#16
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I have had two twelve string guitars in the past. One was a hollow body electric (Dean Boca) and the other was an Art & Lutherie with maple top, back and sides. I modded both of them to a 6 string. Now I am looking for another 12 string acoustic to keep and keep as a 12 string.
Last edited by Steadfastly; 01-14-2017 at 01:58 PM. |
#17
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I got turned on to 12-strings after seeing Fred Neil play (on a triple bill with the Youngbloods and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band). I loved the chiming, shimmering quality Neil got out of his instrument and thought they'd be fun to try, but I had my Gibson 6-string and didn't see guitar as my best instrument, so the thought languished.
Many years later, after reviving my guitar interest and taking it more seriously and shortly after trading the Gibson in for the Martin I have now, I saw a Norman (Godin) 12 used in our local guitar shop. The price was low and it sounded good so I bought it to see if I'd really like playing one. It turned out that I did. I'm not used to dreads, however, and the size was too much so I looked for a smaller body. I tried out a Taylor auditorium sized that sang and was way above my price range. I test-drove a Breedlove Pursuit 12 at another guitar store. It felt like the Taylor to play and I liked the sound well enough. On a chance, I bought a lightly used Studio-12 on eBay and lucked out. The sound shimmers, just as I'd wanted it to. My wife loves it and likens the sound to a waterfall. I use light, round-core low-tension strings on it, which allows me to bar chords. It's a beautiful guitar for my use. Mostly I play my 6 strings, but I pull out that 12 a few times a week. It takes about 20 minutes of playing for my hands to adjust to the different string placement but it's worth it, I still love the sound, it's unlike anything else. I'd say I play it about 20-25% of the time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Martin 000-15M Breedlove Studio Concert 12-string (2014 model) Cole Clark Angel 2 AN2EC-BLBL Gone and not forgotten: Gibson LG1 (1957 model) Norman B15 12-string (2003 model) |
#18
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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.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#19
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I love the sound of a 12!
I only have one acoustic 12, and older Taylor 855 with the old 2-knob Fishman preamp and a sharp cutaway. |
#20
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A young kid, I knew about 4 chords, someone had a Yamaha 12-string ... I was hooked.
Those 4 chords never sounded better. Left school, started work, bought a new Italian made 'Gonzalez' 12-string guitar. Weighed a ton, zero fret, adjustable saddle. Sounded absolutely thin, no bass whatsoever. Back then in the 1970's the 12-string to have was a locally made Maton, USA guitars were scarce and expensive. About 15 years ago I sold the Gonzalez and bought a Maton 12-string. It was a decent step up but I felt there should be more so I ordered a 12-string version Country Jumbo from Maton. While I was waiting for that Maton to be built I bought a used Taylor 355 from the USA. The Taylor confirmed the jumbo was definitely the right direction for what I was looking for. The new Maton was delivered - huge disappointment, sounded thin and weak. Found a used Guild F-412 in the USA and bought it. Oh boy, I thought the Taylor was good until the F-412 arrived. Big, heavy, loud but beautifully balanced tone. If a Maple Guild sounds this good I just have to get me a Rosewood jumbo 12! Was a mouse click away from buying a new Guild F-512 when I found a new Martin Grand J12-40E Special for sale here in Australia for a whopping $2799.00 under normal retail price. Did my research, only 231 ever built so I bought it. Wow .. there's no trebly jangle on this guitar, warm and lush, incredible tone from light strings. Found a rare Japan-only model Morris 12-string for sale in Sydney and bought it, nicely made but very bright . Here's a picture taken before I sold the Maton jumbo and traded the Taylor.
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Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |
#21
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I picked up a 1979 Guild F-112 last year for a good price, and that scratches my infrequent itch to play a 12-string.
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#22
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I honestly can't remember when or why I got into 12 strings - pretty sure it wasn't until after '93 when I started to learn to play again after a ten year illness stopped my music.
I has a succession of Yamaha FG 12 strings - the ones with slotheads, and play them until the necks came up, then sell 'em and buy another. Then I discovered a German made Lakewood OM which was probably the finest 12 I've ever had. I had a Martin J-12-40 at the same time which could not compare. I decided to be a "bluesman" so got this : A modern version of the custom Stella that Leadbelly played - 2" nut, 25.5" scale tuned to B or C. (Toby played it when he gigged in my city). Then I got a very battered old D12-35 which went with my 12 fret dread(s). This is my only 12 string now : 12s are a pain,but they are single box orchestras - big sound - east to play,but tuning? a pain.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#23
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Brucebobs: I thought I had too many 12 strings. What a group!
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#24
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Quote:
I'm down to just 3 now.
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Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |
#25
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12 String Guitars - Your Thoughts, Experiences, & the Stories Behind Them
The 12-strings I've known and (mostly) loved:
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#26
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I bought a No name 12 string from a friend of mine while in high school. That was sometime around 1972. I kept it for a few years but sold it around '77, when I bought my first nice 6 string. My goal was to own a Guild 12 string. Eventually I bought a used 1974 G212 in 1982. I have owned a 12 string ever since then. The G212 ended up with my nephew. I have owned a Martin J12-15, Guild F312 and currently have an 0000 custom Martin 12 string. I would dearly love to have a Guild F412 if I could find a used one for the right price. The 12 string probably gets about 30% of my playing time.
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Margaret Martin: D-28, 00-18V, Custom 000-21, D12-35 Guild: GF-60M Martin C1K ukulele, Kala soprano ukulele Kentucky mandolin |
#27
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12er
My first came well into my years as a player. it was a '67 D12-20. Love dit and played all sort of things on it. But over the years, the action raised and I got it out less and less, until I finally realized over a year had passed since I'd' played it. It wasn't enjoyable any longer. So I spent some money on it, new frets, setup, lowering the action, about $500 as I recall.
When I got it back, it was still not enjoyable. In the duration I hadn't played it, I acquired my first really, really good guitars, so it could be that I was spoiled and it was as good as ever. Others that heard it said it was fine. But it didn't sound that way to me. So I sold it and looked for something different. The problem was I didn't want to spend a sum comparable to my latest 6 strings, since I was only going to use it for special occasions. I didn't find anything until one day I found a real possibility on eBay, a luthier-made one. I contacted him and he told me I wouldn't want the one he was selling (too wide a nut for me). That was honest and decent of him to be so upfront to me and it led to a commission, at a price that was cheaper than the Taylors, Martins, Guilds and Gibsons, I'd been studying. And when it arrived, it did not disappoint! Not one bit. The builder was someone who few of you have ever heard of, yet he has built over 1000 instruments including ones for Gordon Bok, Judy Collins and Noel Paul Stookey of PP&M - Nick Appollonio.
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The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Goodman J45 Lutz/fiddleback Mahogany Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#28
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In high school it was a Washburn, then later I had a Yamaha - a few years ago I tried a couple of Larrivees, and still miss the OM-12-12 all mahogany one. My brother-in-law tried to sell me his D-12-20, but it didn't really ring any bells for me -
Recently found this beautiful SC F 12 string, and think it'll stay with me a long, long, time -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#29
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After reading another thread here about 12 stringers...I gassed for one..Found a Cort Earth 100 12 stringer.... After playing it..for the life of me I can't figure out why I wanted one..lol
It doesn't fit my style of playing or songs I do.. easy enough to play...capo'd ok Just isn't my thing.. I thought the Cort might of been a little over built= quiet but I heard the guy buying it from me play it....and it was loud standing in front of the sound hole...Sounded good too... But it won;t be missed |
#30
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Now that's one truly beautiful guitar.
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Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |