12 fret guitars why not?

[mercy]

"additional mass" like or not like 12 fretters its all opinion but I dont think additional mass would be an opinion, rather something that could be mechanically weighed.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by bmoney

The one about slotted headstock. I hated he look of them when considering a 12 fret and was kinda pissed that's all 12 frets have

I have three 12-fret guitars. NONE of them have one of those evil blood-sucking slotted headstocks.

[Kerbie]

I love 12-fretters. I agree that they may not fit all situations, but they're perfect for me! Very sweet to play.

[macmanmatty]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Because you get 16.67% more frets for your money with a 14 fret.

my new guitar will be 18 frets talk about fret money I could have gotten 12 for the same price!! But I get six free. But what I don't understand though is if you have a non cutaway 12 fret why bother putting more than 12-14 frets on it? any frets higher than that won't be usable.

[sabatini]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

I have three 12-fret guitars. NONE of them have one of those evil blood-sucking slotted headstocks.

CORRECT! Not all 12-fret guitars are slot head nor short scale. My Larrivee is 12-fret with 25.5" scale and paddle headstock.

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by lt20dbl

You mean by extending the upper bout forward?

Sorry, a typo. Yes, I meant upper bout

[Swamp Yankee]

Yeah, not all 12 frets are slotheads. My Taylor 12 string 12 fret has a paddle head... thankfully. I like slotheads, but changing 12 strings is already tedious enough as it is with a paddlehead.

[Rod Sweetheart]

Another thing to consider is that the 12fret sound is fuller and rounder, so this design works better with tonewoods that are less boomy in general, otherwise you could loose clarity. That is, better Mahagony or Walnut than EIR or Cocobolo...of course there are exceptions to the rule.

[Jim Owen]

I also love 12 frets. I have 2, both parlor sized. But one of these days, I’d love a Roy Smeck or something similar. I’ve never had a 12 fret slope or dreadnought.

[raduray]

Originally Posted by bmoney

I was really looking for discussion so it's good to hear opinions

The one about slotted headstock. I hated he look of them when considering a 12 fret and was kinda pissed that's all 12 frets have

But now I have one. I really dig it lol.

Guess it's all growing on me. It's by far the best sounding guitar I have ever heard. I love this thing

What strings you have on yours? I have a 812CE 12-Fret on the way.

[Earl49]

I avoided 12 fret guitars for years, being strongly imprinted on 14 frets to the body. It just threw me off for a few minutes each time, and I do play up there a fair amount. But they have grown on me. I have long arms and don't need the nut to be in closer to my ribs. Plus I use a strap all the time, with a neck heel mounted button, so the guitar hangs centered on my body.

Two summers ago at a festival I got a pretty good deal on a cute little Teton parlor that was a big departure from anything else I own, being:
a) smaller than my other guitars
b) twelve frets and no cutaway
c) the "evil, bloodsucking" slot head
d) burst finish
https://tetonguitars.com/product/stp...-teton-guitar/

This little guitar has been really fun to play and got far more lap time than I would have guessed. It came with EXP coated strings, and I've only changed them once, for Elixirs. I recently changed two twelve string guitars in the same evening, and I'd take that any day over changing a slot-head.

There have been enough good comments about tone already. Some builders move the bridge further "south" into the center of the lower bout (Taylor) while others elongate the body to reach the 12th fret (Martin). There are pluses and minuses to each approach. The biggest downside for me is that I play a lot in altered tunings, and really do go up frets 13, 15 and 17. It is not workable to reach that high without a cutaway, so there are certain tunes that I simply cannot play on that twelve fret parlor.

[jaymarsch]

I have both 12 fretters and 14 fretters. My favorite guitar is a 12 fret grand concert with a deep body (no slotted head stock). I do not play that high up the neck most of the time so do not miss the extra frets. Glad to have both choices though.

Best,
Jayne

[bmoney]

Originally Posted by raduray

What strings you have on yours? I have a 812CE 12-Fret on the way.

Elixir PB HD lights

Only thing i slightly regret is no Cutaway but the only songs i play (right now) near or past the 12th fret I can't still play with a little reach

If you don't keep the 812ce. Lmk. Maybe we can work something out

[leew3]

By far my favorite of all my really nice guitars is my Martin OM-28 12 fret. It's a wonderful playing guitar that due to excellent construction and high quality rosewood and adi combination can be loud! I too had to adapt my playing some but finding a new form of the G#m I was used to playing as a barre chord on the 11th fret was an enjoyable challenge.

In response to an earlier post about the limitations of 12 fret guitars I would observe that no guitar is suited for all situations but that this one is more versatile than those of you inclined against 12 frets might expect. I recall hearing someone playing a similarly constructed OM-28 at Wildwood Music here in Ohio remark "you could play bluegrass on this thing!"

and no, it doesn't have a slotted headstock!

[DoryDavis]

I have a 712e 12 fret. If I had it to do over again I'd get the cutaway, but this guitar was a good deal (used) so I snapped it up. I like the sound of 12 frets and 14 frets, it is not a winner take all for me.
The 712 has the slotted headstock. I struggled with that at first, but now it takes me no longer than a standard headstock guitar to change strings.
That was accomplished in much the same way I learn new tunes anymore- I think about the best way to do it, then read others opinions, then watch relevant you tubes, and usually create a hybrid version/approach.
To anyone in the market for a new guitar, regardless of its use, I'd suggest trying a 12 fret. Mine is a great fingerpicker, and it strums chords just fine.