Martin d12-28 , would you?

[rollypolly]

Would you buy one if you could get a good deal on it? I was thinking of playing as a 6 string with a new nut , but could also use it as a 12 although that’s not my bag. I was thinking of getting one as the seller seems to be ready to sell for a low price and it’d get me my first rosewood Martin. Are early 70s models all dogs?

[Draft Guitar]

No, I wouldn't for two reasons:
1) I did this and regret it on a 6 string (needs a new bridge in the correct location and a neck reset)
2) I don't have any interest in a 12 string

Not all 70s are dogs, but you will definitely be rolling the dice unless you have high accuracy measuring tools. My bridge is 1/8" out which makes it impossible to intonate.

[jmjohnson]

I once strummed the strings on a 12 string Guild - sounded like angels singing...never played a 12 string but man what great tones!

[foxo]

I’d rather have a true six string unless I intended to use it as a twelve.

[Jim Owen]

For me, nope. I’ve never played a Martin 12 as a 6, but I’m pretty sure they are braced for 12.

I had a wonderful Guild 12 back in the 70s that sounded like a piano with 12 strings on it. I once put 6 on just to see what it sounded like. Not good.

If you want it as a 12, that’s what it’s for.

[gfspencer]

If you want a D-28 get a D-28. You won't be happy with a 12-string turned into a 6-string.

[L20A]

If the price is low enough you could always buy it and then sell to help fund a real 6 string.

I know that some Martin 6 string guitars had poor bridge placement and were impossible to tune.

Not sure if this also applied to any of their 12 string guitars though.
I doubt that they were affected as they have totally different bridges.

[guitarxan]

I have a newer d12-28 and I love it. However a 50 year old 12 string, not named Guild, is going to have problems.
As for playing it as a six string I’d go find a d18 or d28 good deal.

[warfrat73]

If you play it as a 6 string, it won't sound the way you want it to.

They're braced more heavily.

If you want it as a 12-string, or don't really care what it sounds like, then that's a different story.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by gfspencer

If you want a D-28 get a D-28. You won't be happy with a 12-string turned into a 6-string.

^^^^
THIS!

[Coler]

Buy it as a 12er or don't buy it.

[DBW]

Originally Posted by Coler

Buy it as a 12er or don't buy it.

I agree. It's good to have a 12 string. They are somewhat limited IMO but for certain songs there is no substitute.

[alien]

I would not turn a 12 string into a 6 string. If the price were right, I would buy a D12-28 and continue to keep it as is. I like those models.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Coler

Buy it as a 12er or don't buy it.

My thoughts as well.

Given that it's more heavily braced I'd pass. The only way I'd buy it if is I needed that extra nut width... even then I'd try to find something else.

[donlyn]

Originally Posted by DBW

I agree. It's good to have a 12 string. They are somewhat limited IMO but for certain songs there is no substitute.

The only limitation on a 12 string guitar is the one that the player brings to it.

Been playing 12 string guitars since the '60s, and once went many years where a 12 string was my only acoustic guitar. As a result, If I wanted to play anything acoustically, it got played on a 12 string. So pretty much everything got played on it, and that was one of those EKO Ranger XII models, built like a tank and had a '0' fret. Was so much fun to play, especially when there weren't a lot of other options to worry about.

You haven't lived until you experience "Walk Don't Run" on a 12 string.

Don
.