be about 30 years old or so. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.[/quote]

      #http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q258/JimboFR1/guitar.jpg

      here’s mine

      it will be from 1983 (first 2 digits are the year) which means likely made in Korea (Samick factory I thnk). It’s an excellent guitar, very good tuners that will keep it in tune forever, and damn near indestructible. Has a urethane finish which some will frown on, but on this instrument it doesn’t affect the sound badly at all. it’s worth having it set up to suit your prefences. I got mine new in 84, and it’s honesty just coming into itself in sound quality now. Put new strings on it, it deserves some quality brass. Dean Markley’s sound very good on it.

      edit: I inadvertanly typed ‘Indonesia’ in my post. This one is made in Korea.

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