Custom (or just great) 12 strings

[Martz911]

I currently have three Goodall 12-strings, which are the best I've played to date.

Curly Maple/Sitka:






Indian Rosewood/Sitka Cutaway:






Koa/Sitka:

[somethingclever]

My Blazer & Henkes Savannah - Modeled after Leadbelly's Stella.
Literal lap piano.

[kyee]

THREE Goodall 12 strings? Killer!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by kyee

THREE Goodall 12 strings? Killer!

Yeah, just what I was thinking! Brother Martz911 is in a position to offer opinions on what different body woods contribute to the 12 string sound. I’d love to hear those thoughts.

Steve

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Yeah, just what I was thinking! Brother Martz911 is in a position to offer opinions on what different body woods contribute to the 12 string sound. I’d love to hear those thoughts.

Steve

I agree with Steve! Come on, Martz911 give us your thoughts please !

Salud

Paul

[Guitars44me]

I figure this should qualify!

https://www.dreamguitars.com/shop/20...1-207-033.html

Traugott. Al Petteway plays it. Dang! If I only had an extra $25K!

Salud

Paul

[Dotneck]

Kevin Kopp has made twelve strings. Here is one he made for Darryl Scott. There is a video in the link at the bottom of the post.





https://www.facebook.com/darrellscot...zxseqpOKBYDGLY

[Martz911]

Due to overwhelming demand created by this post (okay - two requests), I had some time this morning to tune up my three Goodall 12-strings and play them back-to-back so that I could offer some tonal comparisons. When I say "tune them up", what I really mean is that I verify that they are in their "normal" tuning for me. That is, one whole step down from standard (D to D). I have just entered my Medicare years, so my hands have decided that playing 12-string acoustics in standard tuning is not recommended. Plus, to my (worsening) ears, they just sound better tuned down. And, I may be old-fashioned, but I think that tuning down is a better option for the neck health of these guitars for future lucky owners.

After putting in a good hour of my precious retirement time playing these three 12s (and delaying today's job of vacuuming the house), what I found is that they are more similar than different. That may sound like a cop-out, but I think two factors are at play here. One is the obvious similarities of the three: all are Goodalls, all are Jumbos, and, most importantly to my mind, all have Sitka Spruce tops. (All even have Goodall's "Master Grade" Sitka Spruce tops.) As we all have been told over the years on the AGF, the top is the most important generator of sound on an acoustic guitar.

The second factor in making these guitars sound similar is their nature of being 12-strings. All those vibrating lengths of varying diameters of string create so much sound and overtones and "jangliness" that potential differences created by the various back and side woods are obscured.

For anyone disappointed in this "evenness" of sound that I discovered across the three guitars, I will admit to hearing a few minor differences by transferring quickly from one guitar to another. The Koa 12-string had a bit more of the brightest "jingle-jangle" treble output. The Indian Rosewood 12-string sounded a bit "warmer" and "rounder". And the Maple 12-string fell somewhere in the middle of the other two, as it sounded more "balanced", with a bit more mid-range focus and note articulation. But if you played the three in succession blind-folded, with 30 seconds of rest between each guitar, I doubt if you could tell the difference.

Okay, that's my report. The dustballs and tracked cat litter are calling to me. On to the vacuum!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Thanks for the report, Larry. It takes some level-headed honesty to say “they sound similar”. But your report is totally believable, and not unexpected.
That said, I found the comment about your Koa guitar’s treble response interesting, and the maple being “more balanced” really appreciated. It helps confirm a conviction of mine that maple guitars are unfairly branded as shrill, brittle treble machines. If your maple guitar—a 12 string no less—can sound the most balanced of the herd, then we have yet more evidence that maple really does perform well as a guitar wood.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, and taking that hour out of the cleaning regimen.

Steve

[Guitars44me]

Hey Martz911

Again, thanks for the update!!!

And I agree that maple can certainly sound Fat, Warm, and balanced. John Kinnard made me a fantastic Maple and Cedar axe. It is very balanced and has a LOT of everything I like.

My guess is most factories have tried to voice it like Rosewood or Mahogany. I believe it needs its own thickness, braces, etc.

Individual Luthiers can take the TIME to voice properly. Thank goodness you folks don't have a zillion Guitars to make this month! Hahahah
Just a few Great ones!

Cheers

Paul

[antsdmb]

Here’s my 12 string from Rob Bustos of Paragon Guitars. It’s about 12-13 years old now and just ROARS

[K Trespass]

Some amazing 12 strings so far. Bump to see if there are any more out there to add to the thread.

[The Bard Rocks]

I doubt anyone living has made more 12 strings than Nick Appollonio of Maine. When he made mine in '12, he mentioned he'd done over 1000 instruments. Not all were 12-ers of course, but a much higher proportion were than would normally be the case for a luthier. And he is still building them. Noel Paul Stookey, Gordon Bok and Judy Collins are others that play them. Mine is POC over Myrtle.

[runamuck]

I would never recommend a factory made 6 string over a wonderful luthier made guitar, but before you spend a lot of money check out the Guild 12 strings.

[j. Kinnaird]

The best sounding and easiest playing 12 string guitar I have ever heard, EVER, was made by my brother. It was at BIG this past September and if he has not sold it I wish he would post it here. It was also quite a looker to boot.