Is there a "king" of the 12 strings?

[tadol]

2 comments -

There’s more to a great 12 string than just it’s ability to stay in tune -

and, You really need to expand your imagination - It sounds like you’ve never tried a really good solid wood 12 string -

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by HogsNRoses

The Gibson Song Writer is nice.

Yes, I've got a Songwriter 12-string. It's excellent. Can't compete with the Guild jumbos though. F512 (rosewood) and JF30-12 (arched maple) are otherworldly. Guild is King.

[Benjo]

Anyone played a Lowden F. model 12 string? That's the 1 I want to buy but it's bloody expensive. The O model is too large for me and the S. model I played did not have the de depth of sound I'm looking for.

[martingitdave]

For the record, the best 12 string I have personally played was a Goodall Jumbo. But, at $7,000, it was not to be.

[Stomp]

[gfspencer]

I will start off by saying that I own seven Martin 12-string guitars so I am biased. Okay, I got that out of the way.

• Being a John Denver fan I would say that a Guild is one of my favorite 12-strings . . . but I have never owned one.
• Being a Martin fan I would say that a D12-28 is one of the work horse 12-strings.
• A Martin D12-35 is my favorite sounding 12-string.
• The Martin Grand J-12 40E is the best 12-strings ever maid. I wish I hadn't sold mine.
• The Martin Pete Seeger Singout 12-string baritone is unique. I love mine.
• My new favorite is a Martin J12 65M. It is maple. You don't find many of those.
• I bought a Taylor 12-string and returned it. It was a very nice guitar but not my style.
• I have a Martin 00 12-string custom. It is probably the smallest 12-string that Martin has made.
• A Martin Grand J12-16GTE is a great sounding inexpensive 12-string. It is mahogany.
• Martin has come out with a new Grand J-16E 12-string but it isn't in the stores yet. It is rosewood.

I list all of those to say that there are a lot of good 12-string guitars out there so it is hard to say who wears the crown. I would go with an early Guild or a Martin D12-28.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by Stomp

Very nice! Do I have you to thank for my Peterson strobe clip "sweetened" 12 string tuning?

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by Benjo

Anyone played a Lowden F. model 12 string? That's the 1 I want to buy but it's bloody expensive. The O model is too large for me and the S. model I played did not have the de depth of sound I'm looking for.

I had a Lowden 12-string that was made in Japan. It was a great guitar. I gave it to two sisters who played music at the church. (I was moving across country and could not move all of my guitars.)

I am certain that the newer Lowden guitars are much better.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by gfspencer

I will start off by saying that I own seven Martin 12-string guitars so I am biased. Okay, I got that out of the way.

• Being a John Denver fan I would say that a Guild is one of my favorite 12-strings . . . but I have never owned one.
• Being a Martin fan I would say that a D12-28 is one of the work horse 12-strings.
• A Martin D12-35 is my favorite sounding 12-string.
• The Martin Grand J-12 40E is the best 12-strings ever maid. I wish I hadn't sold mine.
• The Martin Pete Seeger Singout 12-string baritone is unique. I love mine.
• My new favorite is a Martin J12 65M. It is maple. You don't find many of those.
• I bought a Taylor 12-string and returned it. It was a very nice guitar but not my style.
• I have a Martin 00 12-string custom. It is probably the smallest 12-string that Martin has made.
• A Martin Grand J12-16GTE is a great sounding inexpensive 12-string. It is mahogany.
• Martin has come out with a new Grand J-16E 12-string but it isn't in the stores yet. It is rosewood.

I list all of those to say that there are a lot of good 12-string guitars out there so it is hard to say who wears the crown. I would go with an early Guild or a Martin D12-28.

Thanks for "chiming" in. I had hoped you would.

[FrankHudson]

Well I too think Leadbelly when I see the phrase "King of the 12-string." It's like a topic thread titled "What microphone is the Queen of Soul?"

I'm an anti-monarchist, but that said I've always associated Guild with top-notch 12-strings from way back. Someone upthread mentioned John Denver and his association with Guild 12-strings. For me it'd be Tim Buckley or Ralph Towner and their Guilds.

I like my late-Westerly era Guild JF30-12, other than it's weight and size, both of which are part of it's admirable sound alas.

[Awagner]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

... the Guild F-612 with 18" lower bout.

I believe the guitar Pete is playing in this picture is actually an early F512.

The first F512s had the same ornate inlays as the later-produced F612.

F612s have a checkerboard headstock border and 2 bridge inlays, and the guitar pictured has neither.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by Awagner

I believe the guitar Pete is playing in this picture is actually an early F512.

The first F512s had the same ornate inlays as the later-produced F612.

F612s have a checkerboard headstock border and 2 bridge inlays, and the guitar pictured has neither.

You could be right...I don't see the "checkerboard" purfling pattern on the body and headstock either, and all of the F-612's that I have seen pictures of had that.

But that bridge on Pete's guitar is not the OEM bridge for a mid/late 60's early run F-512 either. It is too short on the wings and slightly different shape on the main meat of the bridge. That bridge design was used starting in the mid 70's forward.

The "Pearl Pinwheels" bridge wing inlays were used on most of the F-612's including John Denver's first one, but not on all of the F-612's...some were made without them. The inlay pattern, those figurines on the fingerboard are just separate pearl figures that Guild used to get from Dotzauer Luthier Supply in Germany back in those days. Dotzauer supplied a lot of Pearl and Abalone blanks and inlay figures and also Brazilian Rosewood guitar sets to builders, including Guild back at that time.

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[MBee]

I bet this thing would rank right up there in the family of 12-string royalty. https://reverb.com/ca/item/33216953-...-free-shipping

[sevenpalms]

The best 12 string I've ever played/owned is my Pimentel M-12 made by Rick Pimentel in New Mexico. It's Mesquite/Spruce but has a grand auditorium size deep body. So its comfortable to play with a HUGE sound! The Mesquite is clear and warm...sort of like a cross between maple and mahogany....got it strung 13-56 tuned to open G slacked down 2 steps...handles Kottke slide like a chanp! Sadly it doesn’t get as much playing as I should be giving it!!

[nweekes]

That is a loaded question. Is there a king of the twelve string? It’s all personal preference. I have owned incredible Guild 12’s with Brazilian Rosewood but I almost always reach for my Taylor Leo Kottke 12.