Changing your 12 string to an 8 string
 

Just curious if there's anyone else who plays a modified 12 string guitar. I finger pick guitar and I've taken the high E, A , D and G strings off my guitar, just leaving the two Bs and two Es to create an 8 string guitar, It works well for me.

Several makers have offered 9 strings with the E, B, and G being double course and the E, A,D being single. Most famous practitioner of 9 string guitar was Big Joe Williams.

I've played the Taylor nine string model that preceded their eight string baritones. It is a nice mix of treble side jangle and yet clear alternating bass on 4-5-6 if you are playing that style. Even a ten string (no E or A octaves on the bass side) sounds noticeably cleaner, yet full. Easy enough to try it out........just take off the right strings.

I went about it from the opposite direction to get an eight string guitar: a buddy and I converted a six string Larrivee L-03R into an eight string by adding an octave string to each of the D and G strings, so there are two single strings on either side of two octave courses. It gives me the jangle of a twelve string without all the added weight and structural issues.


Wade Hampton Miller