I need, uh want, a 12-string

[lukmanohnz]

I have owned several 12 string flat tops - Martin, Ovation, Dean, and Martin again. I recently sold my last 12-string, a Martin J12-16GT, to a friend who had become quite enamored with it. I kept it in my office and he would play it early in the morning or during lunch breaks. It is a great and relatively affordable 12-string (unfortunately no longer in production). It has a slightly shorter scale length that reduces string tension slightly and increases the 12-string jangle slightly. Mine had been set up professionally and played like butter. You could do a lot worse than one of those.

I will probably get the itch again someday. I will fight the urge, however. Over the years my 12-strings have spent most of their time in the case. But they are fun and perfect for backyard sing-alongs.

[citizenk74]

The Rickenbacker 360/12 and 270/12 was popular in the mid 1960s. They were used among others by George Harrison and Jim McGuinn. It was featured in the Beatles film "A Hard Days night" and the sound was a prominent ingredient in The Byrds' "Mr. Tamburine Man". It's still produced to this day.

Would I want a 12 guitar? I like the sound for certain things, but no, not really. Keeping them in tune is said to be a constant struggle.

"...a constant struggle...." Indeed! But on a good day, well worth the effort!

[Hammertone]

So easy. Just do what my pal Todd does - get whatever nice 12-string guitar floats your boat and only use the extra six strings when the mood strikes you.

[neatomic]

actually ric 12's had good intonation..thats why the best used them!...rics had double trussrods...plus they had unique string system with light string on top...not typical 12 strings arrangement

ric 12's are great..easy to play, sound great and very dependable

cheers

[Cavalier]

So easy. Just do what my pal Todd does - get whatever nice 12-string guitar floats your boat and only use the extra six strings when the mood strikes you.

Better hammer that to get a tone, with a 12's thicker top and braces it is going to take a heavy 6 string set to drive that top. Works ok on a electric though, remember the Rickenbacker convertible option?

[frankhond]

I had a several years long 12-string stint back when I was into Leo Kottke. Here are my takeaways:

1. It's a VERY different instrument in terms of feel, playability, what sounds good and what doesnt.
2. It's significantly more effort to play in standard tuning. Most end up using very thin strings, or putting on heavier strings and detuning as low as C#, open tunings, remove double strings for the bottom three etc. Prepare for a lot of experimentation.
3. Stay away from cheap Asian or "vintage" 12-strings, they age very poorly because of the string pressure, are often hard to play with tuning problems.
4. You want one that's as easy to play as possible and stays in tune. Try before you buy and pay a bit extra to get a good neck. Consider cutaway and auditorium/jumbo rather than dread.
5. My experience is that Taylor makes by far the most playable 12-strings, they stay rock solid in tune and sound good too.
6. The Guilds are built like tanks and sound great but are not as playable as Taylor.
7. Consider avoiding Rosewood and similar woods that have a high harmonic content, they sound muddy in a 12-string. You probably want maple or mahogany.
8. Lots of people like me get into 12-string but some years later discover they don't play them because it's not for them, and second hand prices are great, shop around for a used Taylor or Guild.
9. There is one famous jazz player who plays 12 string, forgot his name, google... but in general this is a folk instrument.
10. And most importantly: nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, beats shimmering arpeggiated folky 12 string chords.

Finally, if you just want to buy some cheap 12-string and play C, G, D, Am to accompany a friend at a jam, the Canadians make cheap instruments with good necks. Seagull might be an option here.

[gitman]

Ralph Towner has been playing his various Guild 12-strings ever since his days with the Paul Winter Consort and the sound of his group OREGON is largely shaped by his use of that guitar. However, he doesn't play with a pick but uses a classical 4-finger technique with his right hand (he is blessed with nails of iron...) which affords him this orchestral sound. Another major influence on his guitar playing is the fact that he started out on piano and trumpet - the type of arpeggiated lines and the contrapuntal approach in his improvisations are truly unique. I've been a fan since I first heard his recordings (on ECM) with Eberhard Weber, Gary Burton, John Abercrombie and Jan Garbarek.
Check this out (and go from there ...) :

[frankhond]

Thanks gitman, Ralph Towner was the guy I was thinking of.

[Doctor Jeff]

I will be picking up a Taylor 150e tomorrow--listed (used) on Reverb from a seller near me. I will pick it up in person tomorrow.

From the reviews this is about the best under-$1000 12-string out there. I look forward to changing strings and doing some fettling to see how playable I can get it.

[Dennis D]

2007 Martin D-7 Roger McGuinn (7-string) - Guitar - Gryphon Stringed Instruments


or Roger McGuinn's Martin......( ? )......

..no affiliation w/ seller etc...

[Doctor Jeff]

2007 Martin D-7 Roger McGuinn (7-string) - Guitar - Gryphon Stringed Instruments


or Roger McGuinn's Martin......( ? )......

..no affiliation w/ seller etc...

I've heard McGuinn interviewed about this guitar, and he said IIRC that he got tired of dragging a 12-string to shows and keeping it maintained, not to mention playing it. He thought that he got most of the 12-string vibe for his music anyway just by doubling the G string.

More on that here: Roger McGuinn | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine

[Dennis D]

The conundrum is that I can’t really see a use for this in the jazz context—maybe a couple of songs, like Summertime, and Moondance, but typical jazz standards repertoire? My 6-strings are just so much better.

'Dearborn Walk' from PM's 'Desperado'..............

( C'mon - you know you want one !! )

[fep]

Okay, check the 12 string off the list... now a resonator guitar?

[frankhond]

I will be picking up a Taylor 150e tomorrow--listed (used) on Reverb from a seller near me. I will pick it up in person tomorrow.

From the reviews this is about the best under-$1000 12-string out there. I look forward to changing strings and doing some fettling to see how playable I can get it.

Nice, there’s some good potential there. Walnut, right? Good wood for 12-string. Best of luck!

[feet]

AddString :: Home

For the skittish/clever/cheap?

[ooglybong]

If you're looking for a less expensive commitment, I'll recommend the Yamaha FG720S-12. As a surprise, I bought one for my son (a semi-beginner) a couple of years ago, and he loves it. The day I bought it, I auditioned two other identical Yamahas (the store was well-stocked); they were really close, quite consistent in tone, projection and playability, and I picked his out by a mere hair. IIRC, the bottom strings were actually activating subtle sympathetic vibrational tones on a few nearby acoustics, and I immediately considered that to be a great sign of projection. Sold. IIRC, it cost about $350 out the door. Hey, what more do you want for "only $350", right? (BTW, the guitar was a solid top, non-cutaway, 100% acoustic with no pickup etc.)

Well, for comparison, I happen to own a really nice Taylor 355ce 12-string (a 2011 OOP model with a jumbo cutaway Kottke-esque body) that I'd earlier paid about $1700 new for at the same store. Anyway, I'd brought the Yamaha home before giving it to my son the next day, so of course I had an opportunity to play it some more and to do a comparison... and honestly, eyes closed (IOW, forgetting the brand), I couldn't really prefer one over the other by any significant amount. And I consider my Taylor to be an excellent guitar. I consider this Yamaha to be an excellent guitar, too.

All IME and IMO, of course. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Oops. It was only a couple of years ago, but now I'm seeing that this exact model (nato back and sides) is seemingly "Not Available" on the several sites I just checked. However, the (upgraded) mahogany back and sides FG820S-12 looks to still be available, selling for $359 at GC, so hopefully available for an in-person demo.

[Dhango]

actually ric 12's had good intonation..thats why the best used them!...rics had double trussrods...plus they had unique string system with light string on top...not typical 12 strings arrangement

ric 12's are great..easy to play, sound great and very dependable

cheers

Errr, Rickenbackers have the octave/light string at the bottom of each pair, not at the top(except the last two pairs, which are at unison):

• 042/. 026.
• 034/. 020W.
• 026/. 013plain.
• 020wound/. 010.
• 013/. 013.
• 010/. 010.

That is what makes them unique and different.

[EllenGtrGrl]

Nice, there’s some good potential there. Walnut, right? Good wood for 12-string. Best of luck!

Yep. I have a Taylor 150e, with the walnut back and sides. It's the guitar I play in a local church band. Since I needed to get it refretted, due to my nickel allergy, a setup was done at the same time. This included lowering the action (most acoustic guitars arrive from the factory with relatively high action), and as a result, it plays great! To play things safe tension-wise, I use light gauge strings (D'Addario EJ38 Phosphor Bronze), and I tune down a whole step to Concert D, which also has the pleasant side effect of darkening the sound a little bit, due to the lower string tension. IMO, 12-strings really need to be treated as different instruments than 6-strings. Riffs that sound blah on a 6-string, suddenly become lively sounding, due to the extra octave strings. You can play single note lead lines (I do), but you need to really have your picking technique down pat, to keep from being caught on strings. Still a 12-string can be a great way to get out of a musical rut.

My Taylor 150e, next to a Blueridge BR162 I no longer have

[Doctor Jeff]

Okay, check the 12 string off the list... now a resonator guitar?

LOL I bought a resonator guitar on a whim a couple of years ago, and never figured out how to play it properly. It had some funky Bigsby string-benders. I decided it was going to require to much effort to learn how to play, which would take away from my jazz playing.

I do have an old Kay archtop configured for slide, which I occasionally take out to get in touch with my inner Elmore James.

[Doctor Jeff]

Nice, there’s some good potential there. Walnut, right? Good wood for 12-string. Best of luck!

It's Sitka spruce on top, sapele laminate on the back and sides. Very pretty mahogany-like wood.

[Doctor Jeff]

Yep. I have a Taylor 150e, with the walnut back and sides. It's the guitar I play in a local church band. Since I needed to get it refretted, due to my nickel allergy, a setup was done at the same time. This included lowering the action (most acoustic guitars arrive from the factory with relatively high action), and as a result, it plays great! To play things safe tension-wise, I use light gauge strings (D'Addario EJ38 Phosphor Bronze), and I tune down a whole step to Concert D, which also has the pleasant side effect of darkening the sound a little bit, due to the lower string tension. IMO, 12-strings really need to be treated as different instruments than 6-strings. Riffs that sound blah on a 6-string, suddenly become lively sounding, due to the extra octave strings. You can play single note lead lines (I do), but you need to really have your picking technique down pat, to keep from being caught on strings. Still a 12-string can be a great way to get out of a musical rut.

My Taylor 150e, next to a Blueridge BR162 I no longer have

Thanks for the info. I like the look of that Blueridge!

BTW, do you use a capo on the 12-string? And if so which one?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've owned a couple of twelvers over the years. Cheap ones will often belly out the soundboard under the bridge, so detuning makes sense. The best expensive 12er I've played was a Taylor, not sure of the model but running about $2500 new. The best affordable 12er I've played was one I almost pulled the trigger on a few years back, a G-series Takamine with an all-maple body that sounded surprisingly warm given its construction; and it played well enough that I could throw down blues licks on it.

I think this was the Tak model I tried and almost bought:



Onboard tuner sure helped.

[Doctor Jeff]

I picked it up today—first task was adjust the truss rod. After which, it played very smoothly indeed.

I plugged it in—nice sound hooked up to the Fishman Artist. No quackiness—very mellow magnetic tone with the treble turned down.

I took it to a jam session today—film in very well with the other Taylor 6-string, bass and banjo. Nice volume and projection.

I was very surprised at how comfortable it was to play. Even better than my friend’s Taylor 6-string, which had the action set a bit high. So far, I think this was a very good choice.

[Flat]

Congrats on the new (used) twelve, Doc!

I'm partial to Guild, but in the current reality, the Taylors really excel in playability, in my opinion. And on a 12, that means even more than usual. And they sound great too.

Hope you dig it!

And if you don't, pull off half of the strings, lay it in your lap, and channel your inner Kelly Joe Phelps. (One of the best things you can do if you end up with a great-sounding old 12 that has a neck bowed by string tension through the decades, in my opinion.)

[EllenGtrGrl]

It's Sitka spruce on top, sapele laminate on the back and sides. Very pretty mahogany-like wood.

Unless they've reverted, Taylor quit making them out of sapele a few years ago. Mine's a 2019, and the sides and back are laminated walnut.