Emerald Amicus - a very friendly instrument...

[RP]

I recently purchased a plain-Jane black Emerald Amicus and have been having a lot of fun with it. Emerald bills it as a mandolin on which the player uses guitar chords. As such, it produces a unique "mandoliny" sound that really enhances many songs. I love it, and I suppose the thing that really surprises me is that no other manufacturer has produced an instrument based on this concept. I recently took it to my girlfireind's home, and started playing it while she was in the other room. I didn't say anything, but she came into the room where I was playing it and just bubbled with enthusiasm about this little friendly instrument. She's been with me for a whole lot of guitars over the past 18 years, but this is the first time that she's been so supportive about my choice of a stringed instrument. The Amicus also makes an excellent couch and travel instrument...

[ceciltguitar]

I enjoy the Amicus a lot!!

There is at least one similar guitar, the Veillette Gryphon 12 String Acoustic Guitar:

https://reverb.com/item/45643666-vei...coustic-guitar

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by ceciltguitar

I enjoy the Amicus a lot!!

There is at least one similar guitar, the Veillette Gryphon 12 String Acoustic Guitar:

https://reverb.com/item/45643666-vei...coustic-guitar

It was playing an AGF member’s Gryphon some years ago that made me determined to add an Amicus to my collection one day - and last year I was fortunate enough to do just that. It just makes me smile, every time I play it

[KevinH]

Congrats on the new Amicus. Sounds like fun. One thing I like about Emerald is the wide variety of instruments they make.

[jklotz]

I'd love to get my hands on one of those. It'd be interesting to experiment with. What strings do you use? Are they just any normal 12 string set?

[bholder]

Gold Tone also makes several octave guitars and octave 12s. I have one, spacing is tight for my chubby fingers, but oh that sound! Like dancing angels glistening in the morning dew under the first rays of the rising sun! (Ok, that's a bit over the top, but really nice!)

[bholder]

Gold Tone also does a larger bodied F style:



:drool: I want one! hehe

Of course, I want an Amicus, too, but my next Emerald will be the X30 Jumbo.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by jklotz

I'd love to get my hands on one of those. It'd be interesting to experiment with. What strings do you use? Are they just any normal 12 string set?

It's strung in unison, not octaves, so strings can be a bit of a challenge. Stock are .042-.0085, and some kind of PB, I believe.

Newtone in the UK makes a dedicated set that run .042-.008. Or, you could bu something like two sets of Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt, which are .038-.008.

[ceciltguitar]

David, can you compare the Gryphon to the Amicus for us? If so, thank you!

[RP]

Originally Posted by jklotz

What strings do you use? Are they just any normal 12 string set?

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

It's strung in unison, not octaves, so strings can be a bit of a challenge. Stock are .042-.0085, and some kind of PB, I believe.

Newtone in the UK makes a dedicated set that run .042-.008. Or, you could bu something like two sets of Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt, which are .038-.008.

You beat me to it, David. I'll just add that it's strung D-G-C-F-A-D. A large benefit of a carbon fiber 12-string is that it tends to stay in tune better than a wooden guitar...

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by ceciltguitar

David, can you compare the Gryphon to the Amicus for us? If so, thank you!

Honestly, no - it was too long ago. They’re really similar in concept, though, as you point out.

[ac]

The strings usually are in unison, but do not have to be. Must be dozens of possible variations that could sound good, or at least would be fun to try.

From an interview of Kaki King who uses the Gryphon instrument.

"Veillette Gryphon mini 12-string (nearly identical specs with Emerald's Amicus) with La Bella GR-12 strings specially designed for this instrument (often with .009 first strings substituted for the set’s normal .008; unlike on a regular 12-string, the string courses are in unison rather than octaves). King typically tunes to D A D G A D an octave up, and sometimes tunes the pairs of strings to different notes, as in DD AA DD FG AA DC."
(From https://acousticguitar.com/kaki-kings-stage-guitars/)

She mentions a little about her tuning adjustments here:


Example of sound:

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by ac

The strings usually are in unison, but do not have to be. Must be dozens of possible variations that could sound good, or at least would be fun to try.

From an interview of Kaki King who uses the Gryphon instrument.

"Veillette Gryphon mini 12-string (nearly identical specs with Emerald's Amicus) with La Bella GR-12 strings specially designed for this instrument (often with .009 first strings substituted for the set’s normal .008; unlike on a regular 12-string, the string courses are in unison rather than octaves). King typically tunes to D A D G A D an octave up, and sometimes tunes the pairs of strings to different notes, as in DD AA DD FG AA DC."
(From https://acousticguitar.com/kaki-kings-stage-guitars/)

Thanks for posting this - and giving me ideas

The two pieces she played were great - the first one, especially, was just lovely.

She's playing a 'real' Gryphon, of course. The one that Cecil linked to in an earlier post on Reverb is an Avante model - made offshore somewhere, and significantly less expensive than the US version (or an Amicus, for that matter).

It's now potentially an even more fascinating instrument.