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12 string?
Not sure if this is the correct place for this question, but I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on a new 12 string guitar. I have two good acoustic 6 strings. Do You all think adding a 12 string to one’s Gutarsenal is a good move?
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16 Replies
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Absolutely! They have a special place in folk music and blues, not to mention several iconic guitar solos in the Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin songbooks.
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12 string is a great idea. Be sure to consider playability and intonation accuracy, as well as sound.
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A 12-string is a wondrous sounding instrument. Be sure you are comfortable with the size, however, as most (not all) are dreadnoughts. Mine is a Koa Taylor knockoff, and I have had a Gibson and a Martin (in years gone by). They are my favorites to play, and create strong learning curves.
What are you looking at, as it is very likely someone here has one, as there are many lovley 12’s in the hands of TACsters. Good luck, and let us know when you pull the trigger, @Kitsequecla .
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I was looking at a larrive, and also one made by a luthier in Toronto.
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I tried a Laravee many years ago, love the sound, but was not yet back into gaining on. Playing again, and decided not. At the time, the 1969 vintage 12 was not missing yet, so , well,
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My finger tips hurt just thinking about a 12 string. It will have a wider neck so make sure you try out as many as you can to get a good fit for your hand.
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I find the 12 string is actually easier on my finger tips. Lighter gauge, less tension, pairs of strings distribute pressure. Best benefit, they make you sound better than you are 🙂
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I agree with @David_Leo , but not as easy to finger pick for me.
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Thanks, everyone! even though you are likely contributing to my chronic GAS!
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So I looked at your profile and it seems that you, like myself, are not actually that competent or regular at 6 string playing. So I’d say NO, give yourself a 12 string as a reward when you have finally mastered 6 string. I say that because I have loved 12 stings for about 40 yrs and I haven’t the remotest clue how to tune one, let alone play it…. love you, miss you, David Bowie!
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This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by solitaire.
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This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by
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A 12 string can be a wonderful thing. My first one, a Yamaha dreadnought with a spruce top and laminated back and body, I bought less than six months into my guitar journey, and after a few weeks, I didn’t love it. I thought it sounded twizzly and zingy and didn’t have a lot of body to its sound. It also felt a little bitey on the high strings, and changing strings didn’t get me where I wanted to be. Then I happened across a 2014 or so Guild D-125-12 on the local Craigslist, and it was worlds different. All solid mahogany with a dark, rich voice, and very easy on the hands. It was easier to fret than my GS Mini, so I sold the Mini and bought the 6 string version of my twelve string. Same great sound, nice slender easy neck, and great action. That Guild is now my main guitar . . . even though I own two smaller ones, the big one is just easier to play, and I’m not a big guy.
In any event, taste in guitars is personal like so many other things, so the things that turn me on about my instruments might be negatives for you. It’s worth getting some play time on a few that fit your budget, and then deciding from there what works best for your preferences. If you play it and get to know it and still love it, then it’s right.
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Well said. And so the gamut is run, my current Koa/Koa 12 was also acquired off the local Craigs List, as I could not find a 6 string version of the Koa and Taylor style. Technically mine is identicle to a K66C, but then, that is only a technicallity.
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Since you post I have been rethinking about getting a 12 string. I don’t want to go full size. 3/4 size, would be perfect for me. I had one when I was much younger and I remember I didn’t play it all that much. Good luck with you guitar search and be sure to post what you end up getting and your personal review of the instrument.
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Thanks for all your input. just this week I found a “new” used 12 string “Seagull” guitar
it even still has that new guitar smell! Seagull is a Canadian company owned by Godin Guitars, that has a reputation for making really nice guitars at a reasonable price. It has a little string buzz at the top frets so it most likely will need a little truss rod adjustment or possibly a trip to my Luthier!
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Congratulations on the new guitar. I’m sure you will love having it in your guitar arsenal. Looking forward to you playing on the ‘play for us’.
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12 strings are fanastic! I love my 1990 Washburn D28, solid rosewood back/sides and solid sitka spruce top. Great sound and so much fun to play.
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