For 12 Stringers

[sunaj]

I decided to step back from my 12 string and reassess my own playing,
so I looked around and examined some advanced 12 string guitar techniques, listened to some of my old favorite players and early tunes that I got started on,
but the funny thing I found was most people offering "12 string guitar lessons" really couldn't play the 12 string,
and very few have mastered it,
but face it, the 12 string really is a beast to play well,
I got a chuckle out of this Kottke interview/lesson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xPzrSNChTg

This Hendricks vid is classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPtv14q9ZDg
For Hendricks buffs I had to include this comment re: the guitar Hendricks was using:

"David Ash
This wonderful clip was filmed by my old classmate Peter Neal for 'The Experience', the first film about Hendrix. The Zemaitis guitar was mine, bought for my 21st birthday by my fiancee Veronica. for £30. I was up in Soho and Pete rushed in to the studio and said 'I must have an acoustic guitar - I've got Hendrix next door." I said it was a 12 string and strung right handed, but Pete just grabbed it and fled. Jimmy strung it up left handed and somehow managed to get this magic stuff out of it. I sold that guitar for £500 when I was broke in the eighties - worst thing I ever did!"

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I would like to start a thread for serious 12 stringers for any tips and techniques you would like to present,

let me start by saying it is imperative to start with a good 12 string with good tone,
most 12 strings are not particularly playable, although I think that trend has changed since my youth,
they are making much better quality 12 strings today (for a lot of $$ too),
a difficult action that is ok on a 6 string can be much worse on a 12 string,
having said that once you get a 12 string you feel is playable
you need to work up the time you spend on it,
it takes a lot of conditioning on your hand strength to play 12 string well,
you can over do it and hurt your tendons if you push it too much too long,
clarity is an important element,
in that there are 12 jangling strings that tend to overwhelm your sound,
selective muting and good tone is essential
5 cents please
sunaj

[Silly Moustache]

I like 12 strings and always try to use mine for 10-15% of my repertoire.

I don't finger pick 12s.

Currently my only 12 string (that I'm using) is my 1964 D12-20 rebuilt and somewhat customised by Martin in 1998 (i.e. long before I got hold of it).

It is now the only Martin I own, and i can't imagine parting with it.
I string it with Ej 37s tuned down one tone. I appear to be using a Wegen so it will be a TF140.

This is one example - a few more on my YT channel :



I do have another 12 string which is currently up for sale but it is also a surprisingly good instrument :




As you can see/hear - it is a remarkably warm sounding 12 string but lacks nothing tonally - it IS a cedar top, with (possibly) laminated back.