12 stringers

Sassafras · October 2017

I wouldn't be without a 12 stringer.
Makes a mediocre player sound a bit special.
I tune down to D and don't find it harder to play than any other acoustic, in fact, it's easier on the fingertips than a 6 stringer.

Saddlepunk · October 2017

Saw a photo of Huddie Lebetter holding a 12 string recently - he played fingerstyle with heavy strings!

Slide 12 string blues, in particular, does it for me.

ICBM · December 2017

Can't believe I forgot this one earlier…

Neil Young - Thrasher, on Rust Never Sleeps.

rustneversleeps · December 2017

I struggle with 6 so no chance with 12.

stimpsonslostson · December 2017

Saddlepunk said:

Saw a photo of Huddie Lebetter holding a 12 string recently - he played fingerstyle with heavy strings!

Slide 12 string blues, in particular, does it for me.

I always liked this. 11 string (he doesn't have the high g) slide..

ICBM · December 2017

Saddlepunk said:

Saw a photo of Huddie Lebetter holding a 12 string recently - he played fingerstyle with heavy strings!

That's true, but he tuned down to C.

Older 12-strings were intended to be tuned at least down to D, since light gauge strings didn't exist back then and the guitars wouldn't take the tension of medium-gauge strings tuned to E, if if you could play them. I always keep my Martin tuned to D with slightly heavier strings (11s), it just sounds better like that.

AliGorie · December 2017

13-56 tuned down a tone 25 in scale purfect, loads o' sound and good tension for my picking hand to work of.

Clashman · December 2017

I wouldn't mind getting a 12 string but get the feeling if I got one it would not get much use
if it meant tuning up all the time and dreading restringing one.

AliGorie · December 2017

na - a half decent 12er shouldn't lose its pitch to bad - I restring 2 - 4 years - why - I do't kill strings or play that much.
Mine is a plywood b/s cedar topped Alvarez-Yairi DY-72 12 string '87 - octaves reverse strung - very complex voice.Cost me £400 in he late '90's and it just sits there till a piece of music demands THAT sound.

ICBM · December 2017

Clashman said:

I wouldn't mind getting a 12 string but get the feeling if I got one it would not get much use
if it meant tuning up all the time and dreading restringing one.

I really don't get why there is a such a popular myth about this.

It's absolutely no different to having two six-string guitars which need to be restrung and kept in tune. If you have more than one six-string guitar - which I'd guess most people here do - why the fuss?

Particularly as generally, if you have both then the 12-string probably gets less than half the playing time of the sixes, so it's actually *less* hassle...

And I say that even given that my 12-string is a slot-head.

DannyP · December 2017

Loads of early Bowie - Queen Bitch, Starman etc etc.

The percussive strummi9ng and top end twinkle sat really nicely in the mix with Ronson's mid-honk, cocked wah LP into a marshall thing

earwighoney · December 2017

ICBM said:

It's absolutely no different to having two six-string guitars which need to be restrung and kept in tune. If you have more than one six-string guitar - which I'd guess most people here do - why the fuss?

Because it's twice as much work as restringing and tuning a 6 string guitar, and tuning/restringing one 6 string guitar is generally more than enough work for a player.

I'll have to politely disagree with you though @ICBM, there are some features of a 12 string that make it tricky to tune - being the octave string for the G being very thin e.g. 0.008 which can be very prone to breaking/tricky to tune, especially over a scale of 650mm be it tuned to concert pitch or a semitone or 2 below. The octave string for the A string unless it's a wound string can be lacking tension, especially for open tunings and with a wound string it can be pretty hard work for the fingers.

Tuning the octave/unison strings are a different issue to tuning the regular strings.

ellwood · December 2017

I played a gorgeous Maton 12 string last week and am now GASsing for a nice 12 string electro. I'm not fussed about the extra hassle, the sound more than makes up for a few more minutes tuning....

earwighoney · December 2017

ellwood said:

I'm not fussed about the extra hassle, the sound more than makes up for a few more minutes tuning....

Agree, entirely!

Yes, a 12 string can be a PITA to tune, restring and it can be tough on the fingers/picking hand (for fingerpickers especially) but IMO it's worth all the additional gripes for the sound.

ICBM · December 2017

earwighoney said:

Because it's twice as much work as restringing and tuning a 6 string guitar, and tuning/restringing one 6 string guitar is generally more than enough work for a player.

Yes, but you have to do it less than half as often usually

. I don't know many players who use a 12-string as much as a 6.

earwighoney said:

I'll have to politely disagree with you though @ICBM, there are some features of a 12 string that make it tricky to tune - being the octave string for the G being very thin e.g. 0.008 which can be very prone to breaking/tricky to tune, especially over a scale of 650mm be it tuned to concert pitch or a semitone or 2 below. The octave string for the A string unless it's a wound string can be lacking tension, especially for open tunings and with a wound string it can be pretty hard work for the fingers.

Well, it is true that the sets I use have at least a 9 for the octave G (can't remember, might even be a 10) and a wound octave A, because they're 11s. If you're using strings light enough for that not to be true (usually 10s) you need to tune to E since that's what those gauges are for.

earwighoney said:

Tuning the octave/unison strings are a different issue to tuning the regular strings.

Er... you turn the machinehead key and adjust the pitch of the string

.

earwighoney · December 2017

ICBM said:

earwighoney said:

I'll have to politely disagree with you though @ICBM, there are some features of a 12 string that make it tricky to tune - being the octave string for the G being very thin e.g. 0.008 which can be very prone to breaking/tricky to tune, especially over a scale of 650mm be it tuned to concert pitch or a semitone or 2 below. The octave string for the A string unless it's a wound string can be lacking tension, especially for open tunings and with a wound string it can be pretty hard work for the fingers.

Well, it is true that the sets I use have at least a 9 for the octave G (can't remember, might even be a 10) and a wound octave A, because they're 11s. If you're using strings light enough for that not to be true (usually 10s) you need to tune to E since that's what those gauges are for.

earwighoney said:

Tuning the octave/unison strings are a different issue to tuning the regular strings.

Er... you turn the machinehead key and adjust the pitch of the string .

The Newtone 11-50 string sets to be the best balanced strings and one of the few sets to have a wound octave A string, without resorting to a heavy string set. Preferring 80/20 strings, more often than I find myself using 10-47 sets.

What I meant to say was I've found tuning the octave strings to be slightly more difficult to tune mainly for the plain strings which seem to lack the tension of the standard wound counterparts - the octave A & D's with plain strings in the 10-47 sets seem to lack tension whilst the octave G with a 0.008 tuning upto standard pitch is something which isn't something I approach with a great amount of enthusiasm.

I consider these aspects some of the instruments more 'esoteric' niggles are something which does make the 12 string guitar what it is and it's an instrument I love greatly and it's an instrument that I believe it shouldn't be feared but more so respected! A 12 string acoustic guitar played well is a truly wonderful thing.

AliGorie · December 2017

oh no - I got a guitar - and I've gotta restring it once in a while - how will I cope ?.
ok the tuning post is designed to help 'lock' the string (on it's self) i.e. it's concave shape around the string hole, like a ships capstan.
With thinner strings I like about 6 wingdings around the post below the string hole - as you tighten the string the concave shape makes the winds 'ride' upward chocking the string going through the hole and to an extent 'locking' it'.
Wrapping the string this many times spreads the tension over a bigger area taking the 'load' from the troublesome - weakening kink that is created by the string exiting the hole ( on the tension side).
try it.

PS. some tuner post holes can be left rough at the exit points - check and needle file smooth if ness.

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12 stringers

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