[FrankHudson]

I got imprinted on 12 strings during the folk scare years when they seemed (relatively) more common. I could, and did, hear the instrument used in various ways more easily in those days.

One of my acoustic guitar idols is Leo Kottke, but I never could play in his mature style. On the other hand, I would try to write and play somewhat in the style of his first two local records.

A couple of early singer-songwriters Fred Neill and Tim Buckley made good use of 12 string. I can't sing like either of them, but their guitar textures stick with me.

I liked Leadbelly and Koerner Ray and Glover too. Strange that we've largely forgotten that once the 12 string was used to play blues and Afro-American songster stuff.

And then Jim/Roger McGuinn too. I love that squashed, slightly overdriven electric 12 string sound.

I bought my first 12 string in 1977 or so, a Cortez (the firm later shortened it's name to Cort) Asian-made all-laminated dreadnaught. Put a DeArmond soundhole pickup in it and gigged with it in the early 80s.

I currently have two acoustic 12 strings from around the last turn of the century, a Guild maple/spruce jumbo and a Seagull cherry/cedar dread. I wish I played them more. Part of the reduction in playing is from arthritis and lack of woodshed time, but also my current context is mostly recording, and getting an acoustic 12 string to sit well in a band recording is tough for me.