12 String Acoustic

[jaco]

I've been a huge fan of Ralph Towner over the years and had the pleasure of chatting with him after an Oregon gig many years ago. I believe he used a custom Guild on tour and recording. Is there a model similar in production these days. And I believe he gave it up due to the wear and tear on his fingernails. Thanks

[John A.]

Maybe one of these?
Guild 12-String Acoustics | Guild Guitars

John

[Gitterbug]

Can't answer your question - at least not better than Guild's website. I've had and on and off love affair with 12 strings since the folk revival in mid-'60s. There's almost always been an acoustic or electric 12-string in the stable, with absolutely no use. Jazz is the last thing I'd use it for.

Of contemporary offering: Martin's MIM does a great job on the acoustic side. As for electrics, Gear4Music recently offered (maybe still do) a Tele clone for 99 GBP. Solid ash body, fine neck, individual string intonation etc. The bridge alone should cost more. I've got one as a TOOB test guitar and dream of bringing it to the stage one fine day. Alas, no-one else does.

With today's great acoustic pickups, I don't see the need to invest in an expensive 12-string. The jangle from a cheap Yamaha will beat any stomp box.

[neatomic]

longtime 12 string player and fan...acoustic 12's can be real beasts in many ways...intonation, neck size, tension, lifting bridges and tops, etc.etc...but great sounding...many players tune them down a step or two...those old martins, gibsons and guilds can be real rough to play...it was taylor guitars who pretty much revolutionized the modern acoustic 12...got rid of lots of the troubles...look into taylors...when they first hit the scene many old-time players switched over to them

been into towner since oregon days..and heard him with paul winter consort before that..a nyc old time fm radio staple...but he was using the guild before taylor was even around..so he stuck with it...


cheers

[Danny W.]

I owned a Guild F-412 during the '70's. When I bought it (used) the neck was straight and fairly playable (for an acoustic 12). I had read that these tend to develop neck problems, so I kept it tuned down a full tone. Despite that, when I sold it two years later I felt that the neck had become unplayable.

The guy who came over to buy it was thrilled at how good the neck was--he said he'd been looking forever for one that was playable!



The only other acoustic 12 I've owned was this:



Didn't have the huge sound of the guild, but much easier to play.

I did have a half dozen electric 12's, but those are OT.

Danny W.

[neatomic]

heres some info from towner in a guitar player mag interview

I’m also playing my custom Guild 12- string with a Fishman under-saddle pickup that was made for me 40 years ago. It has a very wide classical neck so the strings aren’t too crowded together like on most 12-strings. It’s also made of rosewood and spruce, with a cutaway that makes it easy to play. It’s a really beautiful-sounding instrument that’s well balanced, and has exceptional tone.


cheers

[citizenk74]

I have a Guild jumbo-sized maple 12 string that I keep tuned 2 whole steps down. The sound is simply gorgeous. Definitely a solo instrument (for me). Early on it had a bit of bridge lift (turned out it was not properly glued) which I had addressed by an expert luthier. now all is well.

[fep]

I have an Epiphone acoustic 12 string. It has a solid top, about 3 or 4 hundred I believe is what I paid. I use it mostly for recording my own tunes as part of a songwriting/recording hobby. It fills things up nicely usually strummed and panned pretty much to one side or the other.

I may try tuning it down a step.

[leonardwulf]

Oh, I also sometimes play at Epiphone, using the DR-100 model. As for me, they have good guitars for reasonable money

[pcjazz]

There's almost always been an acoustic or electric 12-string in the stable, with absolutely no use. Jazz is the last thing I'd use it for.

Once, years ago, I took an electric 12-string on a pickup gig. Halfway through, the leader (who must have had better ears than eyes) complained, "Hey man, even Wes didn't play octaves all the time!" Sold it shortly after that.

[brad4d8]

I've had my Guild F-212 since 1965, kept at concert pitch the whole time, only issue with the neck was the need for a reset in 2012. Neck resets on any acoustic that old are not unusual. Also have a 2010 F-512 with the single carbon fiber truss rod as opposed to the double rod in older Guild 12s. It would be interesting to see how it holds up after 50 years to compare to the 212, but at 71 years of age, that's not likely to be in my future.

[pcjazz]

Before we dismiss using an acoustic 12-string for jazz, let's not forget that Lonnie Johnson played 12-string in those famous duets with Eddie Lang (although not in the equally famous sessions with Louis Armstrong a few years previously).

[pingu]

Qu how long does it take to tune up a 12 string guitar ?

[pingu]

A. Nobody knows .....

[grahambop]

Once, years ago, I took an electric 12-string on a pickup gig. Halfway through, the leader (who must have had better ears than eyes) complained, "Hey man, even Wes didn't play octaves all the time!" Sold it shortly after that.

Pat Martino had a go with an electric 12-string once.

[neatomic]

[QUOTE=grahambop;1005023]Pat Martino had a go with an electric 12-string once.

QUOTE]

don't remind us!! haha...pat actually was given a 12 string by his wife...and it played so poorly he tried the gibby...not exactly a stellar tone imo...

very very difficult to have an acoustic with a straight bone saddle capable of intonating perfectly...the string course pairings just make it improbable..to have a 42 next to a 20 in a pair..and expect them to be perfectly in tune..up and down the fretboard....very difficult to accommodate both!!

much depends on the stringmaker..and the gauges and tension chosen..why i like thomastiks always!! they delve into such ideas!


cheers

addendum- from pat interview @ a

For a brief period you were playing a Gibson ES 335-12. That’s an interesting choice; please elaborate.

PM-

Around that time, my wife bought me a cheap $90.00 12-string guitar as a birthday gift. In fact, in my response, I used it on the recording of an album of mine called Desperado. Following the release of that session, I got a Gibson ES-335 12-string to replace it with; something a little more serious.

[Dennis D]

Pat Martino had a go with an electric 12-string once.

with liner notes by Les Paul.......

.......the ' end of story ' version of Oleo !

..just MHO......

[EllenGtrGrl]

I had a couple of Guilds several years ago. Nowadays, I play a Taylor 150e in a local church band, tuned down a full step. IMO, despite what some guitar manufacturers claim, 12-strings hold up better when you do that, due to the reduced string tension helping to prevent the top from bellying up, and the neck and bridge from pulling up. Oh yeah, and it also sounds darker to me in a good way.

Tuning down a whole step on my 12-string also has the side benefit for me, of working better playing-wise for the music played in the church band I'm a part of (the music director is a piano player, and she seems to gravitate towards downshifted [pitch-wise] keys) - I'm one of those weirdos who prefers to avoid using a capo (I want to maintain access to the guitar's full register. while playing songs). It's probably a by-product of back when I played lead guitar in rock bands, and did a fair amount of zooming up and down the neck.

12-Strings are cool. They give you all sorts of additional overtones that you don't have with a 6-string (hence the main reason why I use it in the church band - to help fill out the overall sound), but from my personal experience, they don't play well with 6-string guitars in certain musical situations.

My Taylor 150e 12-String and Blueridge BR162 (which I no longer have)

[pingu]

with liner notes by Les Paul.......

.......the ' end of story ' version of Oleo !

..just MHO......

incredible playing ..... Yeah
never heard that ..... Thanks !