12 String Guitars - Your Thoughts, Experiences, & the Stories Behind Them

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Theleman

Mine is E-ROS, and all black colour -very cool looking.

It is paper light in weight. Very resonant and has good sustain too. Glued on neck and flowery pick guard.

The finger board is slightly wider than usual 6 string, so lots of room for big hands and fingers. Great guitar for finger picking.

The Eros brand was built in the Italian Eko factory and also Japan, I think. If memory serves they were branded 'Eros' for the Rosetti distribution company in London.

[DCCougar]

I love 12-string. I played a $500 Tak for a while, which motivated me to get a GUILD. Lucked out with a practically new Corona-build JF30-12, one of the best 12-strings in human history! I play it about 80% of the time, and 6-strings about 50% of the time. I know - it's tough keeping up!

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

I love 12-string. I played a $500 Tak for a while, which motivated me to get a GUILD. Lucked out with a practically new Corona-build JF30-12, one of the best 12-strings in human history! I play it about 80% of the time, and 6-strings about 50% of the time. I know - it's tough keeping up!

That's a beautiful guitar - love to see a shot of your 2 guild jumbo's together.

[Racerbob]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

I love 12-string. ---- I play it about 80% of the time, and 6-strings about 50% of the time. I know - it's tough keeping up!

So, you actually play the JF30-12 part of the time as a 6-string ?

[GHS]

I had two Yamahas, an FG-180, 1971, which is wall art now and a LL6-12 string. The LL was an amazing sounding easy to play guitar. But like others, would use it for one or two songs and then it sat in the case. If I performed where I did a lot of Gordon Lightfoot (which I do) or 60's bands like the Byrds, I would have one to use on some of their tunes. Beautiful to look at, sound awesome, but not much use. sold the LL a year or so ago.

[Rosewood99]

I keep going back and forth on whether I should downsize from my Taylor K66 and get a lesser 12 string. It's a beautiful guitar and sounds fantastic but sometimes I feel I don't play it enough to justify having it.

[JMFingerstyle]

My first 12 string was a rental, back in the mid-70's. It was something for me to use while my old Angelica 6-string was out for repair (after a foolish attempt by yours truly to do my own fingerboard inlays). I fell in love with the sound, and purchase a Yamaha shortly thereafter.

Flash forward to my adult years, where I can now afford some decent Taylor guitars. Compared to my Taylors, playing that old Yamaha was like wrapping my hand around a baseball bat, so I started looking for a replacement.

I had the opportunity to try out one of the new 12-string, 12-fret Taylor models, but I felt that the GA size body just didn't give me the 12 string sound I was looking for. I also tried out the 150e, but I'm finding the dreadnought body shape increasingly uncomfortable for my right shoulder.

I was in western Ohio for Thanksgiving, and hey, that's only a 90 minute drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana, so on Black Friday, my brother and I took an early morning road trip to Sweetwater to try out some guitars. I quickly settled in on the 254ce-K DLX and the 356ce as the best candidates in the price range I was willing to spend, so my brother and I swapped around between the two guitars, taking turns playing and listening. Although the 254s were beauties (and quite a bit less expensive), I just couldn't warm up to them, even though they were very comfortable and had great playability. I felt that the bass response on the ones I tried was kind of weak, likely due to the Grand Auditorium size.

As soon as I tried the 356ce, which is a Grand Symphony, I was blown away. It was exactly the kind of crisp, focused sound I was looking for in a 12, with a little shimmer but not a lot of jangle. I chose the one I preferred, and arranged to have it shipped home.

I think it's a winner...it suits equally well for strumming or fingerstyle play, and the neck feels as comfortable and plays as easy as any of my 6 string instruments. Sounds wonderful running through my Loudbox Mini with a touch of reverb as well. Even though the lower bout is the same 16" width as a dread, the waist geometry on the GS allow me to drop my right shoulder while playing it, making it a good deal more comfortable to play. The larger volume of the GS body adds plenty of punch to the bass.

[Silly Moustache]

These are my two :

[Russell G]

I love my Martin D12-20 (1970 build). However, when I do play it I have to get reacquainted to the unique feel of pressing down 12 strings and the wider fret board. It's a lot easier switching back to my Taylor 6 string.

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[Graham H]

So I was asked to tell my story about 12 strings and why I like them.........I had an acoustic duo back in the late '70's playing the Jersey Shore bars and at the time we were together I played a 6 string Yamaha FG300 and played rythym guitar, my partner played a Guild 12 and lead guitar. As things go we split up, and thru the winter I was working in a new partner and he had a 6 string acoustic. I felt we needed a fuller sound so I went and spent $300.00 on an Ovation 12 string because they sounded great straight into the PA system, and I didn't have to buy an amp. I really got to love that Ovation, played it for 4 years in the act, and then split up with the duo, and got hooked up with a young lady and moved to FL and had to join the real world. The 12 got stolen in a break-in, but I never forgot how much I loved the 12. Fast forward about 30 years, I'm single again, retired and back to my music. I have a couple electrics, a nice Ibanez acoustic 6 and just this week bought myself a really sweet Yamaha 12 string, it is beautiful, and I have a few mods to make , like the nut, bridge saddle, bridge pins, and a strap pin to get thid baby up to where she belongs to be, but she is just a beauty and sounds great !!! Yamaha LL16-12 .......plays like a dream, so that's my story, and I'm stickin with it !!!

[saxonblue]

I can be fickle with my guitars, I'll get on one for a while & ignore the rest. After a long hiatus sitting in it's case I resurrected my 12 string back to life and have played pretty well nothing but the last 4 months including a couple of open mics.

Initially got it out for a couple of 12 string specific tunes but my favourite genre is classic rock covers & I found the 12 string gives the feel there's a lot more going on than just one instrument & so suits those songs well to my ear (for now at least).

That whole 4 months my D-28's been sitting in it's case with totally dead strings, I haven't even looked at it in that time but I'll get back to it one day .

[DCCougar]

Congrats to all the 12-string acquisitionists!

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

That's a beautiful guitar - love to see a shot of your 2 guild jumbo's together.

Thanks, Bruce. I'm going to have to break them both out for a photo shoot! Meanwhile, here's that most gorgeous jumbo 6-string: Guild F-50R.... with emeralds!

[Earl49]

Per RP's request in another thread (post #5):
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=492015

I have always been intrigued by the sound of a twelve string on the recordings by John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Leo Kottke and others that I like to listen to.

My first was a cheapo used Takamine in the mid-80's. It lasted a couple of years, was mostly uninspiring, then got traded for a six string something else. Over time, I missed having access to "that sound" and bought a Seagull S-12 with a cedar top. Cedar mellowed the jangly nature nicely and I kept that one for several years. Then one day I was engrossed in conversation with someone in the nice room at our local guitar store. My wife put a guitar in my hands and I started noodling absentmindedly while chatting. After a bout five minutes there was a sudden realization: "Hey this isn't a six string, but plays like one!" Sold. Taylor 354-LTD from 2002.

Most recently I acquired a custom Emerald X20-12 in carbon fiber. I only play twelve string about 10-15% of the time, so this was a fairly pricey niche guitar, but it is pretty awesome and requires no humidity or temperature maintenance. I can play it easily for an hour at a time, strummed or finger picked. My Taylor 354-LTD will be going up for sale at some point, likely in the spring.

A twelve string won't do everything -- some songs work great, and others not so well -- and sometimes more than a few minutes of twelve string is plenty, but it adds enough new flavor and texture as to be worth having. Not unlike my recent SDOTD Alvarez ABT-60 baritone - similar niche application.

I have used my twelve string as an alternative at week-long music camps. The six strings are primary and my callouses get plenty of workout between classes and practicing. My twelve gets taken to the evening campfire jams, to put wear on different parts of my callouses.

[adrianashakes]

A beautiful guitar,
I have a 1977 Guild G212 that is a wonderful guitar, full throated and indestructible...with finish crackling that simply gives it charm. I keep it in open tuning as well as my Taylor 355CE 12(2002); the Guild has that bluesy edge while the Taylor sings. My Larrivee 12 I keep in standard tuning/ it's a great compliment to any 6 string player.
I love to sing harmony, so my 12's light me up

[BT55]

There are songs that scream out for 12 string guitars. I have a Taylor 454ce and absolutely love the sound and playability. My six strings are my go to Guitars BUT when you need a 12 string you need a 12 string!