12 String Appreciation

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Thanks, Key! As to the "illusion", that is a Manzer Wedge®. I have that on my other Yamamoto, too. Great concept that Linda created.

https://www.manzer.com/guitars/index...d=12&Itemid=15

Interesting seems like a great idea for comfort

[AZLiberty]

My WS-3000 Rainsong. These are discontinued, and it took 18 months of searching find one:

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by dhockenbury

My new Guild F-512 arrived about an hour ago. It has been a long time since I have had a 12 string. Looking forward to getting to know it.

I am so Envious! I saw this video some time ago...and have been dreaming about this guitar for some time. Please give us more feedback after you have had some time with it.

Does anybody know what the difference is in specs & sound between the New F-512
and the OP's Guild Guild Jumbo JF30-12? I would really like to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=yyoxSW1xId4

[Brucebubs]

This thread really needs a 'like' button .... because I like them all!



Left to right;
- Morris B-50
- Taylor 355
- Guild F-412
- Martin Grand J12-40E Special

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Does anybody know what the difference is in specs & sound between the New F-512
and the OP's Guild Guild Jumbo JF30-12? I would really like to know.

The JF-30-12 has Maple back and sides and an unbraced arch back.

The F-512 has Rosewood back and sides with traditional bracing.

Cordoba Guild have now decided to re-name the old F-412 as a F-512 Maple.

[KevWind]

Wow lots of nice 12's Keep em coming

Here is my only 12 it is a no longer produced a Taylor 750 Dread.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

The JF-30-12 has Maple back and sides and an unbraced arch back. The F-512 has Rosewood back and sides with traditional bracing.

While I'm not a complete Guild jumbo 12 string expert. There are f-512's in Maple that have the pressed arched back as well as Rosewood with bracing/flat.

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

[INDENT]...Does anybody know what the difference is in specs & sound between the New F-512
and the OP's Guild Guild Jumbo JF30-12? I would really like to know...

Again, I'm not a complete expert but I believe the primary difference between a f-512 Maple and the jf30-12 is the fretboard & rosette inlay. Also some jf30-12's had Rosewood bridge and fretboard but mine has Ebony (as noticed by DCCougar).

[jseth]

Here's my Mark Angus 12 string... built in 1983, it is, to this date, still the ONLY 12 string he's made... when I asked "why?", he commented, "No one has asked me to build another..."!

Mark had built me a 6 string, 4 years prior, and I absolutely LOVED it... he was doing repair work for some music store, and I happened to drop by for a chat... ther was NO WAY in the world that I was thinking about getting a 12 string (although I olaved 'em, even back then), but as I waited for him to finish what he was working on, I sat in an acoustic room and played some guitars... the 12 string was in there, and I spent a good bit of time with it.

When I finally did talk with Mark, he offered to sell "that 12 string you were having so much fun with", for the same price he sold me my 6 string 4 years before (a GREAT price). Said he needed to raise his property tax money or something...

I couldn't walk away..

Mark Angus #58, 1983... East Indian rosewood back and sides, German Black Forest spruce top, no headstock logo, hard rock maple binding on the body and the fretboard, Brazilian only for the headstock, Gotoh mini tuners (still rock-solid!), mahogany neck with a very slim carve, well before Bob Taylor started doing his magic with 12 string guitars... body size/shape built from a template of a Guild F-40! (Basically, the Big Sister to my 6 string Angus).

After all these years and all the different strings I've used, I have settled on the Elixir Nan-web phosphor bronze strings... they're hard to find; the "usual" Elixir 12 string set is the 80-20, and I used those for years and liked them - they LAST SO LONG (17 months at my longest! Still clean and tone and volume!) - but I wanted to hear more of the bass and low mids; everything above that is well-taken care of by the doubled courses of treble strings, but the Angus was sounding a bit thin for me... the phosphor bronze set has exactly what I wanted. Thus far, I have to have a lady at Strings and Beyond "make up" sets for me, because I'm currently running 12's; Elixir doesn't make a set like that that I've found. Tuned to pitch... harder to play but the volume and tone is what I want.






I don't play her as much as I have done, but I love the sound, the love the different feel of the double courses under my fingers... amplified (currently with an Anthem SL), the bass is nice and clear; I enjoy playing tunes where the bass line is effectively doubled, then playing over the top of that.
Tthis 12 string plays as easily as any I have ever held, but playing a 12 string is a whole 'nother critter from a 6 string guitar... I play a lot of chord shapes that aren't at the nut, and it really takes it out of the hands, wrists and fingers to play it for any length of time...

And then, of course, I'll get "locked in" and later realize I just played the entire set on the 12 string!

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by jseth

Here's my Mark Angus 12 string... built in 1983, it is, to this date, still the ONLY 12 string he's made......

Completely gorgeous. When I purchased my JF30-12 it was very similar. I was dropping a Goodall off for a set up and while they were writing it up and evaluating the frets I saw the jumbo hanging on the wall and started playing. It never went back on the wall. It was a must-do purchase.

[donlyn]

I'll just throw in a big +1 full of 12 string love to everyone who has posted to this thread.

And also to those who post post this post.

Don
.

[AcousticDreams]

Can anyone tell me if Guild JF-30's were made in the USA at one time?...back in the 90's.

It is a bit confusing on the Guild site...as they have a Westerly line as well. I assume the current Westerly models are not made in the US.
Also it looks like the Guild JF-30 12 Westerly were made with a 1 13/16 nut. While the new F-512 has a 1 & 7/8 nut.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

While I'm not a complete Guild jumbo 12 string expert. There are f-512's in Maple that have the pressed arched back as well as Rosewood with bracing/flat.



Again, I'm not a complete expert but I believe the primary difference between a f-512 Maple and the jf30-12 is the fretboard & rosette inlay. Also some jf30-12's had Rosewood bridge and fretboard but mine has Ebony (as noticed by DCCougar).

I think you'll find the F-512 has always been the designation for the rosewood jumbo 12-string ... until Cordoba Guild recently decided to drop the F-412 designation for the maple jumbo 12-string and replace it with F-512 Maple.

So the current line-up is F-512 = rosewood jumbo 12-string with traditional bracing and F-512 Maple = maple jumbo 12-string with unbraced arch back.

Not the 1st time that F-412 has been changed!
In 1987 the F-412 became the JF-65M-12 but reverted back to F-412 in 2002.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Can anyone tell me if Guild JF-30's were made in the USA at one time?...back in the 90's.

It is a bit confusing on the Guild site...as they have a Westerly line as well. I assume the current Westerly models are not made in the US.
Also it looks like the Guild JF-30 12 Westerly were made with a 1 13/16 nut. While the new F-512 has a 1 & 7/8 nut.

According to the 'Blue Book' the JF-30 6-string and JF-30-12's were made from 1987 to 2003.
That would cover the USA Westerly and Corona factory eras.
Guild relocated to Tacoma, Washington in 2004.
Available in Blonde, Black, Red Trans and Antique Burst

There was a 6-string JF-30C with cutaway that was only made in 1988.

Yes, the current 'Westerly' line is made in China.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

According to the 'Blue Book' the JF-30 6-string and JF-30-12's were made from 1987 to 2003.
That would cover the USA Westerly and Corona factory eras.
Guild relocated to Tacoma, Washington in 2004.
Available in Blonde, Black, Red Trans and Antique Burst

There was a 6-string JF-30C with cutaway that was only made in 1988.

Yes, the current 'Westerly' line is made in China.

Thanks Brucebubs, great info.

So do you believe there is any difference in the New F-512 American made verses the JF-30's of yesteryear(pre-china).

Is there any design differences" between the New F-512 over the the older JF-30's ?
I guess the most important question is, Does one sound better than the other?With the new USA factory in California maybe comes something new and better?

Had an Ovation 12 back in the 70's and actually it was a pretty good sounding guitar. Sold it because the nut width was smaller and I found myself not progressing, because the smaller nut was more suited towards strumming and picking. Harder for individual notes.

The Guild with its wider nut, and wood body has me dreaming of that 12 string sound once again.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

.. So the current line-up is F-512 = rosewood jumbo 12-string with traditional bracing and F-512 Maple = maple jumbo 12-string with unbraced arch back. ..

Not to be picky....... but I think that's what I said. Guild f-512 Maple -

"Originally Posted by DenverSteve - While I'm not a complete Guild jumbo 12 string expert. There are f-512's in Maple that have the pressed arched back as well as Rosewood with bracing/flat."