12 string

[seangil]

I'm mulling over whether or not to look for a 12 string guitar. Which companies have the best reputation in the 12 string area. I seem to recall hearing good things about Guild. I know that Taylor makes a few models, but I am not a big fan of their sound.

I'm not so much asking about specific models, but rather which brands put out a high quality 12-string.

[Brucebubs]

Start with the rosewood jumbo Guild F-512 - then the maple version with it's unbraced arch back, was called F-412 but now renamed the F-512Maple.

Don't be too quick to dismiss Taylor - great playability and their big body Grand Orchestra guitars make great 12-strings - especially the rosewood 858 and 458R models.

Here's Neil Young with a very early model Taylor 855 jumbo 12-string.

[Rockysdad]

Well, there's Guild, and if you can't find that, then look for a Guild.

Seriously, There are a fair number out there, depends on how much you want to spend.

[jklotz]

Mine is an Eastman ac330-12. It's a great guitar and well below what you are probably expecting to spend. Honestly, I'm shocked at how good it sounds and plays given the price point. It's all the 12 string I ever see myself needing. That being said, I've always thought of the Guild F512 as the king of 12 strings, but I'd have to be using a 12 string as my main guitar, which I don't, to consider spending even what a used one would cost.

[phavriluk]

I'd stick to known brands that are appreciated for build integrity, limiting the chance of a structurally bad one. Guild, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Seagull. Choose one at a tolerable price point. And inspect it before money changes hands.

[Tico]

Yep, Guild does 12-strings right.

When I wasn't looking I came across the below 1977 F212-XL with original case for around $400.
It was in a weird store, kind of a cross between a thrift store, junk yard, and antique store, in a economically-depressed neighborhood.
The head had been repaired but it's rock solid and stable.
It plays and sounds like heaven!!!

I haven't officially gone shopping for an acoustic guitar since I bought my D-55 in 1977.
I just live my life and eventually one that is a good fit for me (low price high quality) will just float down the river of life at offbeat places like this and garage sales.
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[6L6]

USA-built Guilds are the best.

A close second would be a used D-12-20 Martin.

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by seangil

I'm mulling over whether or not to look for a 12 string guitar. Which companies have the best reputation in the 12 string area. I seem to recall hearing good things about Guild. I know that Taylor makes a few models, but I am not a big fan of their sound.

I'm not so much asking about specific models, but rather which brands put out a high quality 12-string.

If I ever get another 12 string, it will be an Eastman 330 jumbo, which can be had for way under a grand! They sound better than my Taylor 850 did, and play just about as well!

Don

[Dru Edwards]

Give Seagull/Simon & Patrick a try. Also try a Larrivee. I'd recommend a Taylor but if you don't really like Taylor's tone then might as well try something else.

[donlyn]

Extremely pleased with my Taylor 12 strings, especially the 458e-R spruce over rosewood. I keep them tuned to D#, and use the G7th Newport 12 string capo with compensated string pad if I want to play in standard. No re-tuning necessary with this capo.

Been playing acoustic 12 string for over 50 years since I first got an EKO Ranger XII back in the day.

Don
.

[zombywoof]

Guild, of course, at one time set the standard for 12 strings for all that would follow. I really like the '61 to '65 Gibson B45-12s. I owned an early '63 and still own a '61. Being braced no differently than their six string counterparts they sounded great. Unfortunately they did not fare as well in the survival department.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by seangil

I'm mulling over whether or not to look for a 12 string guitar. Which companies have the best reputation in the 12 string area. I seem to recall hearing good things about Guild. I know that Taylor makes a few models, but I am not a big fan of their sound...

Check out the all-hog Guild D-1212 - about the same price as a Taylor 150e, a lot of fellow AGF-ers own them, sounds like you expect a Guild 12-string to sound, and if you search here on the Forum you'll find overwhelmingly positive reviews...

[Earl49]

It really comes down to your budget and how seriously you want to pursue the twelve string. I strongly recommend the Seagull S12 unless you have reason to go further up the food chain. I would probably still be happily playing that Seagull if not for coming across good deals on "better" instruments over time.
http://www.seagullguitars.com/en/pro...e-cedar-12-qit
http://www.seagullguitars.com/en/pro...unburst-gt-q1t
https://www.elderly.com/products/sea...-string-guitar

My twelve string journey started out in the 80's with a used Takamine dreadnought (~$225). After selling that off a couple of years later, sometime in the early 90's I bought a Seagull S12 ($400 then) with a cedar top. I liked how the cedar mellowed the inherently jangly nature of a twelve string compared to spruce. Eventually I upgraded to a Taylor 354-LTD ($1500 then) which was very easy playing and sounded good. More recently I have drifted into carbon fiber. The Rainsong WS-3000 and JM-3000 were candidates but went off the market by the time I was serious about upgrading or spending that much on a niche instrument like a twelve string. Within the last month Rainsong announced that a twelve string is again available using the original neck mold. I don't know the price point. Until that recent announcement, the only thing in current production was the Emerald X20-12. I now have a custom version of that X20-12 with a shorter 24.6" scale length for easy playing. It is a winner, and I played it for a solid hour just yesterday afternoon. Guild certainly seems to be a strong contender in twelve strings, but I have ever bonded with - or owned - a Guild guitar, having played many of them. I cannot even explain why..... they just didn't click for me.

[L20A]

Over the years, I owned 2 Guild 12 string guitars.
Both were nice but hard to play due to big chunky necks that made my hands hurt after about 20 minuted trying to tune them and then about 4 or 5 songs played out of key.

I later found the world of electronic tuners but the second Guild was still painful for me to play.

I tries a few other cheaper brands that were actually easier to play but lacked the sound that came from the Guilds.

These older Guild 12 string guitars had wide and chunky necks because Guild used two truss rod in them.
The two truss rods helped keep the necks stable but were just not a good fit for my hands.

Guild changed to single truss rods and a much nicer neck shape when they mover to Tacoma.
If my JF-30-12 was from Tacoma, I would probably still have it.
Mine was an older Westerly made with the double truss rods.

Today, I have a Yamaha LL-16-12 all solid wood 12 string that I am very happy with.
This guitar has a much nicer neck profile and doesn't hurt my hands to play.

For years, I would say that I would love to own a guitar with a Guild sound and a Taylor neck.
My Yamaha comes close.

My Yamaha L-16-12 is about 1/3rd the price of a Guild F512.
Both are solid Rosewood/Spruce guitars
I have no desire to pay the price of a new Guild that would get less than 10% of my playing time.
For me my Yamaha is a great fit.

[Ray175]

My preference for mahogany back/sides and sitka top led me to the Martin J12-16GT (no recent 18’s available). No regrets. Full, balanced tone all the way up the neck and plenty of projection.
My only negative is a 16” radius which makes barre chords on the first two frets hard work on my ageing hands... my luthier has offered to adjust the radius to 12”, and I will probably do this once I’ve put the cash aside (new nut, refret and new saddle also needed).